Junior Year Has Come!

Welcome back to Hope! So glad you are with me again, for the third year in a row. We are certainly in the grind here on campus, getting into our new classes, labs, research, and projects. Everyone is finally settling into their schedules and learning how their time-management is best organized.

It is now my Junior year here as a Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major. Things have changed a lot, and changed very little. Time only brings perspective, and college is certainly a time of exponential growth in personal perspective and efficiency. Petty things that bogged us down freshman year are no longer big deals, and instead we are delving into our individual interests while enjoying our social circles. I stayed on campus all summer (more on this later), but I have still really enjoyed the reunions with friends and the bit of down time we had before classes started. The first weekend we were all back, my lab mate Chelsea invited me out to line dance at The Alaskan Pipeline, a bar and grill that is just a fantastic time. Though I’m not an excellent dancer, the people were very patient, and I think they really enjoyed watching me struggle with my two left feet.

Chels and I!
Chels and I!

My apartment-mates and I are settling into our new habitat outside the dorms. We are in a duplex this year, which is actually a lot different. We have a kitchen, a living room, a basement, and even a BACKYARD. We’ve had quite a few “Family Dinners” where we have a group of people over to eat. Here are a few of the crew in the backyard enjoying the latest popular YouTube sensations:

Friends

The most enjoyable part of being out of the dorm (for me at least) is not only being able to cook your own food, but also to “settle.” At the college age, settling becomes a very natural instinct, and especially after jumping around and moving every 6 months or so, it’s nice to have a place to call “home” where you can dump all your things.

Because we have a lot of books, our biggest accomplishments in our apartment include bookshelves. Here’s one I picked up at a local thrift store and painted in an “antique” style. Oh and I got it for $6. 😉

photo(8)

Meanwhile, just as I was starting to get settled in, one of my friends played a practical joke on me and left me a TICKET on my car. I was SO UPSET when I got into my car and I saw it and I COULDNT BELIEVE IT. Then I actually read the ticket, and it said “HELLO GLOWSTICK!” This became my nickname this summer because I honestly don’t tan, and all my labmates claimed that I glowed in the dark at my softball games :(.

A Practical Joke
A Practical Joke…Ugh

Proteins

Classes are going so well, and everything has been very interesting. It’s like the point in high school when you finally get to take the classes you want to. It’s so awesome!!!! Biochemistry, Physics, Cognitive Psychology and ART. A dream schedule.

Marv with the Cobbler!
Marv with the Cobbler!

Meanwhile, we try to maintain some fun in our schedule. Our weekends are filled with social movie events and domestic extravaganzas like baking. In particular, fellow blogger (AND MY BESTIE) Marvin, and I, have been making cobblers all the time! It never lasts long because 1 – its super tasty, and 2 – its super delicious.

Tweetfromlinda

We brought our professor Linda some and she LOVED IT SO MUCH she tweeted about it ;).

OK! More soon lovelies. Remember to follow me on the Twitter!

Hello, World!

Well hey, there! Thanks for checking out this post.

My name is Jimmy Champane, and as you’ve probably already guessed, I’m one of Hope’s Student Bloggers this year. I’m a Junior here at Hope, and I started out as a Computer Science major, but it didn’t take me long to realize that my true calling in life is writing. I didn’t realize this until about half way through my sophomore year, so although I’m a Communications major now, I’m still taking a lot of the entry level courses this semester.

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I chose Hope mainly because the Holland, MI area is very familiar to me. My aunt and uncle have had a condo here in Holland since before I was born, so I’ve actually spent a lot of my life here. I’ve also had two cousins, (the previously mentioned family member’s children), pass through here, so that was another big push for me.

When I’m not working on the endless amounts of reading that Professor Herrick assigns me in the two classes I have with him (if you come visit, make sure you hunt him down!), I like to spend my time writing for Hope’s newspaper, The Anchor. I, along with my good friend Brady am the Co-Editor of the Arts Section. We normally focus on events happening around, and close to campus, but we like to sneak in the occasional video game review or interview if there’s room.

In my second life which starts when the sun sets, I run a video game news outlet with one of my friends who lives in Texas. It’s been a great learning experience for me, and I love watching our site grow every day. I’m a music junkie, a technology addict and I love taking pictures with my recently acquired Olympus PEN Micro 4/3 camera.

Here’s one of my favorite songs! “Awake” by Electric Guest

When I leave Hope at the end of next year, I’d like nothing more than to write for the website called IGN.com in San Francisco, CA.

