Hey Everyone! 

I had a crazy fun weekend packed with a lot of fun. On Friday night a group of girls from my dorm went to Wal-Mart to buy supplies to decorate t-shirts for the Pull. We decorated them on Friday night so they would be dry by the next day. We all got ready together and painted each other’s faces for the Pull. I didn’t really know what to expect from the Pull, but it was so intense. It is kind of like tug a war because they have to pull on a rope, but they have a systematic way of doing it. The competition is between even and odd year students. The lower classman are coached by the upper classman. Each guy puller has a girl moraler who cheers them on and tells them the calls being directed from the upper classman coach. It is so much fun to watch because the fans are going crazy, and the team puts so much effort in pulling the rope. The pullers are completely muddy by the end of it and are very exhausted after three hours of intense physical endurance. I honestly do not know how they do it. I had always heard about this crazy tradition that is the oldest at Hope College, but I had no idea how cool it was. 

Needless to say, the Pull was a lot of fun to watch and I can not wait to see it again next year!

~~~~Colleen~~~

Even Year Spirit!

The puller and their moralers 

Hey Everyone!

I had my first night out with a group of friends from my dorm last night. We had a lot of fun and ate some amazing food! We drove to Grand Rapids which was about 35 minutes away. It was nice to have a study break for the night and have a big city so close to Holland. We also were able to explore the art prize a little bit last night. It was my birthday yesterday so when we came back from dinner we had some yummy cake. At first I was worried I wouldn’t have a great birthday because I wasn’t with people from home, but it turns out I had one of the best birthdays. When I woke up my door was decorated and my friends all told me Happy Birthday when i woke up. One thing i really like about Hope is the people here. Everyone is really friendly and I already feel like I am apart of the Hope community. The people here are really welcoming and nice. Even when I am being served my food at lunch the servers are so friendly and always ask how my day is going. I am glad I am a part of this friendly environment!

A group of friends at a restaurant in Grand Rapids! 

Wow! I cannot believe how fast college is going. I am enjoying everyday. I have been busy trying to undertake new extra-curricular activities. I have so far participated in:

·      Student Congress
·      Hip-Hop Club
·      Running Club
·      Poverty and Medicine Club
·      Sailing Club
·      Bible Study
·      Yoga Club

Hope has so much to offer. I like being involved in clubs because I can be involved as much or as little as I want. Yoga Club meets 3 times a week, so normally I will just go once. I like being able to choose my schedule and have fun with my friends in these clubs. I have been learning my way around Holland and can officially make it to Meijer without getting lost (great accomplishment for me). I love the down town area in Holland which is just one block from my dorm. I spend a lot of time studying at the local coffee shops and riding my bike with friends through the town. Today I went on a run along Lake Macatawa and it was so gorgeous. I like to be active here; it is a good break from homework and allows me to get some fresh air. I cannot wait to see all the leaves change colors. The first day of fall is tomorrow and I am so excited; fall is definitely my favorite season!

I hope you all are able the fall season.

Until next time,

~~~~Colleen~~~

My run along Lake Macatawa

Hey Everyone! 

I’d just like to spend some talking about dorm life at Hope. One of things I really like about living in a dorm is that I always have someone to hang out with. I live in Voorhees and absolutely love it! A couple weekends ago we had “speed friending” and a white out dance in our basement. It was a lot of fun and I was able to meet more people living in my dorm. On a typical evening you will find people playing ping pong or pool, watching a movie, or cooking in the kitchen. There is always something going on. Sometimes we will have study sessions in the class room in the basement or do homework in each others rooms. 

I love the people in my dorm. We often eat together in the dining hall and just spend a lot of time getting to know each other. I thought I wouldn’t like having a community style bathroom, but instead I have really enjoyed it because that is where I have met a lot of the girls living on the other side of my hall. It is also nice because we do not have to clean the community bathrooms. At Hope, they keep the dorms very clean. I was also worried about having to wait for the shower, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen more than two people taking a shower at once. So I can’t complain about anything. I am extremely happy with my dorm life!

Have an awesome weekend!

~~~~~CoLLeeN~~~~~

Our bunk beds 🙂

College has finally come! After 18 years of living with my family I am now at Hope College. I will admit I was extremely nervous about coming to Hope, but I absolutely LOVE it! 

Hope has so many fun things to offer. I have been a new student for about two weeks now. The people here are incredibly friendly. When I moved into my dorm the orientation assistants moved all my belongings to my dorm. I did not have to carry one thing. I definitely felt welcomed. Orientation was a great experience and helped me get to know other freshman. During orientation our orientation assistants toured us through the campus and and gave us a bunch of useful information about living at Hope.

Needless to say, I really enjoyed orientation. Even though I was sad to say good bye to my parents I was so busy and excited about starting college that the goodbyes were not bad at all. I was actually kind of excited once my parents left because then I could officially begin college!

Some things that I already love about Holland

• super beautiful
• friendly people
• adorable downtown
• cute coffee shops for studying
• 5 minute drive to the beach from campus
• great sense of community with the college

These are just some of the things I have enjoyed so far. I know there will be more to come! I’ll be updating my blog on a regular basis and would love to hear from perspective students. If you have any questions about being a Freshman at Hope; I am here to help and would love to talk with you.

Have a great week everyone!

— Colleen