New Year, New Home, Same Hope.

Gone are my days of boiling pierogies, listening to my Belarusian manager give advice on boys, make up and marriage, and summertime adventures with friends and family.

Classes are in full swing and I still find it hard to believe that I am starting my junior year. This year I am an RA in a cottage which means I get to live with some of my best friends here at Hope.

Obligatory first day of school picture.
Obligatory first day of school picture.

This new cottage life has us all pretty excited. Our space has upgraded from a 16’x10′ room to an entire house, we get to decorate said house, we can have family dinners, movie nights and have a freezer that will keep ice cream frozen.

Best of all, I get to share a home with some of the most important people to me on this campus. Together we get to navigate round three of our undergrad experiences. I am very thankful that in two short years I’ve met people I can go on fun adventures with, stress eat next to without judgment, and talk to about anything. I’ve found my Hope family. And I can’t wait to see what experiences await us this year

Thanks for reading,
Erin

Week One in the City

Well, guys, I made it to Chi-Town and let me tell you, it has already been so much fun! I feel like I don’t have much credibility after only a week, but I truly cannot say enough wonderful things about the Chicago Semester. My first week has totally been a whirlwind, but I’ll give you guys a few highlights!

1. Orientation: Senior Year Edition

So, like any program, the Chicago Semester had it’s fair share of orientation events. But unlike the occasionally awkward orientation of freshman year, the Chicago Semester really went out of its way to plan super fun and unique events for us to get to know one another. That being said, we did play one ice breaker. It sort of had to be done. Throughout my orientation weekend I not only got to know my 30+ classmates, but also got to know the city! Part of our orientation process was to divvy up into small groups, where we were each assigned a staff member to show us a unique neighborhood of Chicago. My neighborhood was Little India, where we got to eat a traditional Indian meal, get henna tattoos, and explore some of the local shops selling sari’s. I even got to try one on!

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2. Day One of My New Job!

So this past week I started my internship at the Magnificent Mile Association. This semester my job will mainly consist of planning the big lights festival parade that happens at the end of November, and I am already so excited about it! My first day was mostly spent reading and learning more about the association itself, but I can already tell it’s going to be a great environment to work in. My supervisor and the other employees I’ll be working closely with are all young and super inclusive of both my and my fellow interns which is really nice. The only real downfall of the job is that I work right on Michigan Ave. – a.k.a. shopping center – of Chicago. It’s definitely going to be a test of my will power to not walk through the 3-story Forever 21 every day after work, but hopefully I’ll be able to make it!

3. Exploring the City

Since orientation usually finished by 1 p.m., it gave me and my classmates quite a bit of time to explore. So over the course of one week I’ve: gone to a game at Wrigley Field, watched fireworks off of Navy Pier, laid out at the beach, and got brunch at a few local restaurants near our apartment! The city has so much to offer and I can’t wait to keep exploring and pack as much as I can into this semester!

Another Year, Another Blog

To all my mom’s Facebook friends (and the prospective students that happen to stumble upon this blog), this one’s for you. Just like the old saying goes, I’m back and better than ever. Well, at least I’m back, it’s up to you to decide if I’m better I guess.

Nonetheless, it’s a wonderful time to be at Hope. September is one of the few months during the school year where we don’t have to worry about snowstorms and subzero temperatures so there’s been a lot of positive energy all around campus these first few weeks. New students still figuring out their way around the grounds, the Pine Grove cluttered with hammocks and Spikeball players, and Van Wylen Library somewhat remorsefully reopening her doors as us college-goers come to the realization that summer fun is over, and it’s time to get back to the grind. What a time to be alive.

The bottom line is that it’s good to be back. Last year, as many freshmen do, I spent a lot of time missing home. College is great, but like anything else, it doesn’t mean there aren’t some tough moments along the way. Despite the homesickness, my longing for home-cooked meals, and the straight-up thought of, “What the heck am I doing in Holland, Michigan?” that last year brought about, I missed Hope College during my summer spent in Pittsburgh… a lot. I don’t know where the specific point is that home starts to feel a little less like home, and college starts to feel a little more like where one belongs, but, wherever that point may be, I’m glad I’ve met it. To keep things simple, we’ll just call that enlightenment of sorts, “Sophomore Year.”