If you have any questions about The Anchor, or about the Communications department, feel free to email me at James.Champane@Hope.edu. I’m also on Twitter @HopeJimmy15.

My Weekend!

Hi everyone! I had a jam-packed amazing weekend that I have to tell you about!

Friday

3pm-Went to a biology department sponsored lecture presented by a Hope grad about her PhD work in marine biology. It was so interesting!

5pm-Had a meeting at a local coffee shop, JP’s, with my Nykerk oration co-coach, the even year coaches, and the general chair to discuss the oration theme for this year. After lots of discussion, we picked one and I couldn’t be happier!

8pm-Went to the Antrim Dells and Youth Lagoon concert at the Knickerbocker Theater sponsored by the Hope College Concert Series. I’m so glad I went; it was great! HCCS always brings talented performers!

Saturday

9am-Got up early to get a head start on my homework

12pm-Ate hamburgers at a football tailgate with my sorority sisters and the Promethean Fraternity. Added bonus: we won the game! Go Hope!

1pm-Met a student I will be tutoring this semester at Cup & Chaucher in the Library. I can’t wait to get started on my new job!

2pm-Went shopping for some clothes to wear at my high school field placement this semester. The trip was very successful!

7pm-Talked on the phone to my sister about everything that happened in my life at Hope during the last week. I always look forward to our talks!

10pm-Spent the night playing DJ with some friends and doing more studying

Sunday

9am-Got up early and claimed a classroom in Martha Miller where I studied for an upcoming biology test. Martha Miller is my new favorite study spot!

3pm-Worked on a presentation for one of my education classes with my friend Betsey

6pm-More homework!

10pm-Attended my weekly sorority business meeting where I gave out some birthday treats and got everyone to sign a card for one of our sisters studying abroad this semester. My journey to the meetings is short this year because they are held in the basement of our sorority cottage, where I happen to be living! Very convenient!

So that was my weekend! Was yours as busy as mine? Did you do anything exciting? Let me know on Twitter or in a comment! Hope you have a great week!

Rachael

Hello World!

The sunshine outside makes me forget that the fall had come. It is such a nice day to write my first post here.

campus-large

Hi folks,

It is cool to join the Blogger team. I am Xavier, an international student from China. This is my second year here and I feel everything is still so awesome! I am so excited to have this chance to share the beautiful moments in this campus. Before going on, please let me tell something about myself and the stories happened here.

Went to play soccer with my bff.
Went to play soccer with my bff.

My major is electrical engineering now. I switched from chemistry/chemical engineering to this at the beginning of this semester. I found I am more interested in engineering so I did that. What I want to say, however, is the chemistry department is very neat here! That might be the wealthiest department here. Every year, there are many science guys coming here to involve in chem and bio. Great choice!

I lived in Scott Hall last year with Phelps Scholars. Phelps Scholar Program is one of the most featured program here. The multicultural education is highlighted here. Folks in this program are all very easygoing and funny. Thus, my freshman year became an unforgettable one. I recommend that every one should apply for it if you are interested in different culture and ideas. Wyckoff Hall, which is next to Scott, is where I am living now.

wyckoff
Not a good pic… I was highlighting the scenes when I took it 🙂

Interested in my social life? Eh… It may let you down. Most of time, I am hanging out with my engineering guys. I do homework with them, I go to lunch with them, I play games with them… I did almost everything with them… These guys are interesting, friendly and cool! So my social life is all right though it sounds monotonous. Still, I went to some activities occasionally, like HAPA. HAPA is one of my favorite organization here, whose full name is Hope’s Asian Perspective Association. Managed by students, this club always have some fantastic activities that I never want to miss.

Because of my job, I begin to use Twitter. Nice to be a twitter bird after posting several posts 🙂 If you would like to know more about this cute college (see our mascot and you will know why I say it’s a cutie 😉   )

cute

 

please follow me on @HopeXavier16 or life.hope.edu. If you have ANY question(yes, any), feel free to drop me an email: xiaodong.wu@hope.edu .

Thanks for reading my first post :0

Have a great day!

Xavier

 

Howdy Y’all!

Hello everyone and Welcome to my blog! My name is Chelsea Barfield and I am one of Hope College’s Student Bloggers. Since we have begun a new school year, I thought that it might be helpful if I introduced myself to the new readers. Here are some interesting facts and things that you might not know about me.

Visiting the Eiffel Tower while studying in Paris.

Hometown: Dallas, Texas is my hometown. I love the south but the midwest is pretty great as well. Because I am from Texas enjoy the different seasons that Michigan has to offer. Unlike Texas, where the seasons are summer and more summer, I love the colors of the leaves in the fall and the crunch of snow in the winter.

