Study Abroad, Service, and a Trip to the Opera

I can't believe how little I posted in March! Sorry about that!

I don't think I have much that's particularly exciting to share. I've made substantial progress on the filling-out-study-abroad forms front which is a relief. I've turned in my paperwork about the courses I want to take abroad, and I've also submitted my program contract, deposit, and a scholarship application to the program provider, IFSA-Butler. It's so strange that this semester is almost over and that next semester I won't be here at Susquehanna.

I am being completely honest when I say I love this school. This Saturday was Accepted Students Day, and as part of a service project for Alpha Phi Omega, I got to help out with this day for a little. I was directing foot traffic and pointing people out to specific buildings. A girl approached me looking for the Admissions Office. Before she followed my directions, she introduced herself and told me--beaming--that she was about to hand in her deposit. I was so excited for her.

While I didn't decide to come to SU right on Accepted Students Day, I had left feeling confident that Susquehanna would be a great choice for me. I also reconnected with a girl from the summer Writers' Workshop for high schoolers that day, and she ended up being my roommate freshman year!

I also got to do some other service this weekend. A nearby church has a preschool, and they were putting on an art show this weekend. I went with some of my other brothers to take down the artwork. Sunday, after chapel and brunch, I joined up with Alpha Phi Omega brothers again to pick up trash around Selinsgrove--our attempt to clean up after our fellow SU students. I've discovered that I really enjoy these serviec projects where I feel like I'm physically getting things done. They can get repetitive, but it feels very productive and as if my work is needed.

Another fun part of this weekend was going to see an opera on campus with my friend Karen. The opera was called Die Fleidermaus and was performed by Susquehanna students. I was amazed by the vocal talent on display! It was also fun because I had never seen an opera before so it was great to have that new experience.

Now I only have a four-day week before I can go home for Easter which is definitely exciting. The only not so exciting part is how little of the semester will be left when we come back.

Alpha Phi Omega Updates

I don’t think I’ve updated this blog recently on my activity with my service fraternity, Alpha Phi Omega, so I figured I’d bring you up-to-date.

This is the first semester I’ve taken a Little. A Little is someone who is pledging the fraternity that you help through the pledging process. It’s definitely exciting since last semester I was a tiny bit envious of all the other people who had Littles. So far there hasn’t been that much to do as a Big, except decorating a binder filled with all the information she needs for pledging and making her flashcards with the pictures and names of all the other pledges. Bigs and Littles have to meet once a week, and our meeting spot is in Mellon Lounge, a part of Degenstein Campus Center.  Last week we both got Java City, which is a plate to get coffee on campus. Due to me being a bit strange and not liking coffee, I ended up getting apple juice. 

I’ve also become our chapter’s Alumni Secretary. I am working with another member on Alumni Relations to keep alumni informed about what’s going on in our chapter. Hopefully, we’ll also be able to relay information about alumni successes to current members. Maybe we will even have some of them come in to speak!  This was an appointed rather than elected position, and it’s kind of a nice way to get my feet wet, in terms of leadership. I don’t usually classify myself as much of a leader and tend to do things solo, so I think this will be a good experience for me.

The next big service project I’m signed up for with Alpha Phi Omega is the Relay for Life. Last year, I did it with some girls from my freshman residence hall. It’s definitely exhausting, since it goes from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., but it should be worthwhile to do it again! I’m hoping that APO will be able to raise a lot of money. I think we are going to have at least 3 APO teams. Of course, I also hope Susquehanna, as a whole, is able to raise a ton.  Other big projects coming up include 30 Hour Famine and Lutheran Youth Day, both of which I did last year. 30 Hour Famine raises awareness of hunger around the world, as well as money, and Lutheran Youth Day brings a lot of students from Lutheran youth groups to campus for worship and sessions. Both of those were very fulfilling projects next year, and I look forward to doing them again.

And We're Back!

I am ecstatic to be back on SU's campus for the latter half of my sophomore year. All I seem to do on this blog is marvel at the passage of time, but it really is so hard for me to believe that it's my fourth semester here. Winter break, about a month long, gave me plenty of time to miss school and my friends here--especially since I spent most of it working.

This semester I am looking forward to continuing activities with coed service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega and InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. For Alpha Phi Omega this semester, I will be having a "Little," which is a pledge who you mentor through the pledging process. I have no idea who my "Little" will be, but I am excited to have one! I'll also be getting to work on my Scholar's House project--a novel and a blog. The blog, about faith and writing, can now be found here, if you're interested. I really need to buckle down, in terms of the novel draft, and get things done.

I'm  rather optimistic about my classes this semester, as well. I'll be taking Intro to Asian Religions, Aesthetics & Interpretation, Luther: Life & Thought, and Intro to Poetry. I am most excited for Intro to Poetry since I've been in somewhat of a poetry phase lately. So far, I've already had Intro to Asian Religions and Aesthetics & Interpretation. Both of the classes left great impressions.

All in all, I'm excited for what this semester has in store. Hopefully, I'll keep a great record of it here!

Masquerades and Jazz

I spend a lot of time blogging about the weekends, and I’ll admit, I’m going to do it again. Weekends tend to be less monotonous than weekdays.

