What is Birmingham-Southern College?

In the Fall of 2018, my mom convinced me to tour this random college in Alabama. I had grown up just outside of Birmingham, and had heard mentions of Birmingham-Southern College, but never considered it for myself. I just felt like it wasn’t the place for me. After the tour, I was slowly starting to come around to the idea of BSC, but I didn’t really feel like it made sense for me until a few weeks into my freshman year. That Tuesday, when the air was thick with humidity and the students were milling around Norton Student Center in an effort to enjoy the air conditioning, I walked into Religious Life. There was an event happening, and I’m sure I looked like a deer in headlights, scared to move because I didn’t know anyone, and as a blind person, I couldn't see what was happening around me. A girl walked up to me, and she asked for my name. She asked if she could give me a tour around the office, and I said yes. She took my hand, and showed me everything. When I mentioned I was blind and that I loved coffee, I could tell her eyes lit up. She had me feel each coffee mug in the kitchen and helped me pick out my favorite one (a green one with tactile peace signs all over it). It was then I knew BSC was my place, and I felt at home. 

With the news of Birmingham-Southern College closing their doors on May 31st, I have been wanting to find a way to get my thoughts out there, and this felt like the best means to do that. There are so many things I could say about this school, so many things that I just do not have time to describe in the detail they deserve. So, today, I want to take you on a journey throughout my time at BSC. I want to show you what this school is, and all it can do. If you went to BSC, I know I am not alone in these experiences, and I would love to hear about yours. BSC was not perfect, it made mistakes, but it did so much more than those mistakes and missteps, and I seriously cannot imagine where I would be without this school. So, my friends, let me tell you about this place we call The Hilltop. 

Academics 

I graduated BSC with a double major in Religion and Spanish for the Workplace, a minor in Political Science, and a Distinction in Leadership Studies, and I use all aspects of that degree pretty regularly. But the most important thing these classes did for me was ignite my love for learning. You see, when I started my time at BSC, classes were nothing more than what I needed to do to get an A.. The point of the class was not to learn, but to get through them with the highest grade possible. But that’s the thing, at BSC, you take classes to learn. 

As a blind student, school has always been hard for me. I always did well, but it came with work and a lot of difficulties. That was true at BSC too, but I would be lying if I didn’t tell you I didn’t have so much fun in my classes. My Political Science classes were so interesting, my Spanish Economics class (which is like a regular Economics class but in fluent Spanish) was incredibly difficult yet rewarding, and my Religion classes…well they were where I thrived.

My Religion classes taught me I could ask questions and be satisfied without an answer. They showed me the joy of learning. They gave me the confidence to know that I am capable of doing so much more than I thought I was. In Dr. Sutton’s Blurred Religious Boundaries class, I learned about what it meant to mix religion and medicine, and how gender and sexuality weave themselves into aspects of religion I wouldn’t have considered previously. And in Dr. Cottrill’s Senior Seminar, I came up with a new way of interpreting scripture. 

I was able to understand what I truly offer in the field of academia at BSC, and that is such a gift. I cannot thank the school enough for giving me that, but I try to in the ways that I can: continuing to develop what I have learned throughout my time at Vanderbilt Divinity School. Yep, the blind girl who was told time and time again she couldn't go to college by high school teachers is now at Vanderbilt, getting a Masters Degree. A lot of that is due to BSC, for giving me the tools I needed to accomplish what I have, and showing me what I truly am able to do. 

Faith 

So, when I came to BSC, I knew two things for sure: I was going to be a lawyer, and I did not want to be involved in organized religion. Well, I am currently getting my Masters of Divinity in pursuit of ordination in the United Methodist Church, so what happened? I’m sure you can guess that answer by now, but BSC happened. The Department of Religion is part of what elicited that change, but so did the Office of Religious Life. It was there I realized what God was to me, and what I was to God. It was there I was able to deconstruct harmful theology I was fed by my church, and it was on November 30, 2021, in Yielding Chapel, where I finally felt comfortable to be baptized. I was baptized by the Associate Director of Religious Life, who had taken time to answer all of my questions, and who showed me what it meant to be a United Methodist. BSC helped me articulate my call to ministry, and my faith in God as a whole. I learned how loved I am, and that is yet another gift I do not have the words to thank the school for. 

