I don’t really like getting up at 7:30 AM snoozing until 8:00, forcing myself into a shower, propelling myself to a hastily eaten breakfast, and then speedwalking to my 8:30 class. But as soon as Professor John Brubacher opens his mouth, I am content.
I am one of a growing number on the CMU campus: a science student. I am taking Biology, Genetics, and Chemistry, all three with lab components. After having done Outtatown South Africa, I elected to go to CMU instead of another larger, local university and nail down as many degree requirements as I could. I could have never guessed what was waiting for me.
I have sat in front of this laptop for a while now, writing, erasing, and revising the start to this paragraph. I don’t know how to properly convey how amazing it is to be in the classes that I am in. For starters, all of my classes have less than 30 people in them, and can be as small as 10. I can’t begin to fathom being in a class with hundreds of people.
But a small class size would be wasted on professors that aren’t engaged with their students. Enter Professors John Brubacher and Candice Viddal. They are both heavily invested in the success of their students. They are both personable, engaging teachers that never fail to be positive and interesting. John is straight up hilarious and endearing, and Candice is a kind and delightful teacher. It is easy to be inspired to enjoy studying science.
I should mention that it is important to have a theological perspective on the scientific world. I recently completed an assignment for Biology in which I had to reflect on the reconciliation of Christian theology and evolutionary biology. Until now, I had never had to think about this relationship academically. It is incredibly valuable to approach scientific issues with a balanced inquisitive theological edge. John has inspired me to love God’s creation with science, all the while learning how the two are interconnected.
It would be really easy to write a blog post about which courses CMU offers, and to say that it’s nice to take a science course along with your arts degree, but the reality is that beginning a Bachelor of Science at CMU is well worth it.
If it were possible for every person to own a tree and care for it, the good results would be beyond estimation.
–Liberty Hyde Bailey
Evan Balzer is one of CMU’s Student Ambassadors