Article by: Biola College Republicans Club
On Monday, Nov. 12, it was difficult for us to forget the significance of the day. We received multiple reminders that — for the only time this school year — the campus was gearing up for a week of music at chapel. It was an event that was hard to ignore.
We were saddened as we began to notice that the true importance of the day, Veterans Day, would be largely forgotten by the student body. Aside from the cliché sign hanging at the campus entrance and a mildly irreverent mention in the middle of chapel, the holiday passed largely unnoticed.
Call us sentimental, but we savor the chance to spend a day remembering the millions of American veterans; they have sacrificed the comforts and safety of home to preserve the freedoms upon which this institution relies. Instead, Sunday (Veterans Day) sleepily passed as most Biolans welcomed prospective students to our campus and celebrated the beginning of the basketball season. On Monday (the day that the nation stops to reflect), Biola continued on with its normal routine.
In formation of this holiday, it was the desire of President Dwight D. Eisenhower to “solemnly remember the sacrifices of all those who fought so valiantly … to preserve our heritage of freedom, and … reconsecrate ourselves to the task of promoting an enduring peace so that their efforts shall not have been in vain.”
Why is it then that secular institutions such as state universities are able to identify with Eisenhower’s values on this topic, yet at Biola, an institution whose conservatism is widely recognized, we fail to fully associate with these sentiments? The purpose of Veterans Day is to outwardly express, through the cessation of normal activities, our recognition and appreciation for those who willingly choose to fight and suffer on our behalf.
From an external perspective, it would seem as if Biola fails to conform to the national policy on halting activities on Veterans Day in support of University Day — a time in which prospective students who are likely to have the day off, would be more willing to visit our school. Biola, as a notable Christian institution, must stand firm in honoring those who serve our nation, regardless of the number of students recruited for the incoming freshman class. Instead, Biola briefly mentions veterans on Friday instead of when the entire nation honors veterans on Monday.
It doesn’t matter whether or not Biola supports the war or the current policies of the federal government. It is our duty as protected citizens to honor, alongside the rest of America, those who volunteered, in our absence, to protect the very Constitution that allows our institution to proclaim God’s Word. For the veterans who attend and teach at Biola, we thank you. We thank you for your service and your love for your fellow citizens.
In the absence of an official celebration of Veterans Day, the Biola College Republicans will be honoring the veterans of Biola at their next meeting to be held on Nov. 27. Perhaps, with a little persistence and a realignment of values, Biola will not allow the sacrifice of its veterans to go unrecognized.
