I watched the construction workers tear down the houses on 2nd and Mound streets, and listened to sad alumni as they recalled the great memories they made in those houses. This sad revery got me thinking about where this school is going. 

As the winter months quickly approach and the added schoolwork continues to grow, it is hard not to look back at the more simplistic times of the year where life wasn’t as busy. 

2,973. 

That’s how many innocent people died in the attacks on America on September 11th, 2001. On Christmas Day, 2006, the 2,974th American soldier was killed in the Iraq war. Since then, the number has risen to over 3,800. 

In a time where adapting to change has become a necessity, Benedictine College finds itself at a crossroads between the hospitable town of Atchison and its expansive student body. 

This has probably been the longest semester of my life, and immediately after it ends, I will be embarking on my journey home, which is about a 24-hour journey including three plane rides and as many layovers. 

College is a place to grow.

We move away from our families, wide eyed and nervous, and begin to make our own choices.