Hope College’s Annual Chicago Trip!

Hey Folks!

As I promised, here is another post, and it’s a happier one too! Last weekend, I had the privilege with 2 other SAC (Student Activities Committee) members to plan the annual Chicago trip. This trip had so much planning behind it, and I didn’t realize this until I jumped in the bandwagon. But, am I glad I did. Here’s a few things I learned:

  • Prioritization
  • Event planning
  • Time management
  • Delegation of roles
  • Communication

Some of those skills I had already, but this experience just allowed for improvement, and that’s why I LOVE SAC. Its a group that is fun, but challenges me as an individual to keep improving my skills that I do have. Anyways, more about the trip! After all preparation, Hope College took more than 200 students to the Windy City. Pretty incredible right? (and stressful might I add!). But it was such a great trip. The weather was perfect, and I couldn’t of asked for anything better.

Chicago is such a great city. It is the country’s 3rd largest city, and having it relatively close to Holland is super convenient. Those Chicagoland people are lucky! While in Chicago, I shopped, ate, met with one of my high school friends that goes to school there, went sightseeing, and ate (did I mention that already!?). I didn’t spend that much money in the city seeing as things are already ridiculously expensive and the tax is OUT OF THIS WORLD. So to prepare for a budgeted, but fun experience, I looked for sales and cut coupons, especially for food.

Speaking of food, I ate so much Panda Express. The reason being that we don’t have one in Michigan! Ridiculous right? Anyways yeah, fried rice and orange chicken powered my day. And regarding my clothes, I got a great deal on them. When it comes to buying them, I NEVER buy them at retail price. It’s just not worth it! So, I got them for a good deal because of my coupons and sales. You just gotta know what you’re doing, so you can get a bang for your buck! Oh and here are some pictures!

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Ok, that’s all I have for now! If you haven’t already, make sure you follow me on twitter @HopeMarvin15. Feel free to ask me anything Hope related!

Chicago Day Trip

This past weekend was one of the most eventful and enjoyable weekends I have had this semester. Why, you ask? Well, it was the Chicago Day Trip on Saturday, sponsored by the Student Activities Committee. Every year they put on a day trip into the heart of Chicago for $5 and students who sign up are able to shop around and do whatever they want all day. However, spots fill up very quickly, so it’s nice having a friend who is part of SAC who can tell you when the sign-up date is approaching. At least that’s what I did and man I’m glad I took advantage of this inexpensive offer! I went with three of my best friends from school and we had quite the adventure.

First of all, the bus we were on was amazing! It had fake hardwood floors, a microwave, free WiFi, and I was told it was the Griffins’ bus, but I’m don’t completely believe that. Oh, and we watched Elf on the way there—what a classic! Anyway, we got there and met up with my brother for lunch. That was a journey in itself—we decided to go to the Billy Goat Tavern. From my experience, I wouldn’t recommend it because it is underground in a sketchy location and the food is pretty mediocre. However, if you go there, you will for sure get a great story out of it.

After chowing down on some lunch, my brother headed back to school and my friends Lauren, Anna, Audrey, and I walked around and shopped for a while. Luckily my best friend from home lives in Chicago, so she was able to meet up with us for a majority of the afternoon. Let me just say that hanging with a friend from home is SO nice. Reminiscing and being able to talk about things not related to classes and our schools was really nice because we could enjoy each other’s company and talk about our friends that are back at home.

Some of the things we ended up doing is getting free peppermint bark at Ghirardelli’s and the Hershey’s store. I have to admit that we went in both stores a couple times to get free samples. Shhhhh! After all that chocolate, we decided we were pretty darn thirsty so we went to Jamba Juice and gulped down a wonderfully cold and refreshing smoothie. We then walked around some more and went in and out of stores and just talked and met up with Lauren’s friend from home. At this point it was approaching dinner time, so we attempted to get to Giordano’s but of course the wait was over an hour, so we decided to go to Lou Malnati’s, which was just as good (plus we had an awesome waiter, so that made it even better!). Unfortunately, Melissa had to catch the train back to school so she left shortly after dinner and the rest of us walked around in various stores until it was time to head back to the bus. The ride back was pretty uneventful but I think everybody ended up sleeping for a good chunk of the ride back because everyone was exhausted from walking around all day.

