Hypocrisy: My Final Reflection on St. Norbert College

Born a cynic, I look back on my three and a half years at St. Norbert College with disillusion and frustration. Somewhere along the way, I began to see the college as a business and institution and not as the welcoming community it proclaims to be. Through its state-of-the-art appearance, St. Norbert has achieved a status more about its number of flat screen TVs as opposed to its number of service trips or volunteers on campus. Part of St. Norbert's mission is to follow Christ's example, work toward justice and to seek peace and reconciliation. Through my academics I have read, discussed and written about these ideals. I have even come to adopt them as my own, so why am I so hard on the college? I see the college as a way to make money from students and boast its wealth instead of promoting simplicity and an option for the poor.Rising tuition costs baffle me as new buildings and new building plans pop up weekly. I can't understand why the college invests so much money in the appearance and technology on campus if no one will be able to afford to go here. Why are there flat-screen TVs in every study room in the library? How many people do you know who need cable TV to study for their theology exam? What is that giant iPod touch and what purpose does it serve? We could sell it on E-bay and waive every student's technology fee for an entire year. There is also an influx of Smart boards on campus, which I have never seen anyone successfully use. On principle, there is nothing wrong with technological upgrades to enhance the classroom experience. But these "improvements" do no more than show prospective students we have cool gadgets, but no one knows how to use them. Most of my professors use overhead projectors and have to rent a VCR from Media Services. Granted, I take mostly humanities classes, and I am partial to the Amish lifestyle. But these advances sit unused and already paid for in every corner of campus.

The numerous multi-million dollar donations from donors for new buildings appall me. We preach an option for the poor, and a call for justice, yet we invest millions of dollars into a new football stadium, a new library, a new welcome center and other tangible buildings. Why won't donors put that money toward the students' education, community outreach or other necessary aid? Students are nickeled and dimed for four years with outrageous costs for room and board, a required meal plan and spiking tuition. But as long as we have new buildings to waste that money in, the college thinks we'll be okay. And as a parting gift, the graduation fee of 100 dollars pays for the piece of paper your diploma is printed on. It better be embossed in gold.

I don't mean to demonize St. Norbert College or paint them as a money-hungry machine. It's in my classes, service trips and work at the Peace and Justice Center that I grew so critical of institutions. I have professors, staff and my fellow students to thank for pushing me to think critically, challenge what I know and believe is right to come to these conclusions about my own college. Hopefully more students get the opportunity to learn and grow in this way, but I fear the opportunity will disappear as the college directs its efforts and money away from the students. Overall, I am grateful for the opportunities I've had at St. Norbert, which taught me to evaluate injustice even in our own school.