Posted on 05/20/2008 12:51:35 PM PDT by The_Republican
It's a long way from Harvard yard to Benedictine College. But this little Kansas campus could give Cambridge a big lesson in diversity.
Benedictine held its annual commencement ceremonies this past weekend, and I happened to be there because I was the speaker. After all the degrees had been handed out, two young men in dress blue were called back on stage. Before their families, their classmates, and their teachers, these men raised their right hands and swore to "support and defend" our Constitution. And then Lt. Jeff Fetters and Lt. Michael Mundie were presented to their class as "the newest officers in the United States Army."
What a striking moment this was. Here were two young men who had stepped forward to wear the uniform in a time of war – and who had their service publicly acknowledged by their peers and institution. One retired general who graduated from this same campus in 1966 put it this way. "These young men will need every bit of encouragement in the world they have now entered," said Tom Wessels. "And by golly, it was great to see them get it."
Now, Benedictine is hardly an Army kind of place. On this campus, you are far more likely to encounter someone becoming a missionary than someone entering the military. And not everyone assents to its generally conservative outlook. In fact, one of the three valedictorians made a point of saying so – and used her address to emphasize that it was important for Benedictine to make room for people like her. The point, of course, is that Benedictine did make room for her.
How far removed this is from the kind of orthodoxy that reigns at Harvard.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
For those paying attention, my wife did not quilt me into it, but rather guilted me into it.
Had she quilted you into it, I would have paid to see that!
No mystery there. It’s because they are liberal.
This is great. This is what should happen at HIGH SCHOOL graduations as well.
Its been 30 years, so it’s sort of a blurry, run-on picture for me:
Married on Thursday,
Graduated on Friday, and
Commissioned on Saturday.
My father graduated from this school in order to receive his commission. (came up through the ranks) I believe the services have supplied quite a few of the schools students.
Army “bootstrappers” from Ft. Leavenworth were prevalent during the Vietnam era...and good guys as well. Benedictine College-—home of the RAVENS!!! My freshman chemistry prof, a monk, strongly suggested that I drop out of premed and become a plumber except that would be an insult to the plumbing profession ...that hour with Fr. Conrad changed my life.. BC is solid Catholic and a great place to send your kids...GO RAVENS!!!
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