Why I chose Hope College: My college search took me in many different directions. Ultimately, I knew that I wanted a small college where I could develop lasting relationships with students and faculty. Hope College offered me the opportunity to develop those relationships and learn in an environment where I felt like I could succeed. Throughout my time at Hope I have never once regretted decision my travel over 1000 miles for college.

Major: During my time at Hope, I have changed my major several times. When entering college my goal was to find a major where I felt like I could help others and make the greatest impact in peoples’ lives. My first year I studied nursing. Now, I am an Accounting and Management double major with a Organizational Leadership minor.

Year: I am technically a senior this year, however, because of the addition of a major I will be staying an extra year. So, I guess I could say that I am a repeat junior.

Highlight at Hope College: Hope College offers its students some pretty amazing opportunities. My highlight will studying at this great institution was studying in London for a month this summer. I was able to travel with 11 other students and 3 faculty members around London and Paris.

Hobbies: Some of the things that I have been involved with at Hope College include:

  • Dance Marathon
  • Relay for Life
  • Business Club
  • Campus Ministries
  • Student Consulting
  • Student Teaching Assistant
  • Admissions Overnight Host

Thank you for reading my first blog post! Make sure to check back for more updates on life at Hope College! Oh, and if you use Twitter, make sure to follow me (hopechelsea15) and the Hope College Student Bloggers!

 

Hopping into Hope!

Hey all!

Let me introduce myself. My name is Sophie Guetzko, and along with Kathryn Krieger, I’m  one of two freshman bloggers for Hope! I’m psyched for all that God has waiting for me here on campus. I’m from Manchester, Iowa, a small town about two hours and fifteen minutes north of Des Moines.

This is me! I'm really into photography, and believe it or not, I actually took this photo myself using my tripod. :)
This is me! I’m really into photography, and believe it or not, I actually took this photo myself using my tripod. 🙂

Let me give you a snapshot of my life so far on campus:

Major: Communications

Residence: The first floor of Kollen Hall, the largest co-ed dorm on campus. And yes, I love it! I honestly have to say I don’t think there’s a dorm you wouldn’t want to live in on campus– I haven’t met one person yet who says they don’t love their residence hall.

Activities: I’ve been to two football games, a soccer game, twelve worship services at Dimnent Chapel, which is Hope College’s campus chapel, and too many other activities to count! On Friday night we had a “South Side” dorm-sponsored Block Party, where the dorms of the “South Side” (Kollen, Lichty, Wyckoff, and Scott) all get together for a dance party behind Kollen Hall. My friends and I had a blast dancing and singing along to the music, meeting new people, and, the best part, eating tons of free food! Last weekend two upperclassman cottages hosted a free pancake and waffle party, which was tons of fun too!

I’m involved with Campus Crusaders for Christ, which is similar to a church “youth group,” if you’re familiar with that. We’ve had two meetings, and it’s been awesome so far!

I plan to be involved in Nykerk and Dance Marathon later on this year, and I’m looking forward to getting involved with the Anchor, the school newspaper, as well.

Hope College Anchor
This is me stopping by Hope’s campus earlier this summer– we were driving to Grand Rapids, and I was so excited I had to stop by!

So, the real question: Why did a small town Iowa girl choose Hope College, 6.5 hours away from home?

I visited here with my cousin, Jordan, during the spring of my junior year of high school– she’s a freshman here this year, too! She lives in the Grand Rapids area. It was the first college visit I went on, and I immediately fell in love with the campus. Over the next year, I visited five other colleges and applied to seven, but at the end of my college search, my heart was still at Hope.

Here’s why I love Hope:

  • It’s impossible to walk through campus without someone saying “hi” to you, it’s just a fact. Everyone is so friendly and loves to talk!
  • Hope is widely known for its academics, which excited me. I knew I would be pushed to my full potential and to greater depths than ever before.
  • The Christian community. I’ve only been here three weeks, but the amount of late-night chats I’ve had with other students about our faith have been numerous. And the best part? The worship and religious activities are all optional, so you don’t have to feel obligated to be there at every service (but I have to say, I’m always there!)

Want to keep up with what’s up around campus? Follow me @hopesophie17 on Twitter and Instagram (my Instagram feed is currently empty, but I can promise I’ll be posting soon!) Have any questions? Leave a comment here or send me a note at sophie.guetzko@hope.edu, or feel free to tweet at me.

Can’t wait to keep you updated as my journey continues!