For example, Friday night was set apart by my Alpha Phi Omega formal, which was very fun. The best part of any formal, I think, is getting dressed up. I was so excited to wear the dress I bought and have my hair straightened. A friend from APO straightened my hair for me. She had an intense, turbo straightener that worked very well—and very quickly! She took about 30 minutes, a lot shorter than expected! I was thrilled that my hair stayed straight throughout the night, rather than puffing up again at the first sign of heat. Hairspray definitely did its trick. Additionally, the formal was masquerade-themed, so I got to have some fun with the mask my brother bought me years ago in Europe. It attracted quite a few compliments.  

Of course, I can’t ignore the formal itself. After gathering on the stairs in Seibert, one of the dorms on campus, for some pictures, our group headed over to the Susquehanna Valley Country Club. We started with dinner. I had chosen the stuffed chicken for my meal—a choice I did not regret. It was so tasty! There were also really good rolls. After some official APO business, like awards, the dancing begun, which was super fun. At the end of the night, our group headed to Denny’s, where I got a strawberry banana smoothie and two sides of fries.

Saturday my friend invited me out to dinner with her parents, and then afterwards, we hung out in the café Charlie’s.  A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving was on in the background as we looked through old yearbooks and played games. I also got some great ice cream (I’m sensing a food theme here). Later, after hanging in her dorm for a little, we joined up with other people for card games.

The big event I went to Sunday was Jazz Vespers, part of Susquehanna’s Worship In A New Key Series. Vespers is an evening prayer service. This service was led by the Josh Davis Group who did a fabulous job. I was especially impressed by the singer’s voice! Also, I liked joining in singing the jazzy arrangements. A bit later that night was APO’s initiation. It was, admittedly, less exciting than when I was a pledge, but I was still very happy to see some of my friends become full-fledged brothers. I look forward to next semester since I plan on having a Little—a pledge who I will guide through the pledging proces.

Now that I've gotten past the weekend, I am very close to Thanksgiving break. Some of my friends get to leave today, but I will be here until tomorrow. Time, feel free to fly as quickly as you can!

The Neccesity of Breaks--And Some Fun Before Them!

It’s funny how my attitude towards breaks shifts over time. Many times last year, I felt conflicted about breaks. Wrapped up in my freshman collegiate experience and all of my new friendships, the thought of leaving school for whatever length of time was somewhat saddening. At the same time, there’s an itch to return home. This year, more used to the college life, I’ve, perhaps ironically, been looking forward to breaks more and more.

Thanksgiving Break is very quickly approaching, and that is truly something that fills me with thanks. The more stressful the time leading up to the break, the sweeter having that break is! This week I’ve been dealing with two group projects, one a scientific study and one for my Hebrew Bible class. Perhaps it’s my introverted side or an independent streak (or maybe even a controlling one), but I get drained by group projects quite easily. I also had an 8-page rough draft of my grammar essay due.

However, the break doesn’t necessarily mean an end of work.

I’ve gotten behind on my Scholar’s House project—completing a draft of a Christian YA novel and blogging about the intersection of faith and fiction—so I’d like to get a lot accomplished over break. This shouldn’t be that difficult, though. After all, a lot of college students I know are participating in NaNoWriMo, where you draft a novel in the month of November; I have a lot more time than that.

Fortunately, even if my break means a bit of creative work, it also means relaxation, time with family and friends, and really great Thanksgiving food.

I did get a prequel to that Thanksgiving meal, though, when I attended one of SU's biggest traditions for the first time--Thanksgiving Dinner! I went to the 4:30 p.m. seating with a group from InterVarsity Christian Fellowship. The cafeteria was packed with people excited for Thanksgiving food. The dinner definitely did not dissapoint. The stuffing was especially good. I wish we could have that dinner more often--though, I suppose, its rarity is what keeps it special. Another facet of this dinner is that faculty serve the students. President Lemons cut turkey for our table himself. Many groups got a picture with him after dinner, including ours. He really is so accessible and friendly. It makes me sad that, if I am abroad next fall, I'll only have one more Thanksgiving Dinner left at SU!

Tonight Alpha Phi Omega is having its formal at a nearby country club. There will be dancing as well as a banquet where I think there might be awards, as well as the results of recent elections. After a bit of stress this week, this formal will be a great relief. I am very excited about the dress I bought and for a friend to straighten my hair. I'm also looking forward to wearing my mask since it's a masquerade.

I'm glad that I haven't only been pining for break but have had--and will have tonight--some fun times before I get there!

A Weekend Overview

This weekend was Parents' Weekend at SU, meaning our campus was filled with a bunch of families. I was very happy that my parents came up on Friday evening. They took me to the mall and bought me 2 new pairs of jeans which I love. Then we went to Applebees for a delicious dinner before heading back to campus for an event recognizing University Scholars.

I started out my Saturday with a project for Alpha Phi Omega. Alpha Phi Omega was having a huge clothing drive for Haven Ministries in nearby Sunbury. Previously, APO membrs had distributed flyers around Selinsgrove neighborhoods instructing anybody who wants to donate to leave the bags outside their door that morning. Saturday we went off, mostly in pairs, to drive around different zones and collect bags of clothing. People were really generous! And some of the bags of clothes--really heavy!

