The more things change…

Ever wonder how much student life has changed in the years since you were a student? In reading blogs written by five Bluffton students, it turns out that the more things change, the more they stay the same.

I get a kick out of reading their musings, ranging from sharing about having fun with friends to stressing about classes. Students chosen to maintain blogs for admissions include three men and two women; three sophomores, a junior and a senior; a soccer player, two runners and an artist; a sport management major, business major, social work major and undecided major. One is blogging during a cross cultural experience in Northern Ireland.

The tug between your hometown as home and Bluffton as home is a tension students have experienced throughout the years. Katy wrote, “I loved being able to catch up with my high school friends. Then, I came back to Bluffton late this afternoon, and went on a McDonald's run with some of my friends.” How much sweeter is the rare weekend home when most of your weekends are spent creating memories on campus.

MCB and student life professionals work so hard to plan events on campus. These events sound interesting; relaxation week (complete with yoga and dodgeball), Marbeck After Dark, an Ace of Cakes competition.

I absolutely love the idea of an Ace of Cakes competition. Kim wrote “We decided to go with a Halloween themed cake. Much to our despair, the other teams there were really, really good.” Wonder if they’ll need a judge next time?

Events which actually pull together the various groups on campus for a common event are so very special. Zach tells about the Homecoming dance, “I have never seen so many people show up for an event at Bluffton. We had a good mix of the different sports teams as well as many other organizations.” Sweet.

Other universities have reported that while they started student blogs as a recruiting tool, they soon learned that the blogs also served an alumni relations function. Alumni love seeing campus life through the eyes of current students, to see what’s changed, and – perhaps more importantly - what hasn’t.