Rains made mirrors of the earth...

It's a rainy fall day in the small but grand city of Fort Worth, Texas.

After completing my errands, attending my classes, and running through sheets of rain, the best place on earth to be at the moment is in Panera Bread. They serve their food in brightly colored, but very simplistic dishes.

Their food is always very homey and soups are even better, and best of all, there are cookies, coffee and free Wi-Fi; which means I can do all things in the most wonderful spot on earth whilst looking out over the rainy University St. traffic and feeling satisfied that I am not among them.


The sun was just yellow energy
It is a living promise land
Even over fields of sand
....

Really, this little piece of heaven is just what I could have wished for. With two papers due, an interview, two mid-terms, a quiz, and my first Moot Court tournament all this week, having a few moments to slow down a bit before launching myself full-time into the maelstrom, is an absolutely must.


Of course, I can't say that I'm definitely not doing anything. I caught up on my New York Times readings, am reviewing some of my old Con-Law lectures on commerce clause issues, and am making sure that my outlines line up with my thoughts for this weekend.

In listening to the lectures, I am reminded of some of the more interesting nuances of my education in general. Patrick Henry College, is by its essence, is one of my heroes. It stands for professionalism, morality, wisdom, and in an ultimate sense, Christ. The faculty and administration are a constant reinforcement of these values and its influence can be felt even a thousand miles away. While not everyone always agrees on smaller issues, [did you choose Christ or did Christ choose you? was the civil war about slavery or states rights? is it possible to have too much emphasis on reason?] the beauty is that the values behind the institution are constant and to this point, unchanging.

In sharp contrast, it is difficult to nail down exactly what Texas Wesleyan University stands for. Oh it educates individuals, certainly and places most of its graduates in fairly decent job positions. But as was so eloquently pointed out in Economics this morning, we do not live to work. At TWU, National Coming Out Day is celebrated campus-wide, obscene displays may subtly grace the inside of the library, dry campus policies are quite wet, and despite stellar credentials, it is rare to find true professionalism among the faculty. Oh there are the exceptions. My Economics and Business professors are definitely among them. In other classes, however, the professor is not the servant of education or a steward of wisdom, he or she normally has their own personal message to convey and they will do so in whatever manner they see fit; even if it is offensive to other students.

Once I graduate, none shall say that I have not had a well-rounded education.