John Carroll University - Carillon Yearbook (University Heights, OH)

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PRIMEVAL SCREAM THERAPY as there--casting my shadow on the gloomy and rather putrid :phere of the Public Square--late enough not to be observed by reg still too early to be rid of the presence of the day's crowd. It here I noticed him leaving the mouth of his terminal tower. He ted, stared across the barren street to the small park, and crossed. n the confines of the low chain link fence, he again hesitated, this tt the base of a stage. His brow was furrowedg his hands secure in vckets. Climbing the stairs and crossing the platform to the center, 1nd himself behind a podium, facing the structure he left behind. were but a few moments before he clenched his hands to the m, lay back his head, screwed open his mouth and emitted an :rent expression of emotion of the year past. The sound was against the constitution before him and deflected into splintered, lated moments of frustration, contentment--understanding, obscu- :ard the image of himself, a student government president, as he ipated in Senate meetings, Alumni meetingsg Appeals board tgsg meetings with administrators, meetings with students, dis- ns with promoters--booking concerts, speakers, movies, junk mail rigs. :re too I saw the hopes and goals--the issues--never fully sought never fully met: like getting the university to recognize students ture, responsible persons, or improving the quality of the faculty te academic program in generalj or establishing the student iment as a meaningful institution for the students. :ems he brought student government to the threshold of being a gal.. I strong, respected voice in university government, but did not lead tl way across the mythical boundary. Could it have been timidity on h part, or lack of support by the student body--or both? He helped bring about student government and University sponsor ship of a standardized faculty evaluation, but barely raised the que tion of the use of tenure and its stagnating effect on the education process. By successfully challenging the University's manned desk policy tl Senate and he showed that student government could be viable in situation of confrontation politics, but the Senate and he failed attack the more mundane, less emotional problems that faced studen every day in the social and academic spheres. He promised himself I would get out of the office more, talk with people, give them a chant to air their problems, and finally help them see that all was not futil But he didn't pull himself away enough from the busy work. He d not let students know what their government was doing, not give the much of a chance to state what they felt it should be doing. He presse the senators to go back to their constituency--to inform them and l informed--and further to present meaningful legislation for improvir the University environment, but those efforts too were unsuccessful S it seems that student government fell short of its responsibility provide the students with significant representation. Finally, came the strong image of a student body drowning in seemed to be a sea of contentment or at least indifference. Theirs the challenge to question, to doubt, to seek and to demand ex They met that responsibility with answers, with acceptance of ful ll. il- v . L r 351 - . T T ' 4 -'hi i , X .

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Each of you is a tangible love story writ- en by God, your parents, yourself. When ou recall your days at John Carroll, when ailure comes to challenge or friends come .o soothe, remember: You are needed. There are men and women, some of them et unborn, whose lives will be brighter ecause of what you have to give them. here are souls, dwelling now only in God's ind, who will never know the beauty of ife unless you bring it to them. There is a erson, divine or human, who is waiting for our love. You may have achieved an enviable aca- emic record during these past years--con- ratulations! You may have come close to ailure--it,s important for you to know that ailure is a hazard in every life. Whether ou have outstanding grades, average rades, or just barely passing grades--you re needed. There are persons in this world who can espond to just what you have to offer. here are places which will be brighter for our having lived there. There are ears aiting for the sound of your voice, eyes hich will brighten when you come closer, earts warming at the mention of your ame. You may have plans that stretch from ere to eternity. You may not know what ou will be doing next September. You ay be secure or insecure, brave or hesi- ant. Of this you can be sure: You are eeded. And who needs you? The failures--who ear that no one cares for them. The sick-- ho dread the hours of loneliness. The ungry who turn to you for food. The tired, he poor, the people who are God's stand- ns. Your classmates need you--for the joy ou bring into their lives. Your family eeds you, and--believe me when I tell you his--God needs you. Listen to the one who knows God--His on. He tells you that God is our Father. e believe that He is our Father because e gave us life, natural and supernatural, he life that came to you through your arents, and that life of grace which His on came to give that we might have it and ave it more abundantly. This is the fullest fe, the divine life, a share in God's own fe, with the power to do many things-- elieving, hoping, loving--that people who ck this life simply cannot do. God has a father's love, and He loves ach of you personally, no matter how any other children He has. God knows ou personally. He knows your strong oints and your weak points better than ou know yourself And if you heed Him, e won,t let you run headlong into danger. od wants you to grow up, to mature upernaturally. There is nothing quite as istressing as a child's mind in the body of n adult. And so God wants each one of ou to cast off the things of a child and to evelop the manners of an adult. The best ay, the way His own Son did it, is the way f the cross. When a person suffers for what he believes, he grows. Like every other father, God is proud of you and enjoys seeing the family likeness reproduced in you. He wants you to be- come more like Him--to grow into the stat- ure of His Son. And, finally, God has a way with His children. He often invites us to something that He does not fully disclose, a vocation, a career, a way of life. If He showed you the big picture at the beginning, you prob- ably wouldnit have the courage to take the first step. So He reveals it gradually, ex- tending His hand through the mist of the future, inviting you to follow Him, to trust Him. And when you make a mistake, as we all do, God is the Father Who forgives. This is the picture we have of Him, written by His Son, Who knew Him best. God needs you. How can you reach Him? In and through the ways He reaches out to us, through His Word spoken in the book which we call the Bible, in the Old Testament, the account of His covenant, His agreement with His people, and in the New Testament, the new covenant sealed in the blood of His Son. You can reach God in and through the Church. You are going to hear numerous complaints about the Church before you have lived many years. These complaints will point out the human weaknesses, the failures, and I will not take your time to examine and rebut every com- plaint. I will say that the Church has satis- fied the brightest minds of history and has given the deepest peace to those who really listen to her. As one man who thought and prayed his way into the Church put it, It's not that Christianity was tried and found wanting. Christianity was found difficult and not tried. You will find God in people, exactly where He said you would. Whatever you do to the least of My brothers, you do to Me. You will find God in your parents. You wouldn't be here today if it weren't for an act of love between them. You will find Him in their care for you. They haven't spun you from their hands and let you go, any more than God spun the universe from His hands. You will find God, as you have found Him, in the thoughtfulness, the chari- ty, the humor, the problems of those with whom you work and study. It won't always be easy to see God in these persons, but it will be worth your while. When you recall your days at John Car- roll, remember that you are needed by God, and by every person whom He sends into your lives. Give them all a chance to know you. Don't be afraid. God is with you and believes in you, hopes in you, loves you. Won't you do as much for Him? Henry Birkenhauer, President John Carroll University 17