Even though it was a tiring day, it was such a great break from being on campus and having homework on your mind. However, Sunday wasn’t the most fun because I had to catch up on everything, but shopping and being with some awesome friends definitely was worth it! Now we only have to hold out for a couple more weeks until Thanksgiving! Hang in there everyone!!!

Everyone at Lou Malnati’s
Sibling love!
Me and my best Hope friends
Reunited with Melissa!

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter @hopeleslie15.

State of Emergency

For all of you out there, you may have heard through the media that a super typhoon nearly destroyed my beloved homeland, the Philippines. I just wanted to post about it because the Philippines is so close and dear to me. Before I continue, let’s clear the air on a few things:

  • Hurricanes and typhoons are the SAME. They are termed differently because of location. Hurricanes = Atlantic Ocean / Typhoons = Pacific Ocean.
  • Hurricanes and typhoons are categorized in the same way.
  • The World Meteorological Organization names typhoons, so it can be classified internationally, but many countries name them differently.

Ok, back on topic. Last Friday, Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda in the Philippines) hit the central geographical location of the country. This region is also called Visayas (In the US, we have The Midwest, The Appalachians, etc…). It was also called a super typhoon because it exceeding the classifications of the strongest given category. Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) had consistent winds of 195 mph and gusts that reached 235 mph. Now, I know it seems as if I’m teaching, but I want to give you the facts. Now that we have them, let’s further explore the damage that this disaster caused.

Do you see that mass of white? That's the typhoon, and it is engulfing The Philippines.
Do you see that mass of white? That’s the typhoon, and it is engulfing The Philippines.

Haiyan (Yolanda) before landfall put over 10 million Filipinos at risk. Since landfall, it was also estimated that more than 10,000 lives had been lost. This makes Haiyan (Yolanda), the deadliest tropical storm to ever strike the Philippines. So, why am I giving more facts? It’s important to know, especially when we’re on the other side of the ocean. Just because there’s a geographical disconnect between the United States and the Philippines, this could make us feel “sorry” or “terrible” that such an event happened. As people of God, and citizens of the United States, it should be important to help the Philippines out in every way. Another interesting fact; The Filipino economy was the fastest-growing economy in Asia, surpassing developed countries such as Japan, Singapore, and South Korea. But, because of this storm, all operations came to a halt, again affecting the country negatively.

How do I relate to this? My family and friends were affected by the storm. For a few days, there was a consistent stress and worry because we could not get into contact with them due to loss of power. As of Monday, we finally heard from my family and they are all safe. Thanks again to those with the prayers and words of encouragement. And a special shoutout to my friends for being so supportive!

Now, the proud nation of the Philippines is in a state of emergency. As you may have noticed, on Facebook, there is the option to donate money through the American Red Cross to help the disaster in the Philippines. I urge every single one of you to donate if you are able to do so. Doing so provides shelters for those without one, food, clean drinking water, and necessities for everyday like toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, etc. The American Red Cross in partnership with the American Red Cross are doing everything in their power to help the Filipino citizens. Click here to go to the donation page. If you do not have the means to donate, simply pray. Pray for the nation, it’s government, and its people. There is so much out there on the media with ways you can help. Click here for other ways to help out my beloved nation of The Philippines.

Sorry I blogged so late folks, but for real, expect another one very soon. Make sure you share and tell those around you the significance of this event.

“The Filipino spirit is stronger than any typhoon.”

Location – It Really Does Matter

For those of you who are seniors in high school, it’s almost time for you to make one of the most important decisions in your life. You have spent the last year (or more) researching, traveling, and touring college campuses around the nation. Now, after an intense application process, you are ready to decide where to attend college.

