By Somy Madeoy, Staff Writer
The Master’s University is unique and draws in a certain demographic. No two people are alike, but in the context of living for Christ, the students are surrounded by those who are like-minded.
The faculty and staff share core values that make the university special. TMU sophomore Joel Schluessler explains, “Ideologically we are different, and we are insulated from a standard core curriculum.”
So, how is this institution defined?
TMU is a tightly-knit community, and its members make it a priority to establish unity. So much unity, in fact, that the term “Master’s Bubble” is commonly thrown around when the campus environment is referenced.
Is there a bubble? And if so, is it a good thing or is it a bad thing?
A common theme among TMU students is that the bubble has its advantages, but comes with drawbacks as well. One advantage is the aforementioned campus unity. One potential disadvantage is that students may become so comfortable that they lose sight of the greater call to impact the world for Christ.
That idea of reaching out hinges on the students’ personal goals with regards to the Great Commission.
TMU student, Naomi Jimenez boils the question down to this: “How can we be set apart out there?”
Carolina Bojorquez, a senior biology major, has a theory.
“What sets up apart is the application of our knowledge – specifically of God’s Word,” she says.
Josephine Lee, a TMU communication junior, frames it this way: “You can’t be a light in a sea of light.”
Again, applied insight is key. Just as no one will turn on a flashlight in the daytime, evangelism has little impact in an echo chamber. The light must be brought into the darkness.
Leaving the supposed “bubble” is not without its challenges, however.
Erika Poblete, former auditor accountant who came back to TMU to pursue a degree in communication studies said, “Master’s still gives you the necessary foundation …in the world; you will get exhausted from being with unsaved people unless you conform to it.”
In spite of the prevailing campus culture, being champions of those values, sin still exists, and by no means are those on the TMU campus the perfect products of a perfect institution; all Christians understand the realities of a fallen nature. However, the TMU community – whether you call it a bubble or not, strives to honor Christ. It operates as a home base from which students can launch out into the world and shine their light.
Newly married TMU student Grace Atkinson sees where the “bubble” and the world intersect – where the unity experienced on campus finds its most fertile ground for the gospel.
“When learning how to approach the outside world, it is important that we are building out as much as we are building together,” she said.
Somy Madeoy can be reached at madeoysg@masters.edu
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