Making the future a little bit brighter: Why we should care about the new academic complex

By: Michelle Anstett
Editor-in-chief

It’s never easy to imagine the future, especially one which does not directly involve ourselves.

Late last week, Monmouth College announced the second-largest donation in its history: $5.5 million given by David and Libby Byrnes. This commitment, which is covered in more detail in the article in this week’s issue, is the first significant step toward the future construction of a new academic complex to house the business and science departments.

Since the complex has been announced, students have been discussing their predictions for its design and uses, as well as what will happen to the current science building once the new complex is completed. As I am a senior and have spoken to many of my classmates, some of them have stated that they have no interest in hearing about the complex. We are graduating in less than three months and don’t have to darken the doors of Monmouth College again unless we want to, so why should we care about something which won’t even be completed for a minimum of five years?

While we many not be able to foresee exactly what will become of this campus when we are graduated and gone, we are currently reaping the benefits of the faith others have had in the future of Monmouth College.

If past donors had not believed in the education provided to Monmouth College students, many of our buildings and programs would not exist. Large gifts are a rarity unless a major construction project is underway, so those are the times when we really think about who donates money and why. However, alumni and friends of the college donate on a regular basis, but their donations are no always large enough to warrant news coverage.

Every year, the college conducts a phone-a-thon in which alumni and past donors are called and asked to make a contribution to an institution on whose grounds some have not set foot for half a century. Would most people, when called by a place they have not seen in years, give away their hard-earned money? No.

The sheer fact that those who donate to the college, whether it be for large projects or for the day-to-day operations, have enough faith in this institution to willingly give up their money, sight unseen, says a lot about the quality of education not only currently provided, but throughout the history of this institution.

However, since it is the large donations which receive the most publicity and which produce the most visible results, I feel as if I should more fully address these gifts and commitments.

Many of us are currently living in dorms which were funded, in large part, as a result of generous donations from alumni. Bowers Hall and Founders’ Village were made possible thanks to the donations from chairman of the trustees’ board David Bowers and trustee Fred Wackerle, respectively.

The Huff Athletic Center was constructed with the largest gift in Monmouth College history, a $10 million donation from trustee Walter Huff. This building, not only used by campus athletes, helps to promote all-around physical wellness of the student body at large.

There are also many computer labs, classrooms and scholarships which are made possible because someone, at some point in the past, believed enough in the education provided by this small liberal arts college which, quite frankly, many people even in the state of Illinois do not know exists. Many of us would not be here, let alone receiving the education we are, if it were not for the generous gifts of faith given on a nearly daily basis by those who want to help make a Monmouth College education both excellent and affordable for a new generation of Fighting Scots.

The plans for the new academic complex are already in the process of being drawn up by the architects. These architects will also be coming to campus several times over the next few months to speak with faculty and students in order to get an idea of what design features the building needs to possess.

This complex, while it may not directly benefit any of us currently enrolled at Monmouth College, will be a blessing to those who will inhabit these buildings and sit in these classrooms after us. We know what is valuable to a college student’s education right now, and being able to have a say in the design and layout of a building which will assist future generations of Monmouth College students in learning what college was meant to be is almost as valuable as donating our hard-earned money. Hey, what more can we do? We’re all still poor college students.