Adapt and Overcome

The rescheduled video shoot in the temporary admissions Welcome Center.

Let’s just say it’s been an interesting beginning to the semester on Bluffton’s campus. And that might be an understatement.

First came the “Polar Vortex” which delayed the beginning of spring semester for only the second time in recent memory. So instead of starting classes on Tuesday, classes began on Thursday.

I could whine about having to reschedule a full-day video shoot originally set for Wednesday. But that inconvenience is minor compared to the campus aftermath of the cold snap. A busted water line in one section of Riley Court resulted in waterlogged faculty and admissions counselor’s offices.

It’s no secret that “adapt and overcome” is my mantra. Our friends in Riley Court have embraced this concept and made it their own.

While disaster recovery professionals work to rehab the area, the admissions welcome center is now set up in the Marbeck Center Gallery Lounge. A little harder for visitors to find, but what an authentic first impression of what it’s like to be a Bluffton student.

Offices that were affected are scattered across campus for the time being. It’s definitely not the ideal situation. Hall meetings – those wonderful impromptu gatherings between departmental colleagues which often lead to creative ideas – will be harder to come by. However, hall meetings with colleagues from other areas will be more likely to happen – perhaps leading to new levels of understanding.

While it’s not an ideal beginning to the semester, what an example of Bluffton’s core values – Discovery, Community, Respect and Service.