By Kaylee McNeill, Guest Writer
Throughout this week, Newman has been celebrating Earth week. Personally, this is one of my favorite events that Newman does because it helps students recognize the beauty of the world and the impact we can have on it.
From a Catholic perspective, it helps me to appreciate God’s gift to us a lot more. We are called to be stewards of the land, which means we should watch over and care for our earth.
Thankfully, we have the opportunity to care for our campus, and when caring for our campus, we are able to see the beauty of it.
One of the beauties of Newman’s campus is probably all of the trees that are in bloom this spring. My favorite tree on campus is the one on the northeast side of Beata, which has blooming white flowers that grow on the branches and the trunk. I believe that this tree is called a Royal White Redbud. I like this tree because it reminds me of wedding flowers, like the petals would be cute to throw down the aisle.
Another great tree is the one that is right in front of Eck; half of the tree is blooming flowers while the other half is not. I’ve heard that Father Adam has blessed the tree at least once to help the other side start blooming. It is looking better, right?!
The big green trees I would say are the best to study under especially if it has a curved trunk to sit between. If you have a blanket to sit on, that would be a great place to study during these last weeks of school.
The redbud trees are also in season. Those are the small trees that are a magenta color, and they’re native to Kansas. The color of flowers can be purple, magenta, lavender and white. Newman has quite a few of these trees, and they all add a bit of color to campus.
Overall, Newman has a great abundance of trees. Some have been here for a while, while others are just baby trees.
I know that with finals approaching, spring can be a stressful time, but spending more time in nature might decrease the amount of stress we are under. Personally, I think that one of the most stress-relieving things you can do is just go walk around and look at all of the trees. They’re all different in their own little way and each one has a story to tell. After seeing all of the trees, maybe you’ll be able to find your own favorite tree.
PHOTO: Kaylee McNeill