So here’s to year two. That being said, whether you’re at year 1, 2, 3, or 15 years removed from college, look at this season as an opportunity to start fresh. Whether it’s in the classroom, on the job, on the field, in a relationship… whatever that looks like for you, everyday is a new day; another opportunity to get after life and do something awesome. Even though it doesn’t always go as planned, (coming from the kid who slipped in the locker room and missed the first week of the soccer season due to a concussion), my encouragement this time around is to keep on, keepin’ on.  After all, a guy much, much, much wiser than me once said, “Behold, I am making all things new.”

Just for kicks, here’s the 2016 Hope soccer team, come catch a game if you’re ever around Holland.

Hope mens soccer

I’m sure I’ll have plenty of stories to tell this year, so until next time…

With Love,
Steve

Your “Back to Hope” Playlist

Over the summer I got to thinking about Hope blogging. I felt as if every year I wrote the same posts: back to school, the Pull, Winter Fantasia, Nykerk, SAC events, etc.

This year, I’m vowing to make more unconventional and creative posts. My first is this one, a playlist perfected for that perfect back to Hope College feel. These are songs that I hear around campus, give me a special Hope vibe, or are always played at any Hope social event.

I’m starting junior year off with some feel good tunes, and now you can too! Listen to it on Spotify or follow the list of songs below.

https://open.spotify.com/user/225egtxpvzk5tluvb6dvdhzcq/playlist/40D0tG2cXvZCQJfBuhaP7a

  • I Wanna Dance with Somebody – Whitney Houston
  • Brand New – Ben Rector
  • More Like Love – Ben Rector
  • I Lived – One Republic
  • Shut Up and Dance – WALK THE MOON
  • Hold My Hand – Jess Glynne
  • Wake Me up Before You Go-Go – Wham!
  • Let the Good Times Roll – Ben Rector
  • Love on Top – Beyonce
  • Put Your Records On – Corinne Bailey Rae
  • Easy Love – Original Mix – Sigala
  • I’ll Be There For You – The Rembrandts
  • Where You Lead – Carole King
  • Classic – MKTO
  • Home – Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
  • Send Me On My Way – Rusted Root
  • Downtown – Macklemore and Ryan Lewis
  • I Want You Back – The Jackson 5
  • Yeah! – Usher
  • Where Is The Love – The Black Eyed Peas
  • Good To Be Alive (Hallelujah) – Andy Grammar
  • Rather Be (feat. Jess Glynne) – Clean Bandit
  • Bright – Echosmith
  • Best Day of My Life – American Authors
  • I Really Like You – Carly Rae Jepsen
  • Geronimo – Sheppard
  • Walking on Sunshine – Katrina & The Waves
  • When Can I See You Again – Owl City

These are all songs that get me pumped to be back at Hope. I hope you enjoy listening to some of them!

Best,
Brooke

And We Back. Just Kidding, We’re in Chicago.

Hello, everyone! I’m back for my last semester of college (and student blogging) but I’m not actually back… I’m in Chicago studying through the Chicago Semester! I’ve moved into my teeny tiny apartment, I’ve landed an internship I’m stoked about (and figured out how to get there), I’ve set off the fire alarm in my apartment (apparently small amounts of smoke from cooking sausages are quite problematic in shoebox-sized apartments), MAJOR OOPS because I’ve accidentally paid $6 for an iced vanilla latte at an adorable outdoor coffee shop, I’ve swum in Lake Mich (the other side, of course), and, perhaps most importantly, I have NOT gotten on the wrong L train. Yet.

Killin’ it.

