The Central Experience (Article)

According to my calendar spring has now sprung. A fact confirmed by the chirping of the birds, the emergence of tulips, the budding of some trees, and the slight uptick in temperatures. I can see Easter decorations on doors and yards being prepared for the emergence of green grass. Everything says spring, nonetheless, I am profoundly confused.

Spring is the time when students emerge from their dorms and gather in the plaza and on the lawns. It is a time of final concerts, final preparations, and final presentations. Spring is the time we prepare for graduation invitations, Baccalaureate, and Commencement exercises.  It is a time of renewed energy, pick-up games, and hammocks swinging on trees. Yet, even right now, as I look out my office window, I hear the birds and I see the flowers, but the campus is empty; quiet; inert. It is a strange feeling to preside over a residential campus with no residents.

However, I feel no despair.

That is because I have learned a very valuable lesson through the presence of our virtual campus, which requires no residency. Drawing on that reality I am finding strength in the knowledge that it is not the campus that defines the community of Central Christian. It is not the brick and mortar that binds us or describes us. Rather, it is our shared connection made possible through our individual and collective “Central Experience”. In this way, Central is not defined by any specific time or place, but through our shared faith, our mutual affection, and our joint vision. It is our common hope, our linked experiences, and our communion in Christ that defines us most.

So, while it is true that our current residential student body, and many of us, find ourselves in confinement, we are no less part of a great community. Yes, the campus I see may be void of voices, but the campus we share in our hearts is loud with the exclamations of support, love, encouragement, and friendship.

I pray that you have an opportunity to join in this great chorus of community, leveraging our current isolation as a tool to foster greater bonds of friendship and fellowship.

God Bless!

Leonard F. Favara Jr., Ph.D. (Rev.)
President

ABOUT CENTRAL CHRISTIAN COLLEGE OF KANSAS

Central Christian College of Kansas is a four-year collegiate institution that strives to offer Christ-centered education for the whole person through four core characteristics: heart, soul, mind, and strength. Its history dates back to 1884, and it is located in the friendly town of McPherson, Kansas. Central is a strategically small college that offers over forty areas of residential study and a thriving online program for non-traditional students. To learn more about Central, go to centralchristian.edu/about. Visit the Foundation of Central Christian College to see what projects and events are coming up.