When I was looking at different colleges, these were some of the qualities I wanted in a school:

  • Christian environment
  • Smaller-sized college
  • Experienced and accessible professors
  • Community atmosphere
  • Hands-on learning opportunities
  • Community supported

Many of these qualities might be similar to your list, and I can tell you that Hope College has all of these characteristics.

A unique quality of Hope is its location. As the title of this post suggests, location really does matter. Hope College is located in Holland, MI. While some of you may think that going to school in a small town is a drawback, I am here to tell you that there are some real positives, such as:

  • Safety
  • Different living experiences (off-campus)
  • Lasting relationships with community members
  • Strong community support with college activities

These are just a few of the many benefits of attending college in a small town.

So, if you do have a visit scheduled at Hope in the coming weeks (or months) make sure to spend some time looking around downtown Holland, talking with some community members, and spending time with students — doing these things will help you make the best decision about what college is right for you.

If you want to learn more about Holland, MI check out this site: http://www.holland.org.

November Resolutions

November has been a good month for me so far. I’m finally finally FINALLY starting to feel better after being sick since fall break. I’m just feeling very renewed and really not stressed at all, which is pretty miraculous for me (as you know if you read my last blog post!). Throughout November I have been trying to make some positive changes in my life and I’ve just been so much happier and felt a lot more content in a lot of ways. I thought I would share some of the things I’ve been doing. I hope you’re having as great of a November as I am, and if you aren’t, then maybe you can try one of these things and it will help a little bit!

1. Less spending

As you may be aware, I really like to buy things, but I hate to spend money. I feel so guilty almost every time I buy something because I know there’s something else I should be saving that money for (like, I don’t know, college). Towards the end of October I decided to stop using my debit card for a few weeks. It was really hard at times, but I’m glad I did it. Now I’m even more motivated not to use it. I like seeing the balance in my bank account go up instead of down for once! It’s a good feeling.

2. Managing computer usage

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Having my own laptop at school is awesome, but it can also be a little bit of a struggle. It’s so easy to be so constantly plugged in, but I’m trying something new to keep myself a little more balanced. I saw something on Pinterest that inspired this, but I took it a lot further. I taped a list of things to do before using my laptop right onto the cover so that I’ll always see it. I’ve done something on the list every time I’ve used my laptop so far since I made the list, so hopefully I can keep that up!

3. Less caffeine

This isn’t really a priority for reasons that it should be, but it is a change I’ve made that I think is probably helping me feel better. I am a huge fan of all things coffee, along with Coke and Dr. Pepper. The fact that there’s Dr. Pepper in the pop machine in Phelps is such a struggle for me. It’s so hard to make it to the cucumber water when I have to walk past that every time… Oy. But anyway, the medicine I’m (still!) on from being sick can tend to make people not sleep, and I have learned the hard way that a little caffeine has huge effects on that. One cup of coffee early in the day and I’ll be up several hours later than I need to be at night. I will admit that I’ve cheated on this a few times, but I’m trying!

4. To-do lists

Is it possible to be a to-do list addict? I really think I am one. Luckily, I think that’s a pretty healthy addiction. I try to make a pretty long list every day. It keeps me productive and motivated to get things done. I HATE leaving boxes unchecked! I put pretty easy things on there to make myself feel good too, like “go to class,” “take a shower,” stuff like that. You have to start somewhere!

5. Choosing joy

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Since school started, I’ve been really focusing on God making me new. A big part of that for me has been choosing to live in joy despite what else may be going on at the time. I think it’s so easy to get sucked into just paying attention to the things we wish were going better, but God has really been working on showing me just how blessed I am. Some days I have to really make a conscious effort to choose to live my life in joy, but it’s been so much more rewarding and I’ve felt so much better. I really can’t complain about any little things that may be going on in my life when God is doing so many good things that I don’t even know about yet!

