Erin Wilber, Reporter
The Berry Bubble is a term affectionately used to describe the close-knit community on Berry’s campus. However, it is possible that “The Bubble” is something that needs to be changed rather than something to celebrate.
Students can live, work, play, and take part in various activities without ever leaving campus. While this sounds appealing to students, is it possible that the Berry bubble is causing an unhealthy separation between Berry students and the world and communities that exists off campus?
Senior Public Relations major Lindsey Dyches said that due to her major, she is drawn to news that takes place off campus. However, she admits that the bubble may only be good in theory.
“Things tend to fester under a bubble,” Dyches said.
Dyches went on to reference her concern that Berry doesn’t often address negative or controversial issues that take place in national or community news. She admits that with the structure and size of Berry College, there really is no need for students to take an interest in the news and events beyond Berry’s gates.
Freshman animal science major Kristianna Saelens agrees with Dyches and adds that the effects of the Berry Bubble may be due to a lack of time and interest for students.
“Students are so focused on their studies and activities that they don’t really get a chance to see what’s going on outside of Berry,” Saelens said.
While Saelens admits that she herself does not make an effort to keep up with news and events off campus, it is something that she would like to see altered.
“I feel like it should be changed but it would be really hard for Berry to do that,” said Saelens.
While students agree that the Berry bubble may sometimes prove restrictive and potentially warrant change, Michael Bailey, a Government and Politics professor at Berry, sees the bubble as a positive asset to the school.
Bailey believes that the family-like nature of Berry College creates what he deems an “artificial community” that gives students a safe learning environment.
“Berry students are not very political,” Bailey said. “They see this as a moment in life where they can be exempt from these issues.”
However, Bailey does not see this lack of political interest as an issue.
“The job of the professor is to introduce them to the outside,” Bailey said.
Bailey said that while students may not be currently involved in the political and social world outside of Berry, they will be able to take the lessons they learn within the safety of the bubble and use them to pursue a more politically informed and active role in the future.
When questioned, several students confirmed Bailey’s beliefs regarding political interest. Several individuals even admitted that they cared very little about what occurs in the community surrounding Berry and most attributed these feelings to the inclusive nature of campus.
While there does not appear to be a quick fix to the problem, Berry does have volunteer and community outreach clubs on campus that work directly with the Rome community. These groups could examine ways to make themselves more visible to students in order to provide them with opportunities to become more aware about the world outside of the Berry Bubble.