by Mark Milioni
There is an old familiar house on the east side of our campus. This little house is very old and has been in rough shape for decades, to the point of being condemned and almost torn down numerous times. Generations of BBC students have wondered about this old, white house. Does someone live there? Is it a part of BBC? What could we use it for? Some courageous volunteers grappled with those questions and began a renovation project that would take a lot of time and effort, but would result in turning what some thought a disaster area into a thing of beauty.
This renovation has been a work in progress for the past few years. Recently, the last projects were finished, inspections were passed, staff was trained, and the little old house became ready for a new use and a new name — and so we held a contest. One part of the renovation involved installing white vinyl siding to cover the weather-beaten, whitewashed wooden exterior. This project provided the old house with a new name, the White House. This White House was not renovated to be used as a home for the President, but for someone much more important — BBC students!
This beautifully renovated old house is now our new coffeehouse. The White House is staffed by students who are coffee experts. They have developed their own specialty coffees and smoothies. If you have the occasion to be on our campus, please stop in for a venti nonfat caramel macchiato with an extra shot of espresso. They will know exactly what you mean!
The White House has quickly become a favorite spot on campus for our students. They come not only to drink coffee, but to study and hang out and to use the internet. The White House also serves as a new venue for small group meetings, special events, concerts, and guest speakers.
Why go through the trouble and expense of renovating this old house? It is because we love our students! The White House serves to enhance student life, and that is one of the most important aspects of college. At BBC, we are working very hard to make living away from home a special time in a student’s life.
Want to know more? You can follow the White House on your favorite social media: Twitter – The White House @WhitehouseBBC, Facebook – The White House at BBC
Want to be a part of helping BBC continue to train men and women for the ministry? Join our Generations program at www.gobbc.edu/generations/.