A Beautiful Place

So, Bluffton is definitely a beautiful campus. I love all of the trees, the way the sidewalks gently wind through the campus and the way everything is laid out in a way that makes it feel like a nice little community, not a crowded campus with thousands of people crammed together. There are so many times at Bluffton when I sit back and think "wow, this place is gorgeous." Those times are especially present when the leaves are changing in the fall or when the snow falls and blankets the campus. With that said, my favorite spot on campus is the bustling residence hall lobbies. Last night Scott and I were sitting in the lobby of my hall doing a puzzle (that is going to be amazing, by the way... I will post a picture when we get it done) and before we knew it, there were 5 other friends that just popped in to chat and ended up staying for a long time. We talked about everything from doing puzzles to the recent May Day/Baccalaureate Speaker elections to the concert many of us had just attended on campus. We laughed together and just caught up on life. And the other day... I was putting up a bulletin board in my lobby and ended up in there for a couple of hours watching some tv and just being with people...and later that night some difficult situations were talked through in the lobby. I love the way of the lobbies... there's no doubt that laughter will happen and people will connect. Not all residence halls have happennin' lobbies - some of them are quieter and those fun times just happen in everyone's rooms. Due to the nature of where I live, the lobby is generally the hang out place, but that's not true everywhere. But, no matter where your "lobby" is - people at Bluffton love to be together and have deep discussions, light-hearted discussions, and everything in between. I had no idea that college would connect so many people. I have gotten to know people I never would have expected because of random movie nights or chat times in the lobbies or in my friends' rooms. I love the connection people are able to make to each other and I find the most beauty on this campus in that. The community here is unmatched and unlike anything I could have expected or even understood before I got to campus, but it's by far my favorite thing about college life. There is so much physical beauty on this campus, but I find the real beauty in this community and the connections made in the lobbies, rooms, classes, and just walking on the sidewalks. What a beautiful place.

Here's to finding the beauty inside,

Mary

pics: a few of the random hang out times...