When I got back, I grabbed lunch with one of my friends, then spent a lot of the day in her dorm room for a Movie Party. We watched 10 Things I Hate About You and The Lizzie McGuire Movie before I had to grab dinner with another friend and get ready for ushering for SU's current theater production, Funny Girl. This was my first time ushering so I was actually a little nervous! Ushers don't only pass out flyers. They're also responsible for watching the audience to make sure people aren't using cell phones, blocking the aisles, eating, etc., so I couldn't focus all of my attention on the show. I was able to focus enough, though, to get a grasp on how good it was! Afterwards I went back to my friend's dorm where Movie Night was still continuing.

Sunday was less eventful. After chapel and brunch, I spent some time hanging out in my room and then some time in the library, working on my sophomore essay.

Today I need to do more work on my sophomore essay so I can send out a draft to my advisor, though I don't know if the revisions will be as complete as I will have liked. I am also meeting with my group for a project in my Hebrew Bible course, going to an APO project, and attending an InterVarsity-related meeting, if I get the time. I'm hoping the rest of the week stays relatively unbusy!
  

This Week's Highlights

It's finally Friday! Actually, this week has gone rather quickly. I'm excited about that and ready for the weekend, which is going to include a hang-out session with my lovely Big from APO, a Halloween party at TRAX, and maybe, possibly snow. 

Here are some highlights of this week:

• Monday I had a service project with Alpha Phi Omega at a community center where I got to play with kids. I hadn't been in the best mood all day, but I really enjoyed myself when I was there. I am signed up to go back soon.
• Tuesday I had my short story workshopped in Intermediate Fiction, which is always fairly interesting--and, you know, nervewracking.
• I did another service project Tuesday as well. Alpha Phi Omega is organizing a clothing drive as its big project for this semester, and I was helping distribute flyers. It was a lot of fun, and I'm going to do more flyer distribution on Sunday. Also--the houses we were delivering flyers to were absolutely gorgeous! They were so fancy, I really wonder how expensive they were.  
• Wednesday, in Thought & the Natural Sciences, we went on a field trip. Our class trekked up the side of a hill--I'd call it a mountain--on the side of a highway to look at rocks from the Duvonian era. I'll admit, I didn't know too much about the rocks but it was kind of fun breaking them apart. Also, I was very glad that I had decided to wear rain boots. Some girls were wearing flats and skirts, and they looked absolutely miserable.
• Thursday one of SU's visiting writers, James Galvin, spoke to my Intermediate Fiction class. Galvin identifies as a poet but his prose book, The Meadow, is well-known. It's always interesting to see the person behind a book you've been reading. The formation of The Meadow was especially intriguing. Galvin was writing about the real people and lifestyle he knew to capture it for his then 4-year-old daughter, who would not really ever get to know those people, that way of life, or the land as it had been for Galvin growing up. I've heard this kind of idea before--writing for a very particular person--and it's still one I'd like to really try.
• In Hebrew Bible on Thursday, I got my group and topic for the final project. I am very excited that my group will be presenting on the sages. Sages are basically wisemen, responsible for books in the Bible like Proverbs and Ecclesiastes. 
• InterVaristy's large group meeting--this week, about friendship--made my Thursday night awesome, as always!
• I've decided on my topic for my final, 12 page grammar paper. I'll be looking at the grammatical differences between the King James Version of the Bible and newer versions using more modern language, such as the New International Version, and I'll be arguing about which is more effective rhetorically. It was very hard to choose between this idea and analyzing the grammar in Elizabeth Barrett Browning's Sonnets from the Portuguese, which I love!
• I wrote a short-short last night. I have some little tweaks to do before I send it out. I'm not actually sure how good it is, but I had fun writing it.
• Registration is approaching for next semester. Actually, classes and times come out today. I am still majorly flip-flopping on whether or not I want to double major in Creative Writing and Religion. I would really like to make the decision before next semester, though.  

It's been a busy week. Hopefully another highlight of my weekend will be lots of sleep.

Fall Break and the Mini-Week

Number 3--my Venetian mask!

It's been a short but active week since I've returned from Fall Break!

Fall Break itself wasn't particularly interesting (it was also way too short), so I thought a fun way to share about it would be looking at a list of all the things I brought back from home after Fall Break that I hadn't had at school before.

1     A bag of clothing
2.   Bags of stuffed animals
3.   A Venetian mask
4.   My Halloween costume
5.   Rainboots
6.   Umbrella
7.   A fan
8.   Cookies

The clothing and stuffed animals are for Alpha Phi Omega, my service fraternity. APO is running a clothing drive as its major project, so I brought some of my clothes to donate. I am asking my parents to bring any clothes they have lying around when they come up for Family Weekend. APO has also made me aware of a stuffed animal drive. I’m pretty okay with parting with all of these stuffed animals—as long as I have my Pillow Pet that I got at APO initiation last year, a hippo I named Hagrid. The stuffed turtle, though, is probably the coolest of the stuffed animals I’m donating. The Venetian mask is also for Alpha Phi Omega. APO has a formal once a year. This year’s formal is masquerade themed. Many people are making masks, but I thought I’d take advantage of the one I had in my room! It’s a souvenier my brother bought me when he went on a trip to Europe in college.

