By Bethany Boysel, Bluffton Icon intern

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While strolling along the winding paths at Bluffton University, I wonder how much of the campus is the same as when my mother was here, or even during my grandmother's years as a student here.

If the tall trees lining the paths could talk, they would surely tell of many changes in the past 50 years. As a current Bluffton student majoring in communication, I expect to graduate in December 2012, nearly 50 years after my grandmother, Sarah Arn, graduated with a major in elementary and minor in Christian education.

Midway between my grandmother and my graduations, Bluffton was home to my mother, Christel Boysel, who graduated in 1985 with a major in elementary education and a minor in special education.The Bluffton connection is not limited to the three of us. I am, in fact, the seventh member of my family to attend Bluffton.

Today's campus looks much different than it did in the early 1960s when my grandmother was a student. There were about six of the current buildings on campus: the gym (Founders), Berky Hall, College Hall, Ropp Hall (Old and Annex), Lincoln Hall and Musselman Library.

During her senior year Bluffton was breaking ground for Bren-Dell. By the time my mother arrived on campus, Bluffton had added Riley Court, Mosiman and Yoder, Marbeck Center, Shoker Science Center, Ropp Addition, Hirschy Hall and Hirschy Annex. Currently there are close to 13 buildings on campus with the addition of Sauder Visual Art Center, Ramseyer, Neufeld and Centennial.

So what did students do before Centennial Hall? Berky Science Center and College Hall housed many of the classes. My grandmother can remember having classes "all the way up in the tippy top" of College Hall.

More than just the looks of the campus have changed during this time. One of the aspects that has changed is the way meals are served. When my Grandmother was here, Marbeck Center did not yet exists. Instead the cafeteria was located on the first floor of Ropp Hall Addition.

Monday through Friday, breakfast and lunch were both cafeteria style. Supper was a family style meal. This means the students sat at tables of eight to 10 students. There was a host or hostess at each table who would start with the food and pass to their right. This means the food would end up to the host's left. This spot to the host's left was called "starvation corner," because the person there would receive only what was left in the dish.

Saturday lunch was known as "Mennonite weekly review." Any leftovers from the week would be served again.

Marbeck was built by the time my mother enrolled at Bluffton. The layout of the cafeteria was very similar to what preceded this summer's renovations. The rules and regulations surrounding meals have relaxed over the years, as well.

Rules about boys in girls dorms and vice versa have been changed as well. When my grandmother was at Bluffton it was unheard of for boys to be in girls' dorms. Not only were boys not permitted in the dorms unless granted some form of special permission, but there was also a curfew for when residents would need to be back at their dorms.

A student had to be back in their dorms between 11 and midnight unless there was a pre-approved reason for them not to be.

By the time my mother was a student the rules had changed further. Boys were allowed on girls' floors only on the weekends and for certain hours.

Today there are "open hours" when anyone of the opposite sex can be in a dorm: Monday through Thursday noon - midnight, Friday noon - 2am, Saturday 11 a.m. - 2 a.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. - midnight.

Despite all of the changes Bluffton has undergone over the years, there is still something unique about the Bluffton experience.

As my grandmother said, "Going to Bluffton helped me to make me who I am."

After just a year on campus, I agree.

Bethany Boysel is a student in a feature writing class at Bluffton University instructed by Mary and Fred Steiner