Yesterday was the last day of class for my TTh sections of Theology 1120: Intro to Biblical Studies. We were reviewing the semester, and I should say that the classroom is a really cool room, perhaps too cool. It's on the fifth floor of the library building with huge window offering a great view of the New Orleans downtown area. Tough competition for my lectures. But all through class yesterday these giant military helicopters kept flying over, and it made teaching nearly impossible due to the noise and the visual distraction. My students said there is a military base nearby New Orleans, and that they were probably Marine helicopters training pilots and crews. I told the students how every Palestinian and Israeli could distinguish between the sounds of news helicopters and military helicopters. It reminded me of times I spent in the Middle East, and how unsettling it is to see signs of warfare and be so immune and apathetic to it. It also made me think about how I work at a Catholic institution, and how many would like to see the Theology dept. represent this Catholicity. But I also feel that the university as a whole should think about these things, and do some reflection. Perhaps in the end being Catholic might mean that we shouldn't let military recruiters come onto campus to recruit our students, or accept large grants from the military to work on weapons. Anyway, just some thoughts as I get ready for final exams on Thursday and Friday.
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