Photo courtesy of Vernetta Mickey's Picasa Web AlbumEastern University is located just outside of Philadelphia in St. Davids, PA. Talk about a unique looking campus. I'm sitting* in the "Student Union" which holds the dining commons, coffee shop, post office, campus ministries offices, and several classrooms. This place is an old Mansion donated by a man back in the middle part of the 20th century. Old buildings everywhere. All of them made of stone. Sports fields are tucked in between buildings, ponds, hills, and trees. At this time of year, it's quite beautiful.
Eastern is known for its commitment to social justice. Its students have gone out to make incredible differences in the world in the name of Jesus. Shane Claiborne, author of Irresistible Revolution and Jesus for President, is most notable. Speaker and author Tony Campolo has been a faculty member at Eastern for quite some time and is well known for speaking out on controversial evangelical issues.
All that to say, Eastern is a cool place. If you're on campus, talk to some students. You're likely to see a student walking around barefoot. Ask them why? It was intriguing. Or you might see a student that just got back from downtown Philadelphia. You're likely to see students from all over the world. Eastern is a school with a history that has lent itself to vast influence. They truly push students to move beyond themselves. It's a cool place.**
*I wrote most of this like 6 months ago and am actually sitting Payne's.
**I'm done with my thesis and am therefore going to, occasionally, write some stuff here.
