Bees are industrious creatures. They quietly go about their short lives pollinating flowers and making honey. While we may not pay much attention to these little creatures, they provide a fundamental service to humanity. In fact, 1/3 of the food consumed by humans is thanks to bees pollinating flowers. Student Senate is a bit like the bees. While people may not be aware of all that they are doing, their efforts are nonetheless foundational to student life at the seminary.
Here are just a few things Student Senate has been working on. Recently, Student Senate spoke at the Board of Trustees reporting the joys and frustrations of life here at the seminary. Joys included the addition of Dr.Gibson and opportunities for students to use their gifts in seminary life like chapel planning or getting to meet with potential faculty appointments. Frustrations included classes lacking a sense of spiritual formation, the seminary’s shortcomings in preparing students for careers other than pastoral ministry, and the lack of sensitivity in and outside of class toward issues of gender and race. In response to some of the most significant and pressing student concerns surrounding issues of race and gender, senators recommended that all faculty and staff have race and gender sensitivity training. You can find a copy of that report to the Board of Trustees on the Student Senate bulletin board just outside of the student center. Student Senate has formed two Ad Hoc student committees to address race and gender issues at the seminary. The findings and work of those committees will be fundamental to the actions Student Senate takes in helping bring about justice and reconciliation at the seminary.
Senate has hands in virtually every area of seminary life, from planning social events like Christmas Around the World to planning Town Hall discussion topics to sitting on important academic program planning discussions in the Academic Affairs Committee. Do you have a suggestion of how we can more effectively serve at CTS? Get in contact with your senator! Do you have a story to share with Committee on Racial Reconciliation or the Women’s Advocacy Committee? Get in contact with a senator! (Senators are listed on the Senate Bulletin Board).