I also brought my Halloween costume—or the key piece of it, which I bought at Salvation Army for 3 dollars over break. My Halloween costume is obscure, and nobody may get it, but I’m still very excited about it. I am being Lindsay Weir from the cult classic television show Freaks and Geeks. This costume basically consists of jeans and a green, oversized Army jacket.

Earlier in the year, I threw out my rainboots because they had a hole in them. This was a decision I came to regret since, for a while there, it was nonstop rain. It was such a relief to get rainboots over break! My former umbrella also had some difficulties—though I haven’t yet thrown it out. A new one is very helpful, though I’ve already used it and struggled with closing it before I go into buildings.

A small fan is one of the best things I’ve brought back from break! My room can get pretty hot. It’s super nice to feel that air.

There is no real reason for cookies, except that they’re Golden Oreos and they’re yummy.

All in all, I was pretty prepared for the short, but active week that was ahead of me! Yesterday was probably the most hectic, as I scrambled to complete a short story for Intermediate Fiction. It was due around midnight, but everyone else with the same due date had sent their stories in prior to mine—which came in around 9:45.

Nevertheless, I headed over to the Christian group I’m involved in, InterVarsity, even though it was only for the final 15 minutes. After InterVarsity was formally finished, a group of us stayed after to make a scarecrow for an event happening at SU called Scarecrows for a Cause.  Scarecrows for a Cause is a competition among different organizations. Each organization submits a decorated scarecrow, and members of the campus community will “vote” for different scarecrows by donating money. The scarecrow that accrues the most money will earn its groups’ charity of choice all of the money made through Scarecrows for a Cause. I didn’t go back until my room late last night, but it was worth it because it was a lot of fun—especially after all that story stress!

Being Studied

Though I have not been a brother of Alpha Phi Omega for very long, it has provided me quite a few opportunities that I wouldn't have had--or been aware of having--otherwise. For instance, last year I spent some time plucking weeds at a muddy campus garden and knocking on dorm room doors, asking students for their unneeded shirts. I'm a bit behind on my service hours for APO this semester (I need 20 by the semester's end, meaning I should be around 10 hours right now; unfortunately, I'm only a bit over 5) but I have still engaged in some new opportunities through APO this year. For example, I got to attend a kindergarten through third grade dance at the YMCA and represent Alpha Phi Omega at one of Susquehanna's activity fairs. 

Most recently, APO has asked brothers to sign up for some of the research studies SU students conduct.

Yesterday I participated in a Psychology study. It was a very simple way to help out my fellow students. All I had to do was report to a classroom at 7 p.m., fill out a consent form, and take a test, mostly about myself and my personality. The only downside, for me, is filling out test bubbles. I spend so long on each bubble! That definitely contributed to me being the second to last person to finish the test. Still, it was only a painless hour of time that helped out the pursuit of academics at Susquehanna.

Taking that study helped me appreciate the work that is done in other, more research-oriented majors, like psychology. It seems like a whole other way of life, when I think about what my Creative Writing major requires of me, and it strikes me how much our areas of study impact our college experiences. However, there are ample opportunities for students of different disciplines to support each other--that is, if we take them.

It's funny that these research studies come up now. My group in my science course for the Honors program, Thought & the Natural Sciences, is in the preliminary stage of our own research study. Since this research is coming from a science class that is more general and meant to fulfill Central Curriculum requirements, obviously our research won't be as in-depth. Still, we will follow a similar process on a smaller scale.

I suppose college gives not only the chance to study, but do studies and be studied in return.

Homecoming: Sophomore Version

My thrift store Homecoming dress

This year's Homecoming weekend was much earlier than last year's. Like last year, I didn't become too involved in the Homecoming festivities. I had a busy Saturday and missed the parade, and I will admit to having zero interest in the football game. I did, however, attend the Homecoming semi-formal. I came later, just missing the announcement of the Homecoming court. The semi-formal was a far cry from the rave I had attended the weekend before. Besides the apparel being much different, it also became far less crowded as the night progressed. The vibe was a lot less crazy and a lot more chill. I hadn't been too enthusiastic about going out that Friday evening, but once I was there and got into dancing, I had a great time.

Earlier on Friday, I went to a service project with Alpha Phi Omega. This was a YMCA dance for kindergarten through third graders. It was interesting to hear some of the same songs played both there and at TRAX! The children were very cute (and deeply divided on the issue of Justin Bieber), and I'll admit it made me a bit wistful for childhood.

On Saturday, I attended an alumni reading located in the campus's art gallery, in the midst of the ceramic exhibit. All the writers were very talented. I particularly enjoyed the essay shared by Jay Varner, who has published a memoir, and a novel prologue by another one of the writers.

Sunday, the chapel service was larger than usual because of alumni being around for Homecoming weekend. For this reason, they needed extra ushers. I served as one for the first time. This mainly involved handing out programs, passing around the collection plate, and dismissing people for communion. I was a bit nervous about messing something up, but it all went pretty smoothly!

