Money Matters, or Does It?

A matter of tension for the Ubuntu Community is money. As a community this group of students has chosen to divide the janitorial duties of the hall so that the paycheck goes to the community as a whole. This is a good plan because it gives the community income to fund projects, meals, and outreach but there is often meetings after Sunday evening meals to make a group decision as to how this money is to be divided and spent.

One particular area which was discussed in depth was regarding the communal kitchen that the group shares. The community agreed that it was acceptable to spend some of the group’s income on food and cooking supplies for meals and snacks but two things needed to be decided further; first how much of the income should be allotted in this area and secondly what items should the group agree be covered by these funds. Christine Amstutz admitted "Sometimes I am unsure if baking a cake which the whole community will eat, is a communal cost or an individual cost. When I am unsure I consult a few other group members to hear their thoughts before I make a decision."

Much discussion took place regarding the two previous questions and each member had a different idea about how much money should be spent. Some felt that breakfast food such as cereal and coffee should be covered because many community members choose to eat breakfast in the kitchen instead of in Marbeck. Others felt these expenses should not be covered because each student has a meal plan in Marbeck which can be spent on breakfast, basically food would be bought when the school has a way of providing breakfast. Snack foods were also brought into question because many people enjoyed snacks but realized that these were not necessary.

In the end, Ubuntu decided that there wouldn’t be a set percentage of income put towards food but they did decide on items covered. The items that are covered are general staples such as milk, cheese, bread and eggs and then whatever items are needed to cook the Sunday evening meal for that week.

Ethics of Community

The Ubuntu Community of Bluffton University is a group of fourteen students ranging from sophomores to seniors who are committed to trying to live simply. One way Ubuntu has chosen to live simply is by preparing Sunday night dinner as a community, where some members will choose a menu and cook and the other members will clean the dishes after the meal.

This Sunday evening meal represents an ethical issue the Ubuntu community has struggled with. When this group proposed the idea of simply living to student life there was interest in preparing more meals together than just one a week. Students living on campus at Bluffton University are required by the school to have a meal plan in the cafeteria. Student Life decided not to waive this criteria for Ubuntu. Erin Weaver a senior, responded "Although we were initially disappointed, eating in Marbeck during the week has enabled us to continue to build community with those outside Ubuntu in the broader Bluffton campus community".

Ubuntu struggled with this ruling at first because the group shares the custodial duties of the hall, so the paycheck for that position goes to the whole group and that money could have gone to food for the meals. It was also figured out that it could have been cheaper per person to serve meals this way. The dilemma also addressed was how to balance between making meals in the group while still having a meal plan.

Ubuntu: Creating a Global Impact

Ubuntu has a direct connection to the larger Bluffton University community because they are trying to be a model of alternative living on a college campus. By consciously trying to live simply and with a focus on being “green” Ubuntu hopes to inspire both students and faculty alike to evaluate their lifestyles to see where they can make changes.
If others choose to change their lifestyles so that they use less resource and leave less of a carbon footprint, these changes will not just affect their lives and the lives of those in the Bluffton University community but they will have global affect as well. Ultimately by making small consistent changes in their everyday life choices individuals can create a large impact that affects the whole planet.
Some simple lifestyle decisions one can make to live simply is to turn off lights or appliances such as televisions or microwaves when they are not in use. Other options include using cloth napkins and reusable dishes and silverware at when eating; these items can be washed and reused instead of thrown away creating more trash. When going shopping for groceries taking cloth bags can also cut down on paper and plastic bags which many times end up as trash.

Even, in regards to travel and transportation there are simple and green options. For example car pool with friends or family instead of taking separate cars if you are going to the same location. If you aren’t going very far choose to walk instead of drive or ride your bike. If public transportation is an option consider taking a bus or train instead of an individual car.
As you can see there are very simple ways if you choose, to start living simply. By living simply you are making a difference in your own which will also have a positive impact on the planet as a whole.

