Because of the rural location of Cedarville College, Vice President Don Rickard and his staff have placed a strong emphasis on student services. Rickard's staff is responsible for a residence hall program which cares for 1,450 resident students. In addition, the health service facility, which moved into Patterson Clinic in the fall of 1983, was described as a "model in the State of Ohio," while being given special recognition in the last North Central report. A well-staffed Financial Aid Department processes over $4 million a year for the students. And the Campus Activities Office has provided programs ranging from highly sophisticated artists series to a 10-ton spirit rock, located between the College Center, Science Building, and Library. Placed on campus October 28, 1978, by American Aggregate Corporation, the rock has become a popular means of communication. Often painted more than once a night, it has carried a wide variety of messages. Before Cedarville experienced the rapid growth of the '80s, several all-campus events took place. Since it was possible to crowd the vast majority of the college family into the gymnasium for an all-school banquet, several of these occurred each year. The only such event to survive the rapid growth of the school has been the quadrennial "Cedar What?" elections. Instituted in 1968 as a satire on national elections, the student body has elected a president of "Cedar What?" during each presidential election year. These mock elections have produced tremendous creativity on the part of the entire student body. The spirit demonstrated by the Cedarville College family at athletic events or campus activities is a manifestation of the unity that undergirds campus life. Administrators, faculty, staff, and students do not always agree, but their commitment to Christ provides an underlying unity that is unique. In a very important sense, the family "bears one another's burdens." Prayer requests are announced daily in chapel, and family members pray for the needs of others. Many are willing to offer help and encouragement to those experiencing trials. From time to time, the family is drawn close together as they experience a common trial. An example of this occurred in 1986. The "Young's Run" ranks high on the list of popular campus traditions. This trip to an area dairy located a few miles from campus on Route 68, north of Yellow Springs, provides students an escape from the rigors of academia and allows them to enjoy ice cream and freshly baked pastries. Very few students on campus have never made a Young's Run. Late in the evening of April 30, 1986, word gradually filtered through the Cedarville College dormitories that a serious accident had occurred as a carload of students made their Young's Run. It had been a difficult year for the Cedarville student body because of automobile accidents. During the Christmas vacation, freshman Robert Atkinson had lost his life in an accident while home for the holidays. On February 18, senior Jay Butcher was riding with a friend who was testing his new vehicle when he died in an accident. Now, as Cedarville students learned of an accident involving five of their schoolmates, they were stunned. As the information was gathered, it became apparent that two students, Debra Henry and Gordon Ooms, had lost their lives. Three others were hospitalized with serious injuries. President Paul Dixon spent most of the night at the hospital with the young people. When he returned to Cedarville at 4 a.m., he moved from dormitory to dormitory visiting with students. The next day, following a memorial service for the students, Dixon said, "I think it's really causing the faith of our students to increase, and they're getting more serious about their lives. It's made them aware of the importance of making life count for Christ."lo A prayer service was held on the campus during the chapel hour the morning after the accident. As the student body and administrators prayed for the families of the dead students and for those who had been injured in the accident, they also repeatedly prayed for the family of the man who had driven left of center and struck the student's car head on. The following day Dixon described the memorial service as "a service of praise and a service of challenge." Singing and praying together and listening to the reflections of representatives of the commu– nity, those gathered at the small Baptist college shared their grief and reaffirmed their faith that, while they may not always understand His workings, God's actions serve their needs and His gloryll Miles Henry, Debra's father, attended the memorial service on campus and said that the "feeling among members of the campus community has helped his family accept the 10ss."12 Those who saw the Cedarville College family bonding to one another in the tragic loss of 1986 gained an understanding of what Cedarville is really all about. It is indeed a Chapter XX/165