Benedictine Institute

 

Matthew Palmquist, '12, wrote the prize-winning Benedictine Institute senior essay on the topic "How I Finally Caught on to What 'Benedictine' Means." He comes from Eagan, Minnesota. His essay points to summers in the Pottery Studio and the Woodworking Shop as the key to a deep understanding of what's Benedictine.

 

Who Knew?

"Even the best men go astray with words, when they are to express something very gentle and almost unutterable...if you have a love for insignificant things and seek, simply as one who serves, then everything will become easier for you, more coherent and somehow more conciliatory in your innermost consciousness, wakefulness, and knowing." ~~Rainer Maria Rielke, 1903

I don't know what brought me to Saint John's. I was happy at home, a place where most kids don't leave. They might leave for the big city to study for a few years. But they return-a few years older and a few pounds heavier-to wander the small town streets and wait for the bars to open. Living in Smalltown, Minnesota was comfortable. But as time got closer to applying for school, I got this uncontrollable itch for more, to leave my happy square universe, and to be part of something greater.

College has always been part of my life plan; I just never pictured where I'd be. I never think about the future like that-picturing where I'll be in "x" amount of years-because life's most predictable facet is its unpredictability, and trying to control unpredictability leads to disappointment. So I sent out the applications, and let hazard and chance choose for me, knowing that I would be happy wherever I ended up.

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Ben Besasie is a senior biology major and Spanish minor from St. Louis Park, MN. He plans to pursue a career in medicine and will be applying to medical school in the near future. This summer, He will be the Program Director for the National Student Leadership Conference on Healthcare and Medicine in Washington D.C. 

 

You Are What You Eat

They say "You are what you eat." Before even considering what I eat, who am I?

During fall semester of my sophomore year, a photographer from the student newspaper, The Record, approached me among some of my friends in the Reef during dinnertime. Oblivious to what he was going to ask us, we didn't give him any recognition. Instantly, he blurted out, "Do any of you guys want to be in The Record? All you have to do is give me one quote." Many of my friends at the table jumped to the occasion, yet I hesitated and asked, "What's the quote for?"

He responded, "You know they say, 'You are what you eat.' So which of your favorite foods best describes your personality and why?"

How could I pass up this opportunity? I could have my words and face in the newspaper. I thought hard trying to think of something creative. I thought of clichés such as a mango since I am tough skinned, sweet on the inside, with a hard inner core. That didn't fit. I wanted to be more creative. I can't say what sparked my next idea, but I knew it was unique and matchless. It described me perfectly.

With a smirk, I finally replied to his question, "I'd say matzo, because I am skinny and Jewish."

(For those that are not familiar with matzo; it is unleavened bread traditionally eaten by Jews during the weeklong holiday of Passover.)

He snapped a photo of me, we went our ways, and our encounter was already out of my mind.

Little did I know, that trivial quote would re-enter my thoughts and life three days later when The Record was published. It opened a doorway for understanding. I realized I was a student at a Benedictine school.

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