Ubu-Culture

Ubuntu is a subculture to the larger culture of “college students” because this community is committed to both simple and green living as a community. As a community this group of students is trying to change the way college students live. The members of Ubuntu are taking past experiences of living in normal dorm situations around campus and they are trying to implement life style choices that promote community as well as making decisions to try to not use an excessive amount of resources such as water and electricity.

One way the community is cutting back on use of resources is by only having televisions in each of the two lobbies of the each floor. This means unlike most dorms on campus there aren’t one to two TVs per room. Also this promotes community by watching television or movies as a group as well as making group decisions concerning what to watch at what time.

Another decision the community is making different to other dorms is the use of shower timers. These timers hang outside each shower and are used to time how long it takes to shower. No one is required to use the timers but many set personal times and try to stick within these limits.

An Uncertain Future

The Ubuntu Community faces an uncertain future, as eight of their fourteen members are graduating at the end of the school year."Actually there are going to only be four out of the fourteen members on campus next fall due to cross cultural and I will be attending OSU for agriculture classes Bluffton doesn't offer" remarked Shawn Yoder a sophomore. Also Ubuntu is structured within the guidelines of Bluffton University’s themed housing program. This program’s commitment period is for only one academic school year. There are definite possibilities for this sort of community to continue but not in this same exact form.

One possible continuation for Ubuntu would be for the remaining students to reapply for the Riley Court location through the themed housing application and find friends who are interested in simple living and intentional community to fill the eight spots vacated by the seniors. A similar option would be for the remaining members to continue Ubuntu in a new dorm adding the new members as proposed above.

Realistically members of Ubuntu plan on taking their experience of simple living and intentional community from this past year and promoting these values in their new living environments for next year, whether this be a new dorm around campus or the broader world as the seniors leave Bluffton University and begin their lives after college. In doing this, hopefully this group can make a broader impact for simple living and intentional community.

Short and Sweet, the History of Ubuntu

The Ubuntu as a community began August 29^th 2009. Andrea Flack, Jason Frey and Judah Weinhardt, all seniors are the three individuals who started discussing the idea of creating a simple community through the campus’s themed housing program.

Flack, Frey and Weinhardt, all shared an interest in simple living and intentional community, but felt as though to pursue these interests they would have to wait until after college. For Weinhardt, “My interest in simple living started back in Phoenix, when I randomly purchased Submerge by Richard B. Hayse. In this book, Hayse discusses living a simple life modeled after Christ. I was challenged positively to change my life style”. Flack was motivated to action after a conversation with then senior Teresa Hershberger about her desire to incorporate simple living and intentional community into her college experience, had she been able to re-do her time at Bluffton University.

After several meetings with friends (future members) and last year’s pastoral assistant Scott Schomberg, the group created a proposal for Ubuntu. The proposal includes programs such as; faculty mentorship, a partnership with various faculty members for accountability, sharing weekly meals on Sunday evenings that the group cooks together and attempts at weekly blogging on the community’s group blog- www.rileycourtubuntu@blogspot.com.

Ubuntu, a "Tree" rooted Community

A Person of importance to the Ubuntu community is Teresa “Tree” Hershberger a Bluffton University graduate in 2009, from Wooster Ohio. Why is a former student who is not living on campus important to Ubuntu? How did one student with wishes of simple living and intentional community help motivate other students to action?

In conversation prior to Hershberger’s graduation, Andrea Flack a senior living in Ubuntu said “I asked her…if she had college to do over again, what she would do different” Flack noted Hershberger’s response had no hesitation as she described her desire to live more simply as well as focus specifically on intentional community.

Flack quickly found through informal conversation, that she had close friends who were open and excited about engaging these two themes that Hershberger had voiced. The friends realized these important themes could be practiced while still in college. Through more conversations and brainstorming Flack and her friends were able to make Hershberger’s wishes into a reality through the creation of a the Ubuntu themed housing proposal. Even though Hershberger has since graduated from Bluffton University, her hopes and wishes of college life centered on simple living and intentional community still live on through the realized community which is know simply as Ubuntu.