Dual Founders' Days?

This post should have come before October 10, ADG's official Founders' Day, but with the hectic schedule I now "enjoy," time allowed for no other options. At any rate, like Christmas (or any holiday), I think Founders' Day is something we should keep in mind all year long. All that requires is to try and live our lives by the ideals set forth by the Founding Four of Alpha Delta Gamma.

Strangely enough, and I don't know why I never thought of this before, yesterday was also Columbus Day, which celebrates the discovery of America. Now, we all know our history (I hope) and the various controversies involving Christopher Columbus. There are critics on both sides of the argument and many heated debates over this day. Did he actually discover North America? Was he the first? Did he do bad things when he arrived?

I don't want to start a debate about a long-dead traveler, and I certainly don't want to see one arise from this conversation. What I think is important to keep in mind, however, are the underlying facts of the day, the raison d'etre of the celebration.

• Discovery: If we can take nothing away from this holiday, consider then the motivations for discovery. For some, it was greed, pure and simple. For others, there were loftier goals, such as marine safety (plotting out the seas and finding easier routes). Still others simply wanted to get out there and explore. Whatever you believe the true motivation was, remember that it was ultimately a voyage of new ideas and uncharted waters. There is a lot to be said about the bravery to try new ideas, to dive into the unknown.
• Beginnings: Whatever the motivation ultimately was, this discovery was a new beginning for the 'New World.' Many would argue that this meant the end of another world, the destruction of an entire continent. I would say that every beginning needs to be remembered for its successes and triumphs, as well as its failures and miscues. Always keep in mind the motivation and strive to continue the effort, but making things better during your tenure.

There are many parallels to draw between our Founders' Day and Columbus Day. There will always be mistakes to be made, and obstacles to be overcome. That is the drawback of human nature: we're not perfect. The point, though, is to endeavor to do better, to always strive to learn from those same mistakes so as to not make them again. Sure, we're human, and of course we're not perfect. But, we can still try to do better and always remember where we came from.

I think the Founding Fathers did an amazing thing for the world, give us Alpha Delta Gamma to grow and nourish. It is now up to us to keep it alive and to constantly strive for bigger and better things for it. So long as we do our best to avoid repeating previous mistakes, we will be as omnipresent as the Americas and as timeless as the seas crossed over to reach its shores.

Ad Dei Gloriam