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Have you been making any changes for the better lately? Send me an email at kathryn.krieger@hope.edu, leave me a comment, or tweet @hopekathryn17! Thanks for reading!

 

The Lord will guide you continually,
    giving you water when you are dry
    and restoring your strength.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
    like an ever-flowing spring.

[Isaiah 58:11]

Doing Things You Hate

via Forbes

I found this picture on Pinterest a while back, and it pretty much describes my life in high school to a T. I am really really REALLY bad at saying no when people ask me to do things. I probably shouldn’t have admitted that on the internet because now anyone who needs to add a person to their club or group or activity could seek me out and I won’t be able to say no to them. Ah!

Looking back, it seems like way too big of a portion of my high school career was spent doing things I didn’t enjoy. There were so many things in high school that I felt obligated to be a part of, and I ended up being way overloaded during my senior year. Take a lesson from me, high schoolers, college students, toddlers, and adults alike: If you don’t want to do something, it’s okay to SAY NO. You might disappoint someone, but you have to take care of yourself first. That’s something that I’m slowly but surely realizing is so important. I was in about a million and one activities in high school because people kept asking me to join them. How many things am I doing (besides my classes) now that I’m in college? Three. And let me tell you, it’s amazing. In high school I was leaving for school at 6 or 7 am and sometimes not getting back home from all my various activities until almost midnight. Then I’d still have to do all my homework for the next day and somehow find time to eat, sleep, and hopefully shower. If you’re anything like me, you’re probably telling yourself that you’re “becoming a more well-rounded individual,” but in the long run, you really might be doing yourself a lot more harm than good.

It doesn’t matter how long your list of accomplishments can get if you’re not enjoying your life in the meantime. Don’t sacrifice your high school years just to try to achieve as many things as possible. Sure, it’s great to push yourself and live up to your full potential as much as you possibly can, but stop. Take a break. Enjoy where you’re at. Right now you might be at a stressful time in your life. It’s crunch time in the semester. College application deadlines are starting to roll around. You might even already be worried about prom (forever guilty of that). But just remember that it’s okay to stop and breathe. Eat a bowl of ice cream. Go out to dinner with your friends. Make a pizza with your parents. Ride your bike. Read a book. Tell God how your day is going. Everything will still get done. God is in control. He has a plan for you and it’s so, so good. You’ll feel way better in the long run if you stop and enjoy the ride. I know for some of you, you’re saying, “No Kathryn, you don’t understand how busy I am. I don’t have time to stop and take a break.” That’s definitely something I would have thought if I would have read a post like this a year ago. I’ve been there, and I can promise you that it’s all going to work out incredibly and God’s glory will come through. You don’t have to be the best at everything (or anything at all!), but God will fill you up and help you be the best that you can be.

How do you say no when you don’t want to do things? What are your best mechanisms for coping with stress? Leave me a comment, send me an email at kathryn.krieger@hope.edu, or tweet @hopekathryn17! I’d love to hear from you! Thanks for reading!

“Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.”

-Galatians 1:10

Study Spaces

With exams, projects, and papers constantly filling my brain, the past few weeks have consisted of finding the fun, funky, and quiet study spots on and around campus.

Although I tried out many different places, here are my top three spaces to work away:

For the basic “I want to get out of my room” study, try out the study rooms located in most dorms. They’re full of tables, chairs, and couches perfect for the anytime study. And the best part? Meeting people who live alongside you in your dorm. If you´re a freshman, chances are many of the others in the study room are taking similar classes, so it´s a great way to find great study buddies, too!

Study Room
This is the place to be in the dorm for social studying purposes. There’s typically lots of people here, so it’s always a fun time!

The ¨I can´t focus, I have to get away from the dorm¨ study is quite possibly the worst for a number of reasons. 1) It typically kicks in late at night, 2) It means you have a LOT of work to get done, and 3) Quiet spaces are tough places to find in a dorm. But have no fear! A secret study spot is in basement of the library. It´s full of cubbies and tables for silent studying (if you want to group study, though, many of the other floors of the library are open for that.) It always amazes me how much work I can get done while I´m there because it’s so quiet and peaceful!