Though Homecoming was definitely a much bigger deal for others than it was for me--particularly alumni, who this weekend is really about--it clearly contributed my weekend in many ways. Perhaps next year will be the year when I fully immerse myself in that Crusader spirit.

Flood Clean-Up

There has been some horrible rain in Selinsgrove since I’ve returned to campus—and some terrible flooding.  The Isle of Que, an area of Selinsgrove that is right by the river, was one of many affected areas in Pennsylvania. Some students live there in off-campus housing and had to evacuate along with the Isle’s other residents. This weekend the Isle of Que became open again to its residents, and clean-up began.

Susquehanna students have definitely been involved in helping out with the flooding. The Center for Civic Engagement banded volunteers together. I heard a lot from Alpha Phi Omega about ways to help with the flooding, and I know a lot of my APO brothers were involved in clean-up and deputy duty down at the Isle.

I ended up going down on Sunday with the Selinsgrove Church of Nazarene. Every other Sunday, they have a worship service for young adults, but we used some of that time to help clean up and dispose of debris for a few families.

College is supposed to be a time for new experiences, and this certainly provided new experiences, like slogging through the mud to grab trash or planks of wood or feeling mud splatter into my hair as I helped heave something into a dumpster. I’ve found out something interesting about myself through all these new experiences at college: I’m not too afraid of getting dirty. I always think I’ll be more nervous, but as with my pledge class’s service project at the Campus Gardens, I found that I didn’t really mind—though I really did enjoy taking a shower afterward.

I knew there had been flooding, but it had been much worse than I had anticipated. It made my own problems seem tiny in comparison and my life seem very fortunate. 

Evaluating My Goals

For what may be my last post of the year, I wanted to take a look at some of the goals I set for myself this semester. After all the last day of a college class usually includes an evaluation of the course and the professor. This will just be a self-evaluation.

Here are those original goals.

1. Keep up with my New Year's resolution.
2.  Write more often, and not just for my Intro to Nonfiction class
3.  Read more often, and again, not just for class.

4.  Enlarge my social circle at Susquehanna.  Meet new people!  Make new friendships!
5.  Get involved in new activities, like Alpha Phi Omega, the service fraternity, or a reading board for a literary magazine.
6.  Procrastinate less.
7.  Study more.
8.  Cut down on my addition--fries!  

It’s kind of frightening to see how poorly I’ve executed these.   My New Year’s resolution was to follow a read-the-Bible in the year plan, but then I got behind and behind and more behind and now I’m super behind, so I’m deeming that a failure. I will try to catch up this summer. I’ve written in little spurts things unrelated to class, but not anything substantial.  I haven’t devoted enough time to reading for pleasure as I should have.  In fact, I’ve devoted, basically, no time. 

The social goal is one where I’ve made a bit more progress.  I’m not exactly overwhelmed with new friends, but I think I know more people now and know some people from first semester a bit better than I had.  I’m happy to say that number five has been completely achieved. I pledged Alpha Phi Omega—much of that experience came up in previous entries—and was on a reading board for RiverCraft.

My level of procrastination is probably quite similar to first semester, and I may actually have studied less.  Fries—well, I certainly don’t think I’ve increased my fry intake. Then again, I can barely think of that as a possibility!

Perhaps the top goal for next year should be to achieve more of my goals!

Officially A Brother!

I’ve finally been initiated into Alpha Phi Omega, which is, if you haven’t been keeping up, a national, coed service fraternity.  Our initiation was late Wednesday night, and it marked me, officially, as a “brother.” 

Me and some other newly initiated brothers

One of the most exciting things was being able to exchange gifts with my Big Sarah afterwards.  I got my Big a shirt with APO letters on it—I actually made those letters and liked them, surprisingly enough, considering my usual crafty failure—and a paddle with my name and hers, APO, my pledge class, etc.  I also got her a little stuffed hippo because we’re members of the Hippo Family (APO has many animal-themed families, including penguins, frogs, lions, etc.) and wrote her a poem.  She gave me my first set of letters which I was so pumped to wear yesterday.  She also got me a really awesome Hippo Pillow Pet which I named Hagrid.  I used it as a pillow last night.  So soft and comfortable!  Her paddle for me is very cute, and I’m still trying to decide where it should stay in my room.

Of course, things aren’t the most important part of being initiated.  I’m very excited to be fully part of a group that is filled with such cool, admirable people and that does so many great things on campus and in the community.  I hope a lot of friendships stem and flourish from APO, as well as characteristics in myself, like leadership and positivity and service.

Speaking of organizations that mean a lot to me, last night, Thursday, I went to the second to last InterVarsity large group meeting of the year, which is pretty sad. It’s been such a blessing and such a big, shaping influence on my freshman year.  I think I even attended the first IV meeting of the  year, so it’s been a pretty significant constant.  I will miss this fellowship so much over the summer!  It’ll be so strange to come back next year, with the seniors gone and a group of unfamiliar freshmen.  No longer being the youngest just seems freaky. I'm sure, though, that IV has a great year in store next year.  

I Get Down

“I get down.
He lifts me up.
I get down.
He lifts me up.
I get down.
He lifts me up.
I get down."

