Jun. 6, 2014
St. Edward’s University Magazine Spring/Summer 2014 Issue
When I was in college years ago, I never spent much time in the library. I attended a large state school with a library that was touted proudly on campus tours. It was historical, full of books and the exterior looked a little like it might have been at home in a Harry Potter movie.
Despite all it had going for it, the library felt cold and dark on the inside, which inevitably made me sleepy. Instead, I’d study at a diner off campus, which did have hot coffee in abundance, but I was nowhere near the academic tomes I’d inevitably need to complete my research paper at 2 a.m.
When I toured the Munday Library last fall, I was a bit envious — in a good way.
Students at St. Edward’s have what I dreamed about in college: an open study space bathed in natural light with sweeping views, perfect for studying any time of the day (or night). It’s easy to see why, in less than a year, the Munday Library has become the intellectual hub on campus.
But it’s not just the inviting study space that’s made the library so worthy of being touted on our own campus tours. Inside, students have access to global digital classrooms, 71 PCs and 25 Macs, group study rooms equipped with touchscreen computers, and a collection of 80,000 print books. On top of that, there are the digital resources, including almost 300,000 ebooks and 12,000 scholarly journals, which can be accessed from anywhere with a university login. You can check it all out in the Spring/Summer issue of St. Edward’s University Magazine. You might even wish you had a final to study for, just so you could take in the view of South Congress Avenue.
Also in this issue, you’ll find the story “Set in Stone,” which recounts the journey 13 students took to the Dominican Republic over spring break to build houses for Habitat for Humanity. Almost overnight, they were transformed into construction workers. Don’t miss the web extra, in which one of the students recounts both the challenges and rewards of the project.
In “True Grit”, we take you inside Del Valle ISD, one of the most challenging school districts in Central Texas, where School of Education students are training to become teachers. And finally, in “Choosing Second,” we look at how the university attracts top student-athletes without splashy stadiums and prime-time TV contracts.
Enjoy!
Frannie Schneider
Editor