Opinion

SAINTS PERSPECTIVE, SCCC President Brad Bennett

A new year inevitably challenges us to evaluate ourselves and our lives. I think back on the many New Year’s resolutions I have made through my life, and some of them make me shake my head. According to Alain de Botton, “anyone who isn't embarrassed of who they were last year probably isn't learning enough.”

You’ve got to take his words with a grain of salt, since Alain de Botton moves in elite circles of wealth and philosophy. But in terms of a growth mindset, he has a great point. We are all supposed to be changing and learning as we go along in life.

And sometimes, it’s the little things that prompt big shifts. At Seward County Community College, one such change took place during the semester break: we removed the massive, heavy, dark wood entry counter in the Saints Library and replaced it with a simple desk. The new piece of furniture is much, much smaller and thus leaves a lot of unoccupied space in the entry area. When regular library patrons step through the (wide open) doorway, most of them stop short. It looks so open. And did I mention the new check-out desk is smaller?

That’s what Library Director Casandra Norin was aiming for. Unlike library regulars, new visitors to the library might have felt a little intimidated by the gatelike entrance that was a longstanding feature. It was sturdy and strong and not especially welcoming. As technology changes and streamlines many processes, library patrons expect the same from their environment. This isn’t a bad thing, but it does take some getting used to

Two of our SCCC Library employees, Emery Swagerty and Margaret Thompson, have been part of the Saints family for more than 30 years, and they’ve seen more shifts and swaps than many of us. Remember when libraries all had card catalogs to help us find particular books? Those cabinets full of tiny drawers and index cards vanished before the year 2000. That was a quarter century ago, a fact that makes me shake my head.

Just like our library, SCCC is committed to changing with the times when change means better service to our students. Change for its own sake is another thing completely: chasing trends is not a priority for our board or our faculty and staff.

Over the past year, however, the College has shifted and adjusted in many areas, particularly in our Foundation, business operations, and athletics department. Some of these changes come about naturally, as people grow their skills, accept new opportunities, and leave the college. Retirements, while well-earned, leave a gaping hole in terms of institutional knowledge and those of us still on campus sometimes scramble to fill the gap.

Other changes are prompted by the unexpected  — remember the pandemic? That is already five years in the rearview mirror, but the lessons we learned and the adjustments we made turned out to be wholly positive. Our Saints Anywhere online platform would not exist in its current, widely popular form if we had not experienced the super steep learning curve of having to go online in a matter of weeks.

Going back to the library, one thing I am curious about is how we will fill the newly empty space. There’s so much room now, with space for exhibits, activities, and more options I can’t even imagine. For now, the sense of possibility is what a person feels.

Looking ahead to 2025, I feel the same way. SCCC has a solid foundation and a fantastic team. Our students are just as remarkable. It's impossible to imagine what we might achieve to fill all the blank calendar pages ahead of us in this new year. One of my unchanging resolutions is to try to be a little better every day, and that’s what I tell the people around me.

Here's one way to put it: “Act as if what you do makes a difference,” said William James, “It does.”

Like Alain de Botton, William James was born into a wealthy and influential family. However, he took a distinctly American approach to life. He worked as an educator who pioneered in the study of psychology. A devoted husband and father of five, James advocated a pragmatic, optimistic take on life. 

At SCCC, I hope our new year is full of small acts that make a positive difference to our students, and our community. Unlike grand resolutions, small acts are easy to achieve — but they add up. Here’s to a year of being a little better each and every day.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR — Brad Bennett is the president of Seward County Community College, where he aims to be the first to pick up a stray piece of trash, or offer a friendly greeting. Contact him at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..