I sang these words loudly and enthusiastically from the auditorium aisle, dancing without reservation.  All the small group leaders had rushed out of their seats to pump up the kids at Lutheran Youth Day during this high-energy worship song.

Though some got up as early as 4 in the morning so they could start assembling a balloon arch at 5 (which looked fabulous!), and almost all of us got up a little bit earlier than on a usual Saturday, we all seemed able to retain our excitement throughout the day.  This was vital, since the kids at Lutheran Youth Day, who ranged from 6^th to 12^th grade, were sometimes shy and quiet and needed a bit of coaxing.   

During the first morning session, the small group leaders got to make a dramatic entrance that I think really set the tone.   When the kids cheered, we rushed out from the back of Stretansky Concert Hall and from the stage.  Then we threw candy into the audience. The kids got a ton of candy.  We did this again when starting another large group session.  I only hope I didn’t hit too many people in the head!

When we weren’t in great large group sessions, led by either musician Rachel Kurtz or a praise band of SU students, we were in small groups.  I was co-leading a group of sophomores, juniors, and seniors (some of whom were probably as old as me).   Our sessions included some icebreaker games, looking at Bible passages and discussing them, and viewing and discussing this great video about the woman at the well.  They were a bit reluctant to talk at times, but I hope they all got something out of our sessions. Personally, I had a blast and fully intend on participating next year.

Later I went to Air Band, where fraternities and sororities dance to a mix of songs. It was really fun, and I cheered my loudest for all the Alpha Phi Omega girls who were performing (they did great, of course). I was in a section with a bunch of people from APO, and we were all wearing white T-shirts with gold, spray painted Greek letters. I really felt like part of the organization. I’m so excited that Wednesday I will finally be initiated! Anyway, Air Band was really entertaining. The frats, especially, had very funny performances.  There were Justin Bieber impersonations. And spears. All sorts of craziness.  It felt so college.

And that blasting music really made me want to get down, in another sense of those words.

Tales of Tomorrow (and a bit of today...)

Again, another busy weekend is in the works.  Tomorrow is Lutheran Youth Day, a day in which middle and high school students come to Susquehanna's campus to worship, study the Bible, and this year, hear a concert from musician Rachel Kurtz.  I've volunteered to be a small group leader for that day.  SU students comprise the majority of the small group leaders (though I think some alumni are coming to help), and the event itself is organized by SU's Deacon of Service, who's a senior here.  I am really pumped for this experience, even if it means waking up early on a Saturday, because it'll be so new to me.  The last time I led a Bible study on a semi-regular basis was middle school!  And I've never really been in this position of guiding a group of people who are younger than I am.  While this adds to the excitement, it's also a relief that this new experience is not something I'm doing alone; each person has a co-leader working with them.

Also on Saturday is Air Band, which is one of the culminating events of Greek Week, during which the Greek organizations compete against each other.  In Air Band, each fraternity or sorority has members perform to a song.  This involves lip-syncing, dancing, costumes, and sets.  As a pledge (and a soon-to-be brother!), I'll be there to support Alpha Phi Omega.  Watching Greek Week thus far has been a somewhat strange experience.  It is very intense and competitive.  I will admit to not understanding Greek Week as clearly as I should--like, um, what does the winner get again?--but I do understand that I am very excited to be a part of Alpha Phi Omega.  It will be great if, during this week, at least a few more people gained respect for or even knowledge of this awesome service fraternity.

I've been focused so much on weekends on this blog--that's where the excitement's at!--but as for today, I'm very excited to only have one class at 3 p.m.  My Intro to Nonfiction course isn't meeting today because the professor is having conferences with students about their literary journalism pieces.  Speaking of which, I've already had my conference and blech, I have so much to rewrite!  Later on I have a meeting about my group project for Applied Biblical Ethics, which will end in a 25-30 minute presentation on an ethical dilemma.  Our ethical dilemma regards female circumcision and how we as Americans, as Christians, etc., should involve ourselves (or not involve ourselves) in changing or ending this practice.  Usually I'm hesitant about group projects, but my group is really great, and I think our presentation has the potential to be really informative.     

Yet Another Eventful Weekend

This weekend has, again, been action-packed, so to speak. Friday I went right from class to a service project with my Alpha Phi Omega pledge class. We hosted a prom at Graysonview, a nearby senior assisted living community. A group of us had to go a bit late since we didn’t get out of class yet. I didn’t get to help that much with dinner, but I did get to make a fool of myself dancing. Some of the residents who weren’t dancing said they just enjoyed watching, so I hope my poor moves entertained them.

Saturday my pledge class had our second group service project at the Campus Gardens, located at Susquehanna University’s Center for Environmental and Educational Research. The group of us met at the back of Degenstein, the student center, and walked to the gardens together. We spent about four hours de-weeding the garden beds so things can later be planted there. I focused on pulling out grass. It’s quite tricky to get grass out, including the root, so it was quite a triumph every time I succeeded. I was actually pretty into the gardening and would totally consider going back to volunteer when it’s a bit warmer.