Community 

There is one more detail about my baptism I didn’t mention, and that is because it fits here so well. Not only was I baptized in a place that meant so much to me, and by a person who had done so much for me, I was surrounded by all of my friends. My friends, they are the biggest gift I was given, and I want to focus on them for a moment. I do not have time to go into each and every one of them, so I am going to focus on a few for now, but just know, there are so many more than I am going to go into here.

My roommates during my junior year did me a huge disservice: they set the bar so high that it is almost impossible for anyone to be as good as them. Our room was just so wonderful. We had an overall cozy and chaotic aesthetic going for us, with places for everyone to sit and visit. I think my favorite part of the room though  would have to be our Christmas tree. We left it up past Christmas and decorated it for different holidays. We also had a quote wall, where we would put sticky notes of funny things said by us or our friends. The room itself was so fun, but somehow, the occupants were better. 

My roommates are still some of my best friends. I talk to them at least once a week if not more. They showed me how much fun we could all have together, which may sound small, but it was something I needed. I still think back on our Bachelor nights, where we would drink wine and make fun of Clayton’s actions. Our late night Cookout runs, dancing out our problems, and spur of the moment decisions to go out. Those memories are still some of my favorite things that came out of college. Fun fact: I have a best friend tattoo with one of those roommates, and it is one of my favorite things ever. 

I used to give tours of campus, and doing this as a blind person definitely made for interesting interactions. I came in one day, ready to give my tour with the other tour guide. However, said tour guide ended up not being able to make it. I decided I could give the tour on my own. I thought it went horribly, but the person I gave the tour to later told me that he made his decision to come to BSC thanks to my tour. That person turned out to be one of my best friends, and just two years later, he guided me across the stage of graduation, helping to make sure I started my new adventures with confidence. I think that is one of the best examples of what a friendship found at BSC can be. Something that starts with one person helping another, and ends with both people helping each other in love. Because here’s the thing, as cliche as it sounds, the friends I made there aren’t just my friends, they are my family. They are people who I still talk to, who I still love, and who mean the absolute world to me. 

I hate that Birmingham-Southern College is closing, because everything I just told you, that’s just me. That is the briefest glimpse of a 4 year period that was also deeply affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. If BSC could do all of that (and more) for me, a blind student who felt they could not thrive in an academic setting and who was seeking something bigger than themself, think about all it has done for everyone who passed through those gates, and all it could have done in the future. 

I want to share a secret with you, friend: my story is not unique. Sure, the circumstances are unique. No one has experienced BSC like I did, but a lot of people have remarkably similar stories to my own, just tailored to their lives. This homogeneity of stories connected with a thread of uniqueness is what made BSC so special. The community of people at the school knew what you needed, and adapted to fit those needs. So many people have stories of what this school did for them, and it may shock you to realize how similar they are to my own. BSC has a special ability to deeply impact the lives of everyone who was fortunate enough to be involved in some way, and it breaks my heart that people will not be able to go on the journey that BSC offers. 

I wish I had something inspirational to say to end this, but I don’t. Instead, I want to bring forward a message of comfort. At the Hilltop, we are a community, and when part of a community is hurting, we all feel it. This week, and throughout the next weeks, months, and years, out very foundation is hurting. The place we called home is hurting. We may not be able to fix the hurt, but we can be together and remember what we have gained. We can talk to those who understand what BSC means. We can rest in the comfort of knowing we aren’t alone. My heart goes out to current students, faculty, and staff, as their grief feels far different than my own as an alum, and I do not pretend to understand what they are feeling. Birmingham-Southern College may be ending, but you, your story, your beautiful experience, that continues. I have nothing more I can say, other than: forward, ever! 

P.S. I actually still have that green peace sign mug! It was given to me when I graduated and it now lives in my Nashville apartment :)