 

 

 

 

The New Man in Town

Welkom one and all! (That means welcome in Dutch!)

I’m one of your new bloggers, how exciting! The name is Marvin Solberg, but all of my friends, and the majority of people call me “Marv.” Anyways, this will be a little FAQ session for YOU! Don’t you want to know about the person whose blog you’re reading. I would. Well, let’s dive in!

Name: Marv Solberg

Marv

 

Hometown(s): I was originally from the Philippines. Then, I moved to Traverse City, Michigan when I was 8. So my hometown in the Philippines was Olongapo City and my hometown in the United States is Traverse City, MI, the Cherry Capital of the World!

High School: Traverse City Central High School. one of the largest high schools in my city. I had a graduating class of about 300 people.

Major: NURSING! I love being around people and taking care of people. Ultimately, my goal is to become a pediatric oncology psychiatric nurse. (Does that even exist?)

Year: JUNIOR!!

My Hope Involvement: Currently, I am involved in so many groups at Hope. Let me list them for you! I am a core member for SAC (Social Activities Committee), I am a student blogger, a member of the ballet club & hip-hop club, and am a nursing teaching assistant! There are literally hundreds of clubs and organizations you can get involved it. It’s great.

Some of you are probably so eager to know why I came to Hope. Long story short:

  • It definitely was not my top choice. Why? Because I had family that went here and I wanted to do something different.
  • Hope consistently kept in touch with me during my senior year of high school, which rocked and showed me that they care!
  • I took a campus visit in the Fall (probably the most beautiful time to do a visit!) and it was just so picturesque. I definitely felt like I was “home.”
  • The academics were out of this world. I knew I was going to be challenged.
  • And lastly, Chapel. When I got goosebumps while I was singing, I knew this was the place for me.

It’s crazy to think that I’m halfway through my college career! I can’t wait to share my experiences with you all. Honestly, there is no other place I would be. Without Hope College, my life would be so dramatically different.

A few last minute reminders:

  • Make sure you follow me on Twitter, @HopeMarvin15 to see whats going on everyday!
  • Follow the other bloggers on twitter and read their blogs!
  • Lastly, stay in touch! I’ll post more blogs frequently!

Thanks for reading all!

Who is this girl? + Why Hope?

Hi everyone!

My name is Kathryn and I am one of the two freshman student bloggers for Hope. I am so excited that you’re here reading this and I hope you’ll continue to journey with me through this blog as I experience my first year of college. First, I just want to share a little bit about me through the standard questions we all get asked constantly throughout the first few weeks of school. I figured it might be beneficial to actually know a few things about this stranger whose life you’re reading about!

Name: Kathryn Krieger

Kathryn

Hometown and high school: Princeton, Illinois (a town of just under 8,000 people located about two hours west of Chicago!). I went to Princeton High School, where my graduating class was around 150.

Major: Vocal Music Education, and I just turned in my form to officially declare this as my major last night! I am so excited!

Residence Hall: Dykstra! And since this is another constant accompaniment to that question, I love it! My cluster is so great!

Last night, we had a movie and pizza night with some girls from my cluster and the one next door!
Last night, we had a movie and pizza night with some girls from my cluster and the one next door!

Things I am (or hope to be) involved in: I am currently in college chorus (a large choir that does not require an audition), Collegium Musicum (a small auditioned choir), and a women’s Bible study. I also did Time to Serve and volunteered at Van Raalte Farms in Holland, I am training as a Young Life leader, I’m on the blogging team of course, and I am also interested in getting involved in Nykerk and Dance Marathon! I am also taking voice and piano lessons. Hope offers so many great opportunities to get involved in different ways than I was in high school and I think that’s so awesome!

Random fact about me: I had two knee surgeries on the same day my junior year of high school.

This is not a joke. Look how excited I was about life post-surgery, you guys.
This is not a joke. Look how excited I was about life post-surgery, you guys.

And, the best question of all, Why Hope?