Later that day my friends and I met up with Madison, the prospective student my roommate and I hosted overnight in the beginning of the year. She’s attending next year and was on campus for Accepted Students Day. We, then, headed over to the dance showcase, which featured dances by the SU Dance Corps and by different dance classes. One of my friends from my dorm, Hass, was in it, and it was great to get be there and see her perform. It was a very good show and made me wish I knew how to dance.

Sunday Weber Chapel hosted a Taizé service. Taizé is a style of worship involving meditative singing and centering prayer. There are many short, simple songs that are repeated, and there are many times of silence within the service. This type of service is based off the Taizé community in France, where thousands, mostly young people, make pilgrimages. During communion, we went up to kneelers, which is not normal procedure. There were also candles on the altar that could be lit as a prayer, an act of commitment, in remembrance, etc. I absolutely loved this service. It was very refreshing and unique. I would love to visit the original Taizé community one day—maybe when I’m studying abroad!

Immediately after chapel, I met with my parents and my brother for lunch. They came to visit for my induction to Alpha Lambda Delta, the freshman honor society. We had brunch at the cafeteria, and then we went to the ceremony. Afterwards my family and I went shopping, then had dinner at Red Robin. When I got back to campus, I headed to a biweekly bible study with two of the religion professors, then crashed in my room for the night with TLC and The French Lieutenant’s Woman by John Fowles, a book for my Romantic Novels course.

Next weekend will also be busy because my entire Saturday is going to be taken up by volunteering at Lutheran Youth Day. I think the weekend after that is the Relay for Life. Hopefully I will able to find some time this week and the next for some ample relaxing!

Time Management

One of the trickiest aspects of being a college student is time management. It’s certainly something I deal with and it appears to be a struggle, to some degree, for almost all of my friends. College just feels busier than high school. Sure, during high school I got up by 6:45 a.m. (EEK!) and was stuck within school walls from 7-something in the morning to 2:45 p.m., no escape, no gap between classes except for that 4 minute walk through the halls, but after that I went home. Even if I had something after school, like musical rehearsal, I’d usually be home by 5:30.  My days start later here—thankfully—but end later as well. Mondays and Wednesdays, for instance, I’m busy from 9 to 4:05, with only a break from 1:00 to 1:45 for lunch.

There’s so much more to do after your school day is over as well. There are social distractions, for instance. Why read The French Lieutenant’s Woman by John Fowles for your Romantic Novels class, for instance, when you could be playing MASH with some of your friends? Yes, that may have happened just yesterday—though I did get my reading done, I promise!  There are a lot of very active extracurricular groups that can keep your schedule full as well. Tonight for instance, I hope to be able to go to an InterVarsity Life Group, which is a Bible Study at 7:30 (I've been skipping lately because I haven't been able to manage the time well enough to go), followed directly by pledge class and a chapter meeting for Alpha Phi Omega. There’s also that pesky issue of fitting some homework into that lineup.

Though I’m far from a time management expert, I think prioritizing is definitely helpful when it comes to time management. My strategy usually ends up being getting done what absolutely has to get done. A strategy to get ahead on my work over the weekends, however, might be a bit more practical, though it would seem awfully painful as I stowed myself away on a Saturday afternoon.

Typically, however, getting schoolwork done isn’t the issue for me. Pesky things like laundry are what fall to the wayside. I’ve been saying I need to do laundry since last week, and yet the clothing is piling up in my closet.  I really need to buckle down and get some done tonight. My pledge class’s group service project on Friday is an intergenerational prom at the Graysonview Assisted Living Community, and I have induction to the freshman academic honor society Alpha Lambda Delta on Sunday.  Both require nice clothes which, as of now, are wrinkled at the bottom of my hamper. 

I think tonight I may just skip dinner with my pals to get that laundry done and start doing research for my group project in Applied Biblical Ethics.  Then, before Life Group, I'll grab some Benny's dinner to go.  This actually sounds like a really good idea.  Maybe I should start planning things more often! 

An Eventful Weekend

This weekend was a bit more eventful than usual. 

On Friday, I finally found out that my Scholars House application was accepted, as were my friends Lindsey and Alexis’s.  It’s such a relief to know where I’m living next year without having to undergo that lottery process.  The three of us are very excited that we all got in.  Funny enough, we’re numbers 207, 208, and 209, which might mean we’re in a row.  

That night, my friends and I headed over to TRAX to watch the Battle of the Bands.   Four bands played.  There was really a range of different music, from covers of Lady Gaga, Pink, Blink 182, and Flyleaf to original compositions.  I noted a high percentage of Creative Writing majors among the band members, which is always amusing; really, Creative Writing majors are just crawling all over this campus. 

Saturday afternoon, I worked on decorating my paddle for Alpha Phi Omega.   In APO, you decorate a paddle for your Big, or your mentor-like figure guiding you through pledging, and present it to them during Initiation. 

That night, two friends and I went to see The Rocky Horror Picture Show. What they do in these showings is play the movie but also have a shadow cast on stage, who acts along with the movie.  The audience is encouraged to interact by doing call-outs which involve shouting at the screen, “WHERE’S YOUR NECK?!” at the narrator or booing a certain character.  It was definitely an interesting experience for me.  I had seen the movie before (an interesting experience in and of itself, because it’s strange!), but I’d never been to anything live like that.

