Kevin Coriolan | News Editor
When Buena Vista University (BVU) students walk around campus, they may feel like there is a bonding power, an energy that connects us all in ways that are indescribable. This potency is the breath of Storm Lake’s academia. It is what brings life to this university. It is much like the Jedi concept of the Force.
With the recent announcement of the new cast for Star Wars Episode VII, I have had a galaxy far, far away on my mind even with finals week approaching. Add this to the fact that major senioritis has set in and one will find that I have been daydreaming a great deal about how Star Wars, the great space western of our time, is relative to my life.
Let’s start with Jedi.
The Jedi Order of Star Wars writer George Lucas’s imagination is a heroic organization consisting of warriors who are trained to be physically, intellectually, and spiritually balanced. Minus the warrior bit this sounds like a liberal arts education. Although, I would not confuse the Presbyterian Church who founded BVU with the Jedi religion that actually exists in Australia.
As students, we learn not only about the history and science of our world but also peace and justice. We learn how to not be a stuck up, half-witted, scruffy-looking Nerf herder. And we learn how to engage citizens. The connections of college to Star Wars is endless.
Philosophy majors might say, “The #2 pencil is mightier than the lightsaber.”
Our current star system is Storm Lake, a small galaxy with characteristics of aquatics and agriculture.
“You will find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view,” the great Jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi said. This is an expression that may be said by college professors. Academic mentors are there to teach us scholarly material, but they do not neglect to teach us life’s morals as well. In fact, there are several life lessons that Star Wars offers.
During the Cultural Leadership Conference over a year ago, Director of Athletics and key note speaker of the conference Christyn Abaray even directly quoted the legendary Jedi Yoda, “Do or do not, there is no try.” That example itself proves that this campus is full of wise mentors.
One downfall to this theory that the BVU universe is the Star Wars universe is that the BVU students population is 51% female while the Star Wars galaxy has about 3 or 4 women represented in it. This obviously is biologically improbable, but perhaps an indication of today’s media representation than an actual comparison.
Of course many people, especially in Iowa, can relate to Luke Skywalker, a young space farmer from a desert covered planet with two suns. He yearns to find adventure and bring about justice. Don’t we all want that?
Seniors like me should understand that we must pay back our student loans though. The fan favorite character of Han Solo carried with him a subplot throughout the movies of a debt he owed to the giant slug Jabba the Hutt. Perhaps if we are late in paying back our loans, we could be frozen in carbonite.
Thinking positively, the BVU campus is just the start of a vast frontier of a quest called life. The class of 2014 shall venture forth to serve others and defend our galaxy from evil. We must stand for peace if we think we deserve it.
With that I say, may the Force be with you Beavers.
Graphic by Kevin Coriolan