Why Hope? Why NOT Hope? Honestly, there were no other schools I visited or considered that even compared to all the things I felt that Hope had to offer. Hope seemed like it fixed all the problems I had seen at other schools I looked at. There is really nothing I would change about it! But, here is an actual list of reasons I loved Hope as a prospective student, and love it even more now that I’m here:

  • HOLLAND. I live in pretty much the cutest town ever, you guys. And all the awesome little stores are a two-minute walk away. I love it! Plus, let’s be honest, everyone. There’s a beach here.
  • Chapel. I looked at a lot of small Christian schools throughout the Midwest, and many of them require students to attend chapel, and sometimes it seems like many of the students there don’t like going. At Hope, it’s the complete opposite. Chapel attendance is not required, but it’s still super full at every service. I love Hope’s chapel. I haven’t been disappointed with it once, and I don’t expect to be!
  • The music program. Hope has a great music program where I know I’m going to grow and improve as a musician and future teacher, but it isn’t a program that has ever seemed to me to be extremely competitive between the individual students. Instead, it’s a supportive and loving community of friends who want the best for each other, and who all just happen to be musicians, too.
  • The education program! Hope has one of the top-ranked education programs in the state of Michigan.
  • The loving Christian atmosphere that still encourages you to make your own decisions. A good portion of Hope students, like myself, probably grew up in Christian families that went to church every week, so being a Christian for some can become something they have just always done. At Hope, they give you every opportunity you could want to grow, serve, and learn about Christ, while at the same time not requiring anything of you. This makes your faith entirely your own. Going to church and chapel and worshipping God in other ways becomes something you do because you want to, not because you have to. I love that about Hope! It encourages you to take responsibility and ownership of your faith while still nurturing your growth as much as possible. I think they’ve found the perfect balance!
  • The people. Everyone at Hope is so friendly, loving, and intentional, and I think you can feel that as soon as you step on campus.
  • I just knew. I officially visited Hope for the first time during my junior year of high school. It was the first college I really visited. Within the first twenty minutes of my visit, I knew I was coming to college here. I haven’t regretted that decision for a second!
My family stopped by campus the summer before my senior year of high school, and of course, I couldn't resist the classic anchor photo.
My family stopped by campus the summer before my senior year of high school, and of course, I couldn’t resist the classic anchor photo!

What do you love about Hope? Leave me a comment, send me an email at kathryn.krieger@hope.edu, or tweet (and follow) me on Twitter, @hopekathryn17! Also, let me know if you have any questions or anything you really want to know about Hope!

Thanks for reading! I am so excited to have you all along on this ride with me!

LdOut

Hey Everyone!

I hope you all had fabulous weekends. I definitely enjoyed mine. I am in desperate need to catch up on the sleep I missed out on, but oh well that is college for you. I would like to tell you about a program I have recently been involved with called LdOut. I am a mentor for high school students. There are six other Hope students on a team that mentors a group of Juniors in high school. Our team’s purpose is to teach leadership skills to juniors in high school for five weeks. Each Hope student is in charge of planning one week’s topic about leadership. I have the topic of accountability and will be leading our group next Monday, when we go to mentor. I have been doing LdOut for three weeks now. I have enjoyed getting to know the high school students and participate in the leadership activities with them. The thing I think is cool about LdOut is that when we are done mentoring the juniors, they will go and teach what we taught them to 7th graders. We will give them our lesson plans at the end of the five weeks, and then they will follow our format and teach the 7th graders. This is a fairly new program to Hope, and I am so glad I have been able to be apart of it.

On Saturday, the juniors and 7th graders who are in the program were able to come and visit Hope. We picked them up from their school and then they came and ate in Phelps dining hall. After lunch, we gave them a tour of the college. Then we all watched the Women’s basketball team win to Albion. It was a great game. During half time, all of the students were brought on the basketball court, and President Boltman gave a presentation about the LdOut program. The students all received a LdOut t-shirt, and then we all walked off the court together. It was a great day, and the students really enjoyed visiting Hope.

Hope offers endless opportunities for its students to get involved. I really like the LdOut program and plan to do it again next year!

Have a great week! 

*Colleen* 

 


Terrific Turkey Time!

Hey Everyone!

I hope you all had wonderful Thanksgivings!

I had an awesome Thanksgiving break. It was so nice to be home and spend time with my friends and family. I definitely miss being home, but I am glad that I am at college where I am happy. It was so nice to be able to reunite with my friends from high school. My high school football team went to states and played at the University of Illinois stadium. It was so cool. I loved being back with everyone from my school. It seemed like half of the town drove to Champaign to see our team play. It had been since 1998, since we played at state. Needless to say, we were all pretty excited.

While on break, I visited my grandparents in Chicago. It was nice to see them. I saw them before I left for school, but it seems like I have been in college for years. However, time flies by here. I cannot believe Christmas is just around the corner and I will be home for break in less than three weeks.

My dad cooked some amazing food while I was home. We had a fabulous Thanksgiving dinner, and he made us breakfast another day. It was nice to just sit back and spend time with people who I have not seen in awhile.

I hope you all have a great week!

***CoLLeeN***