Staff reports
Universities are institutions of higher learning (with learning being the operative word). However this is not always taken into account when dealing with students who are trying to advance their skills and knowledge, but are far from perfect.
Mistakes happen, and luckily for our students, Southeastern is the place to make those mistakes in order to learn from and avoid making them in a future career.
At the student newspaper, mistakes are not only made but are often inadvertently placed permanently into the printed paper, The Southeastern. It seems that no matter how hard the staff may try, it is inevitable that a mistake will be noticed after the product is finalized.
For example, after researching in depth, the editorial from the Jan. 26 edition concluded that Southeastern did not have a discernable motto, which could potentially affect an interested party’s decision to become a student of the campus.
Following the issue, Elizabeth Stidham, university recruitment coordinator, notified the staff of an error with this statement. The staff would like to extend a debt of gratitude to Stidham for pointing out our mistake and offering the solution to our question. With Stidham’s help, we are able to print a correction and learn from the experience, as well as grow as budding reporters.
In fact, Southeastern does have a motto and it is written for all to see (in Latin) on the crest of the Henry G. Bennett Memorial Library entrance, “Sapere Aude.” The English translation equates to “Dare to be Wise.” There is a plaque in front of the walkway to the library entrance which holds a brief history of the university and the library.
Although the names Plato and Dante also adorn the library, surrounding the motto, they are not a part of the actual motto, but a reference possibly to the philosphy, knowledge and poetic literature that the library represents and contains within.
An archived The Southeastern, from Thursday, Aug. 21, 2008 was found on www.se.edu, which contains a “Welcome from President Turner” and mentions the motto and issues a challenge to students to excel in education received from the campus. Is this to be the only references, those mentioned in archived material (an afterthought)?
Stidham said that the True Blue Ambassadors do tell the school motto on campus tours, but there is no other information available on tour reference cards for the motto or its origins.
Stidham also pointed that various slogans are used for the campus, depending on the department, such as “Where your story begins…,” the catchphrase for the Recruitment Office, and “Building Better Futures,” used by the President’s Office.
Can we institute a change to the campus motto information made available on www.se.edu in an effort to avoid confusion? Or are we moving away from the motto and referring to the slogans only?