perspectives
Spring 2008
The Olivetian
By Dr. John C. Bowling ’71/’72 M.A./ ’06 D.Div., University President
The Finger Prints of Olivet
fields, concert halls and so on. For one hundred years, students have gone forth from the university to make a difference and leave their mark on the world. The ripple of influence from this campus is nearly beyond calculation, for our lives touch other lives, which in turn touch others, who then touch others and on it goes. The impact of Olivet is exponential! Taking part in what happens at Olivet means that all of us must maintain and foster both a short view and long view of life. The short view means we must be focused on the daily dynamics of life here at the University — everything matters and has an immediate impact on the educational experience of our students. At the same time, not everything carries the same weight of importance and only time can provide a full measure of the impact of our work. So we balance the short view with the long view. What a great opportunity is ours (and yours!) to be part of this expanding circle of influence. Just a few weeks ago, we gathered once more for graduation. More than 1,300 graduates received degrees and moved on from Olivet to places of strategic importance. They took with them the “fingerprints” of this place and will leave their mark, and our mark, around the world. Thank you for your continued interest in, and support of, Olivet. We are truly “surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses” who, even from a distance, help provide the prayers, financial resources and encouragement to make this work possible.
Have you ever been finger-printed? It was several years ago. No, I wasn’t being arrested! It was during graduate school, and I was applying for a part-time job which demanded a certain level of security. I was finger-printed first for a security check and second so that my prints would be on record. Somewhere in some data bank are my prints, which can be accessed at any time by the proper authorities. Scientists tell us that no two human fingerprints are the same. Therefore it is possible to identify a person and even verify where he or she has been by fingerprints alone. One thing this means is that every human hand is the same, and yet … every hand is different. I suppose, in a way, some might be tempted to say, “Every university or college is the same.” Every school has a curriculum, faculty and students, a real or virtual campus. If, in fact, schools are all the same, then choosing a college would be easy. One could choose the school that is least expensive or closest to home (or farthest away!) thinking that it doesn’t make too much difference where you study. However, it does not take long to realize that colleges and universities are not all the same. Every school has its own history, mission, constituency, ethos and culture — its own set of fingerprints. If it were possible today to dust the world, we would find the fingerprints of Olivet Nazarene University in thousands and thousands of places — classrooms, science labs, courtrooms, hospitals, counseling centers, businesses, churches, mission
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