To get rid of the ¨I´m hungry and want to get off campus¨ study woes, check out JP´s or Lemonjello´s coffee shops, both located less than a block from campus the downtown area. Both are delicious, are open fairly late, and have plenty of room to spread out and study with a group or by yourself! It´s a great way to be around people and meet some new faces of students on campus!

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Coffee shops are both delicious break time/anytime places to study. They´re perfect for relaxing (but not usually very quiet!)

Hopefully these spots will help you out sometime throughout your Hope journey. They certainly have helped me survive the crazy weeks on campus!

Want to keep up with what´s up around campus? Follow me @hopesophie17 on Twitter or send me an email at sophie.guetzko@hope.edu.

Happy studying!

The Class of 2017 wins Nykerk!

As many of you know, the annual Hope tradition Nykerk occurred last weekend. I know that my words could never completely describe Nykerk, so take a look at some pictures, all of which, and more, can be found on Hope’s website!

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Winning was awesome, but I was more proud of how everyone performed. Both songs were BEYOND AMAZING (If you don’t believe me, check out the sophomore song here and the freshman song here) and the plays were hilarious, as always. Rosemary, the sophomore orator, also did a fabulous job.

I was especially proud of how the orator I have been coaching, Gabby, performed. She went up on stage and delivered her speech with poise, confidence, and a smile. Claire and I could not have been happier with the way she performed. The last few days of practice, Claire and I let her rehearse her speech over and over again to feel comfortable with it. It was during that time when the speech transformed from a memorized, choreographed three and a half-page essay into a visual and audible piece of art.

Through the whole process, Gabby was gracious, hard-working, and flexible. We cut out some parts of the speech three days before Nykerk and made some minor voice inflection changes the night before, and Gabby didn’t complain once. She has been such a joy and light in my life these past few weeks and I already miss spending time with her!

I could not have asked for a better Nykerk season. I would like to say a big thank you to the executive board for all of their hard work, my fellow odd year coaches and the even year coaches for their support, and of course all of the participants for making the 79th Nykerk Cup the best one yet!

-Rachael

Project Ponytails

You know how advisors, your parents, and other people are always encouraging doing good deeds and volunteering? It certainly can be difficult in college since everybody is so busy. Assignments and other commitments fill up your plate already so it just doesn’t seem feasible to add another activity into the mix. Well, that was how I felt this semester and I really want to get more involved this second semester. When I met with my health advisor for possibly opportunities, none really stuck out in my mind or truly interested me enough to really want to get involved. However, when we were talking, she happened to mention a volunteering position dealing with horses. If you know anything about me, you know that I love horses and miss being around them and riding them. Clearly, when she said “horses” I immediately perked up and became interested. My advisor was quite surprised that I was so eager to hear more about the program, but it is definitely something I want to pursue.

From the limited information I know about the program so far, it is called Project Ponytails and is centered around providing a positive environment for children who are exposed to domestic abuse. Combining my passion about horses and helping children just seems like the perfect fit for me! This organization provides support through horses and art with the help of volunteers and those running the program. I am extremely excited to apply for this volunteering position and get an opportunity to be around horses again and being a positive influence and friend to some children that need some uplifting people in their lives.

If you are interested in this program like I was, this is the link to their website: http://projectponytails.com/index.html

However, if horses aren’t for you, Hope and local organizations offer a lot of other opportunities such as Habitat for Humanity, Dance Marathon, CASA, The Rock, Big Brothers Big Sisters, and many others that Volunteer Services can help you get connected with. It’s understandable if your schedule doesn’t allow for much spare time to volunteer, but if you have a few hours each week, try to become more involved with some sort of program because it honestly is worth the time and effort.

Don’t forget to follow me on Twitter @hopeleslie15.