Two weeks ago campus turned upside down for two days as we celebrated the annual Little 500 Go-Kart Race. Over the years I’ve been hit or miss interested in Little 5. I’m not a huge racing fan and grew out of the “need” to drink for three days straight that the event represented during my college days.
This year, however, the MOB descended on campus in great numbers to offer our support of Car #5 – Green Lightening Racing. In addition to the driver being the younger brother of our two buddies Green Lightening Racing is also the unofficial Bennett Car. It was good to see so many MOB back for the event and to catch up with everyone, but there was more at work than a reunion of old friends.
As my buddy Todd mentioned in his post Car #5 the convergence of the new and the old MOB was a monumental event and illustrated the certainty that the spirit of SJC is alive and kicking. 
As the MOB alumni returned and shared their stories, we interacted with current MOB and heard some of their stories. In this age of individualism and independence there is still a need for people to gather and support one another – and that is very much a part of the MOB experience.
As the MOB alumni returned and shared their stories, we interacted with current MOB and heard some of their stories. In this age of individualism and independence there is still a need for people to gather and support one another – and that is very much a part of the MOB experience. In fact, I’ll let you in on a little secret about what makes the MOB special. It isn’t about where you physically lived on campus, what you studied, or where you partied. The central tenant of the MOB worldview is loyalty and friendship. It’s about belonging to something bigger than yourself and having a group of people who looked out for one another – that’s it – loyalty and friendship.
Once upon a time at Saint Joe these communities existed in every dorm on campus (and on college and university campuses across the world) – Bennett, Noll, Merlini, Gallagher, and even Siefert. Now the reality is that times, as the saying goes, have changed and the overt communities have seemingly dissolved. But I think if you look hard enough you will realize that the spirit of unity just might still be present at SJC. The dorm based communities may no longer exist, but there are new affinity groups to which people belong with similar fervor. This gives me hope.
For critics of this millennial generation to quickly write them off as self-centered and disloyal would be a mistake. The current college students have what it takes to bring back tight-knit communities, now it’s just a matter of doing it.
Good luck to the MOB: The Next Generation.
I agree with you on the loyality and friendship of the MOB. As I was the housekeeper for quite a while in Bennett I watched as all of you decided that you wanted to stay in Bennett with your friends right up until graduation. I have been to a few little 5's and seen the bond still exists with the MOB.....for which I am so glad about.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the groups are still at SJC.....just a little different as most don't live in the same dorms like past years. And I believe that the past MOB should help the present MOB to thrive as I do each and every student on campus should thrive with the experiences of the past.....possibly learn something OR possibly learn what NOT to do. The past MOB will always be my sons!