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ordained values, with their resignation to mediocrity. They demanded little from their representative body and therefore received a minimum of the potential benefits that a strong student government could provide. With this, the sound ceased, finding refuge in the crevices and corners of the surrounding buildings or being lost over the emptiness of the Lake. He then lifted his bowed head, smiled and talked to the night, with his eyes, his hands, and his voice. Well, I'm finishing up now, been at it a year and am kind of lost. My head is spinning and I predict it'll be a few years before I can look back with any real understanding of what it all meant. I was frustrated, depressed, tired more times than I can count--and I wonder if it all had any significance. That fear of having been useless fans the flames of cynicism. Did it all effect a better environment for students at John Carroll? I had a prospective presidential candidate come into my office after a particularly long tension filled day. My head was aching and felt like it was getting heavier by the minute. Well, anyway, this guy wanted to know about the responsibilities of a president. He asked, with all good intentions, what did I do other than set up events and take care of Senate matters. I tried to be cool, be diplomatic and all, but I couldn't help it--I got pissed. I had just spent about seven hours, either in the office talking on the phone or to someone in person, or participating in a University committee discussing the proposed changes in the Bill of Rights, or trying to plan something that would keep the Senate from sitting on its ass. Anyway, I asked if he intended to run for this office. He said yes, he was thinking about it. So I told him he had better learn quick about what it all entails. I was unusually cynical that night-- down on diddly paper workg down on little problems that attracted me to the office, like a rubbed comb does lint, down on people who let personality differences interfere with job responsibilities, down on a Senate that was not a problem solver but a problem itselfg down on a student body I was working for but who were faintly aware I exif. The toughest aspect of all is to realize that I did not do eno ease the problem of student government. Part of it was that we let people know what we were doing often enough, in a consister Part of it was lack of good organization. Much of it was due inability to make the system meaningful to the student body whole. But, I'm trying to transcend the grasp of disillusioned doul leave my position with a renewed sense of hope. It,s difficult know that I've found my greatest insights through the process struggle. I also know that there are many good people at Carrol that in itself is hopeful. And finally, for those who wish to improvements in the overall Carroll environment I think I can ti path of priorities: The students should look first at themselves vortex of the problem, then at the faculty fsome of whom are h education back tremendouslyj and finally at the University ad trators. Student government can be as strong as the students want it Carroll has become more student oriented--it has come a long wa it has quite a distance still to traverse. I wonder, is anyone listening?', I listened intently, but he now stood silent and alone. His, fat first pensive, and then brightened. He gave a long deep sigh of and understanding, walked off the stage and into the night. H only one star among millions. Only his name will be left behind 1 on a scorecard to be ranked in comparison to his predecessors . . . Who was that guy anyway? Phil E. kv 4. l V 1 I r W 'I IL pg ' F' 3 Q 4 , - ' AF- , A. Q , . 'iv . .,.. a if--'