Sunday was not particularly eventful.  At 7 p.m., I went over to the Selinsgrove Church of the Nazarene for a Lent service.  There was worship, and then the choir performed the first three scenes of their Easter musical, which was really good.

Of course, I left my homework to Sunday, like the procrastinating being that I am.

This upcoming week, I have both of the pledge service projects for Alpha Phi Omega, one on Friday and the other on Saturday.  On Sunday I have induction into Alpha Lambda Delta, the freshman academic honor society.  My parents and my brother are coming up for the occasion, and afterwards, we will probably hang out, go to the mall, and head to Red Robin for some dinner.  I’m looking forward to that, especially since my brother is moving very shortly to Los Angeles, so it might be a while before I see him again.

I’m predicting that the month of April will be very busy for me.  Hopefully that means it will just fly by, though that may end up being bittersweet.   I don’t have that much time left as a freshman and not that much time left in Hassinger!

30 Hour Famine

Some drinks I brought for work

30 Hour Famine is an annual fundraising effort for Christian relief organization WorldVision. By abstaining from food for 30 hours, participants raise awareness and experience hunger themselves. Right now, I'm currently in the middle of this famine--with less than 9 hours to go! A lot of people I know at SU have participated in this famine before or in similar fasts, either on campus or with youth groups at home, but I've never really done anything like this before, especially not on this scale. I remember doing a fast once during confirmation classes when I was in 7th or 7th grade, but it was very short comparably.

The famine started at noon yesterday. After my class, which ended at 11:35 a.m, I got in a quick meal--a chicken ceasar salad--before the famine started. Then I headed over to the chapel where we had a commissioning service. We all lit candles. As one of the deacons read out startling hunger statistics (like that a child dies of hunger every 10 seconds), we blew out our candles one-by-one to represent the lives being taken by hunger. Then, as a Bible passage was read, we re-lit our candles to represent the spreading of hope. There are also other events throughout the famine. During dinnertime yesterday, Alpha Phi Omega hosted a game night for fasters to distract us from the meal we were missing.

During the famine, I can drink juice and water. I've been drinking plenty of both. Of course, that doesn't mean I'm not feeling hungry, and I'm sure to feel hungrier by the end of the famine. I've heard from experienced fasters that lunchtime today and the last few hours will be the worst.

For me, trying to go to sleep last night was a really moving experience. As a middle class American, I've always had enough food to eat, and I've never truly gone to bed hungry. I struggled to fall and stay asleep last night as my stomach rumbled for food. This is not a fun experience, not even for one night, but there are people for whom going to bed hungry is a daily experience. It's their normal. Moments like that make me realize just how rich and fortunate I am as well as how much I need to be contributing to fighting world hunger.

This is another great example of college introducing me to do new things. I never thought I'd voluntarily take on a 30 hour famine, that's for sure!

Spring Break--An Overview

It seems to happen whenever I set out to write a blog post, but again, I am impressed and slightly terrified at how fast this year is flying.  Today is my first day of classes post-Spring Break—the last quarter of the year!  I’ll admit, I was wishing for a few more days of break. 

I was lucky enough to have classes cancelled on Friday so I went home Thursday night.  When I got home, however, I still had to work on an essay for Romantic Novels that was due Friday at 4:00.  I, being me, had procrastinated.  The essay was about Wuthering Heights and Emma and how they portray intelligence in their female heroines.  This got sent in at 3:51 p.m., exactly 9 minutes before it was due.

Backstage during my last HS musical

Friday I did get to have some fun, though.  That evening I saw my high school’s musical.  My high school had a complete renovation since I’ve graduated.  It was very strange to be there—and it was especially strange to be viewing the musical, rather than being in it.  They performed The Wizard of Oz, and it was spectacular and adorable.  The effects, sets, and costumes were particularly great.  After the Friday show, the cast traditionally goes out to eat, and I suppose you could say I crashed.  It was nice to be able to spend time with friends in the show who I hadn’t seen in a while.

I also got to hang out with my friends Robert, Bev, and Kimber that weekend.  We went to Friendly’s for lunch and then headed back to Bev’s house to play a Wii game Just Dance.  My performance was horrifying—I think I lost every round I played—but it was still fun. 

Over break, I also had to go on a quest to find a paddle.  For Alpha Phi Omega, I have to decorate a paddle to present to my Big.  I’m worried about this since I lack all crafty skill.  At least I have a paddle and supplies, though.  When I went to Michael’s, there was only one paddle and it was cracked.  Then I went to A.C. Moore’s and they only had oak paddles that were very costly!  Fortunately, my dad was able to find a paddle for me at a different Michael’s.

A lot of my break was, admittedly, spent being lazy, sleeping in, watching television, going online, hanging out with my brother, etc.  The only schoolwork I really did was read Daisy Miller for Romantic Novels, not all that impressive since it’s a mere 81 pages, revise my personal essay a little for Intro to Creative Nonfiction (speaking of which, I have my conference about it today; I’m less nervous than last time, but not what I’d call excited) and go to PawsAbilities, a dog expo, for the experience component of my literary journalism piece. 

Maybe that laziness is why I’m missing it!