This is what it's all about

       The work is finished; the last part of each student’s project is turned in. Certificates are granted. It’s time for a large round of applause for the students involved.

        Two weeks ago, many of these 18 to 21-year-olds (for the most part) hadn’t used a camera for anything more than snapshots. Most others had not touched a videocamera, and none of them had experience on the Internet.

        Today, all 35 students have played roles in creating a website, which can be found at http://stxavierbpj.org/.  I urge you to visit, learn a lot about St. Xavier’s College in Ahmedabad, and, even more, marvel at the accomplishment of these students in completing these projects.  I can guarantee you that Marquette students will get tired of me bringing St. Xavier students up when the M.U. students whine about how hard they have to work on their projects.

       As a bonus, you will learn a lot about the students, the college, and the issues facing the Gujarat state of India. I edited their stories, and learned much from each of them. Even the choice of subjects shows you something of the character of the students and their college: projects on the differently-abled, tribal medicines and education, communicating, tissue culture.

         I didn’t intend mentioning any students by name because it’s so hard to pick some out and not mention all the others I’ve gotten to know so well during the past two weeks. But two of them performed so wonderfully over the past 24 hours that I have to mention then. Boris Gomes and Aman Shah stayed until 2 a.m. last night getting the web site working. This came after helping their teams with their projects. The two of them were our webmasters, aiding the wonderful Carole Burns who not only was up until 2, but back in the computer lab at 6 this morning finalizing things.

         I leaving India just after posting this (well, I’m leaving Ahmedabad for a flight to another Indian airport where I get to wait 10 hours before catching flights to Amsterdam and Chicago), but I didn’t want to leave without saluting the students.

       I’ve come to know and appreciate their drive and intelligence, to learn of their dreams and hopes. I know the boisterous ones, the shy ones, the loud ones, the quiet ones. I’ve learned who is an athlete and who is an artist. I appreciate the quiet determination of  some; the playfulness of others. But I know this of all of them: Like Marquette students, they represent the future of the world, and it’s in good hands.

        And I’m going to miss them.