The senior gift should be an alma mater plaque
By Abigail Kengor · Contributing Writer
A senior gift should contribute something good to the campus. It should attest to the graduating class’s love for the college they leave behind, emblematize the culture which has shaped them and contribute to the patriotic spirit of those who continue to dwell there.
The senior gift leaves a lasting mark by which future students may identify that class. The SHAL courtyard fountain from the class of 2010 and the brick sign welcoming all Crawford visitors are some examples of past seniors’ finer work.
It is also ideal that the gift adds something meaningful to student life, not merely ornamental, or even worse, ugly and utilitarian.
To fulfill these standards, I propose the senior gift should be a plaque, akin to other memorial nameplates around campus, proudly displaying the lyrics of our good college’s alma mater, “‘Mid the Pines.”
It needn’t be too large; it could decorate a wall somewhere prominent on campus, such as in the Student Union or SHAL.
This would contribute meaningfully to campus in several ways. Mainly, it would honor the school anthem’s lyrics, which currently suffer ignominy in hearts and minds on campus, from both natural ignorance and aversion.
Many students don’t sing the alma mater simply because they don’t know the lyrics. They aren’t written anywhere on campus. They’re rarely emphasized outside of opening convocation.
At graduation and football games, the melody is played; but without provision of the lyrics, who can hope to sing along? A plaque with lyrics is at least beginning to spread them.
And alas, for many whose memories do glow faintly with it, they just don’t like the song. While this is harder to solve, this hatred might at least be reduced by familiarity, which doesn’t always breed contempt.
The tune is, admittedly, a bit difficult to sing when only practiced once a year. But if we learn the song, it won’t be quite so hard anymore.
As for those who dislike the words themselves, I encourage you to revisit them at this article’s end; the lyrics extol the dearest features of our campus: the plenitude of pine trees, the majestic architecture and the close community, all sources of many warm memories that connect our hearts so staunchly to this place.
They celebrate the “spirit of (Grove City’s) life” that has shaped so many of us, in faith and culture, and will hopefully remain with us hereafter.
You may find some outdated descriptions of Wolf Creek’s average volume, but even this is a feature that connects us to our history and to past students. This brings me to my next point: history.
Perhaps the alma mater’s popularity is antiquated, or you consider its musical quality still unredeemed, and want to replace it with a new anthem. From such a position, this senior gift would still be a worthy investment. Why?
Even an unimpressive song has a place in posterity. If “‘Mid the Pines” were to fall completely out of favor, it would still be nice for students to know this song that once moved their scholastic predecessors’ hearts in more patriotic days when the ode was robustly sung.
An alma mater cultivates the virtue of pietas — the patriotic gratitude for what God has given by where He has placed us. It praises the good qualities of our college, pondering it and celebrating it in community.
As the good Christian, conservative school that we are, let’s take a step for beauty, for virtue, for tradition! Let’s not contribute our money to architectural innovations or other changes, but to the preservation and promulgation of our beloved school’s history and culture.
As the graduating class, let’s celebrate and gratefully honor what Grove City has done for us. We can communicate to future classes the love that we had for this place and contribute to the choirs of future students who sing:
“‘Mid the pines in columns growing, / By the stream so deeply flowing, / Dear to hearts with mem’ries glowing / Stand the halls we love. / Hail to thee, our Alma Mater! / Praises from each son and daughter! / Pledges of love and honor / Grove City still shall own. / Tho’ the land and sea may part us, / Far remove thy towers and campus, / Staunch and true, there dwells within us /All the spirit of thy life. / Hail to thee, our Alma Mater! / Praises from each son and daughter! / Pledges of love and honor / Grove City still shall own.”
