Thoughts from Over the Hump

God, grant me the serenity

To accept the things I cannot change,

Courage to change the things I can,

and wisdom to know the difference


This simple proverb coupled with tonight’s BMF Meeting on the power and pervasiveness of the N-Word really got me pondering on what BMF’s role is in the grand scheme of things. A common theme throughout this young year has been exactly that: do we students have a moral obligation to go out in the world and “change it for the better”? The answer may be simple to some. But to others, it can be a bit more complex.

For one, how exactly should we go about being the agents of change we so often call ourselves? Is that manifested only in voter registration drives, mentoring programs and social justice campaigns? And how much of that energy should be channeled into our studies so that we can have a larger impact when we graduate?

While the answer is surely different for each individual (and hopefully I can hear a few in this blog), my experiences and relationships in the BMF brotherhood have taught me that ultimately we must strike a balance between aspiration and realism. We must come to grips with the fact that we won’t solve world hunger at every meeting’s conclusion. At the same time we most certainly can’t be complacent with the status quo.

Tonight's discussion provided very practical boundaries for the types of goals I believe we can achieve as an organization. We probably won’t be able to ban the word from our streets and airwaves, but we can set an example for what is and what is not acceptable in our communities.

Spencer Hardwick '11