With the last week of classes next week and finals season looming, it’s clear the end of the semester is upon us. The Scout staff is reflecting on the various happenings on and around Bradley’s campus, determining what deserves a thumbs up, thumbs middle or thumbs down for spring 2025.
Thumbs up: Bradley’s 13th university president begins tenure
After Stephen Standifird resigned in June 2024, the Hilltop was in need of a new leader. Bradley found one in alumnus James Shadid, who began his tenure as university president on April 1. Shadid, a former federal judge who was born and raised in Peoria, brings unique perspectives and a lifelong love for Bradley to his first job in higher education. After a history of mistrust between the student body and the administration, Shadid’s involvement at campus events, his time volunteering to speak about his law career and his overall presence on campus have made students hopeful that he has the dedication and passion to enhance Bradley’s future.
Thumbs up: Major Robert Lawrence statue unveiled during Black History Month
While the rest of America tries to erase the contributions Black people have made to the development of the country, Bradley took a positive step in the opposite direction. The university honored Robert Lawrence, the first Black astronaut, with a statue in February. Having graduated from Bradley in 1956, Lawrence attended the university when segregation still permeated America. Even in Peoria, he wasn’t allowed to live in the college’s dormitories. Bradley’s willingness to acknowledge the faults of its history for the sake of recognizing and honoring Lawrence is a gratifying rejection of the path our country is headed towards.
Thumbs middle: Bradley debuts original podcast
The Bradley University Podcast debuted on March 27 and now features six episodes, each aimed at highlighting Bradley and the stories that unfold on campus. Primarily a marketing tool, the podcast offers a curated glimpse behind the scenes of university life. However, the authenticity of these narratives is worth questioning. Can a podcast designed to promote the university truly offer an honest reflection of campus life? Notably, the show has yet to feature a student guest, a missed opportunity given that students are the heart of the Bradley experience. With prominent guests like President Shadid, whose episode coincided with his first official day in office, bringing prestige, incorporating student voices could add depth and credibility. With this in mind, the Bradley University Podcast has the potential to grow into something genuinely impactful. For now, it serves as an intriguing addition to the existing communication outlets on campus.
Thumbs middle: B-news is brought to students
At the end of last spring, Hilltop Happenings was disbanded. This spring, those announcements were replaced by the faculty and staff mail, B-News. While it’s great that students have another newsletter, the content has yet to adjust to the interest of the wider campus. A lot of the topics are still geared towards Bradley employees, and on-campus activities aren’t advertised the way they used to be. In time, B-News will either become what it needs to be, or another new system will replace it.
Thumbs down: Repeated trespassers accost students
Throughout the semester, multiple concerning incidents involving Bradley students interacting with strangers occurred. Whether it was random people entering residence halls or students lending money to people they didn’t know, one thing was made clear. Bradley has a security issue. On numerous occasions, unauthorized individuals have been allowed on campus or in the surrounding areas, and the institution must do a better job of protecting its students. On the other hand, students must be more attentive and cautious of people whom they don’t know. Even in college, stranger danger is a very real thing.
Thumbs down: The increased use of AI on campus
In recent years, more and more students have used AI to help them accomplish their assignments. To such an extent that there will even be a summer course on AI in communication fields. Additionally, multiple events have been hosted on campus to encourage students to utilize AI for research and goal setting. While technology is constantly advancing, and we should be up to date, AI is causing students to rely too heavily on external resources for their degree work. Many professors now allow students to use applications such as ChatGPT to generate ideas and sentence structures for their projects and essays. If a student does not learn the basic skill of generating their own thoughts, they will not be able to do so in their future career.
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