I would like to begin by stating I do not live on Ghetto, nor was I asked to write this article by any of them. Whether or not you support Ghetto is irrelevant, what matters is that they deserve their bricks.
For those of you who are unaware, prior to Carter renovations, Ghetto painted bricks on their hallway. Now, post renovations, they are not allowed to repaint them. So, why does this matter to the rest of the campus? It matters because, other than providing a world class Christian education, the other major selling point for Covenant is its hall traditions.
Why did I choose Covenant? Because I stayed on Second South as a senior in high school and was drawn to live there because of the incredible experiences I saw the hall has to offer. Every hall on campus has relics and symbols that they can relate to and gather around to show the history of each individual hall and the legacy that past students have left on campus. This; however, is also beginning to be diminished as the administration begins to crack down on halls pranking and the overall sense of distinct culture.
Each hall has something to offer for everyone on campus and just because you are not crazy about Ghetto does not give you the right to sell them short. Every guy that lives there is there for a reason, because of the culture it provides. So when you see Ghetto Rush during Preview Weekend or Buck Buck once a semester, look at it as lifelong memories being created by friends, rather than a bunch of hooligans trying to disrupt the order of things. Everyone does it differently.
Also, let’s not forget about the traditions that we have that point to the sanctity of brotherhood in Christ. Like when Ghetto leads all of Carter in “Were You There” at our all-hall prayer and praise. We all walk away from that time of shouting “glory” thankful that we have been able to worship together as brothers and sisters in Christ.
I say all this to state that the bricks on Ghetto matter because Covenant thrives off of the culture on each hall. Why the administration wants to squander a selling point for its own institution is beyond me. Covenant is a very unique place, unlike any other college truly. But, if we begin to give up what makes us stand out, then why come to Covenant? If we only offer an excellent realm for students to thrive academically and a dull campus life, what makes the Covenant experience more notable any other school? Why not just go to Wheaton?
So, why has Ghetto tried over and over to get their bricks back? Because, it means something to them. Take a minute and put yourself in Ghetto’s position—I’m sure most of us have never thought about that—and see what hall culture means to every member. I applaud their willingness to fight for something they believe in, and I hope after reading this, that you too begin to understand why this means so much to Covenant culture. It is not a matter of whether or not you like Ghetto as a hall, it is about fighting for what is right and preserving the traditions that helped to make this campus what it is today.