Exposure
One of the things I pat CBU on the back for most is its constant effort to provide students opportunities to be exposed. Now what I mean by this is that, often times, private schools carry the reputation of shielding their students; keeping them inside a bubble, far away from the “real world,” where they’ll be safe and comfortable.
Here’s the thing, though – once those shielded students graduate and leave that bubble, how safe and comfortable can they possibly be, having had no preparation for or exposure to the authentic everyday struggles of our world? The answer is simple: not at all.
I wrote in an earlier blog about how grateful I was to one of my design professors for exposing his students to the “real world” of digital media, and how it is continually finding new ways to degrade women and thereby devalue respectful relationships. Rather than just bragging all semester about how we have chosen the best field, how graphic designers have the most fun (which might be true), and so on… he went into detail about how digital media is in many ways failing our society; and to supplement this, how we emerging Christian designers can survive that impact without contributing to the failure. From this, I became inspired to come to a full understanding of both the positives and negatives of my chosen career path.
But CBU does not only encourage the knowledge of reality within our individual fields of study; rather, CBU encourages a broad understanding of the world’s reality. Each summer, as a part of CBU’s mission to help students “live their purpose,” the school sends off hundreds of them to various states and countries around the world for mission work to spread the Gospel. This program is divided into USP (U.S. Service Projects) and ISP (International Service Projects).
Students in the past have been sent to the east coast, Asia, Europe and so many other places around the globe, each individually equipped to serve in entirely foreign cultures.
Unfortunately, due to a conflict of scheduling, I will not be able to attend an ISP or USP trip this summer. One of my roommates, however, is going through weekly training for her trip in May to Asia, where she will serve on a “coffeehouse” project.
A couple of weeks ago, every ISP and USP participant was required to attend what is known as “Intensive Training Weekend.” During this weekend, CBU plans back-to-back training activities that are meant to expose each student to the culturally shocking realities of the places they will be traveling to.
Although she is not allowed to share details, in order to keep everything secret for next year’s participants, I could not help but notice her absolute, uncontainable thrill when she returned to our apartment afterward. From what little she did say, I am confident that CBU did a fantastic job of both alarming and then exciting her for what is to come. So far as I can tell, she, and every other participant, was very well exposed.
So again I say, CBU deserves a pat on the back for its ability to provide such incredible opportunities. When we Lancers leave this beautiful place, not only will we be molded with a firm understanding of what awaits us in each field, but we will also be culturally and internationally aware of the world around us, and all because we have been exposed.
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