As students walk along the campus at paces fast enough to get to their next class with time enough to catch up on a little homework, they often miss the subtle under current of Missouri Southern life.

Did you know there really is a skyline to the campus?

Billingsly Student Center rises out of the ground in a great mass of splendor just before the sunset. Of course, most of the students on campus who know about this are the student senators who happen to arrive in the building at this time.

Taylor Auditorium glows bright red and blazes as a formidable statute to Southern’s glory at both dawn and sundown. Of course, students who go to plays know this concept very well.

There are also some natural wonders here as well.

The grass outside of the residence halls smells so sweet it gives one hunger pains. Of course, this would mean one has to play among the fields, getting exercise and vigorous activity into his or her schedule.

Maples, oaks and walnuts shade the light-hearted surface of the Biology Pond with gentle smiles during the afternoon. There’s nothing like listening to the breeze behind the Mansion as the day drifts away. This is the perfect place to study. It’s also something, which seems to be lacking these days.

But, this would require students walking over and studying and, say, take time out of their schedules to do so.

Yet, students often overlook these inspirational spots and feelings on campus. Southern offers more than a rush of classes and inactivity. Friends can eat at CAB-supported events. Students can exercise in the morning. They can grow in character and academia by attending extracurricular activities such as Student Senate, campus recreation games, or any number of other content-specific group activities.

Participation in these groups is one thing, but actually committing oneself to the idea of education is another.

The ancient Greeks had an educational philosophy of working both the mind and body together. This, they said, would lead to a purification in spirit and ultimately free a person from the burdens of life. Universities formerly taught along this same mantra with a more humanistic and secular approach. However, the idea grew out of the schools and was allowed to settle onto the students. This would make them wholly responsible for their taking to the combination of body and mind. In a way, they gained the responsibility to keep themselves busy while becoming educated. While students today may still need to take a physical activity or philosophy class, they can choose in what manner they will take the dose of “educational medicine.”

The responsibility lies as so: students can choose to be outsiders or insiders in their college experience.

The body needs education through physical activities, be it racquetball, jogging, tennis, bowling or simple walking. But, it doesn’t have to be forced on anyone through the classroom. The oval is open to playing Frisbee or tag or whatever flutters one’s heartstrings.

The mind needs enrichment. Thoreau sought it through isolation and reflection while maintaining ties at the fringe of society’s break. Students can reflect on the hillsides of this beautiful campus as they study and enrich their minds through new classes.

In other words, question this mundane feeling of dread, which many get. It’ll soon subside should you accept your willingness to see there’s more around you than just a “school.” It’s an education.