Stephanie
Spending time at the Fountain of the Great Lakes with my roommate and friend, Stephanie (in professional attire, of course)

I grew up about two hours from the city but never really visited it much except for a few school field trips. It was never really my favorite place. Then I started dating that one guy who lives in Chicago and I totally fell in love with the city. Over the past two years I’ve gotten to visit him a bunch of times and I realized that there’s way more to Chicago than I ever knew about before, and I’m so excited to live and work here for at least a few months.

While I’m here I’m taking a few classes which I’m really excited about (one involves lots of field trips to different parts of the city so that we can learn about diversity and inequality here, which I think is going to be super interesting and formative!). I am also interning with the arts director at Community Christian Church in Lincoln Park/Old Town (LPOT for short) and I’m really excited to start in just a couple days. I practiced my commute there today and I just wish it was a little less ugly.

Just kidding. It’s stunning and I’m taking this route to work every single day and I’m probably going to walk it on the days that I don’t even have to be at work because I love it that much. By the way, my internship is half a mile from my apartment so I get to walk there instead of taking a long train or bus ride. Short distance, awesome views – such a win-win.

I also have to be an adult and go to bed and wake up at reasonable times, pay actual rent to an actual landlord, do this thing that professional-sounding people call “networking,” and also something called “laundry”????

Beats me.

So far, I’m loving it except for the fact that the nearest Culver’s is over an hour away but I have a Chick-fil-A within half a mile so that’s a pretty good tradeoff. I am so happy that I made the decision to spend my last semester studying off campus in Chicago – just one of so many awesome opportunities that have opened up during my time at Hope! As cheesy as it sounds, I can’t wait to see what this semester has in store and how much cheesy deep dish pizza I am going to eat (I already had bruschetta from Giordano’s yesterday and I’m not exaggerating when I say I could survive on just that stuff). Thanks for reading!

Make sure you keep up with me on Twitter (@hopekathryn17) and Snapchat (@chicagosemester) to stay in the loop (get it? the Loop? #chicagojokes) about my semester in Chicago. You can also email me at kathryn.krieger@hope.edu!

“You are worthy, O Lord our God,
    to receive glory and honor and power.
For you created all things,
    and they exist because you created what you pleased.”

—Revelation 4:11

Is this thing on? | My First Hope College Blog Post

Hi Guys!

This is my first ever blog post for the Hope College Blog Network! But while I may be new to blogging, I’m actually rather old to Hope College, as I will be a senior this upcoming school year. Before I get into why I’m blogging and what this year holds for me, I’ll tell you a little bit about myself:

My photo
This is so everyone out there can put a face to a name. Here I am!

As I said before, I’m an upcoming senior, majoring in Communication with a double minor in Writing and Management. At Hope I’m involved in Greek Life, Zeeland YoungLife, Chapel Choir, as well as hold on campus jobs for the Hope College marketing department and writing for The Odyssey online. When I’m not running around like a crazy person between activities, I can usually be found shamelessly watching The Bachelor, attempting to grow a genuine love for jogging, or eating microwave popcorn at any and all hours of the day or night.

This fall I’ll be spending my first semester in a bit of an unconventional way. Instead of returning back to campus in August, I’ll actually be moving a few hours west to Chicago to participate in one of the many domestic study abroad opportunities provided by Hope: The Chicago Semester.

The Chicago Semester is a program that partners with Hope in order to provide students both job and life experience in the Windy City! The great thing about the semester is that it takes a lot of the difficulties of moving and finding a job away and just presents you with several different opportunities to chose from.

What do I mean by that? During the application process you fill out a questionnaire essentially describing your ideal internship and the representatives at the Chicago Semester find a couple interviews, ultimately leaving the decision of where to intern in your hands.

After my own interview process I finally settled on a marketing and event planning internship with The Magnificent Mile Association. The Magnificent Mile itself is a mile long strip on Michigan Avenue featuring restaurants, shops, spas, and almost anything else you can think of. The Association reviews these attractions, detailing their own experiences there on their What’s Hot blog, as well as sets up their own events such as Run Mag Mile, an upcoming 5K, or the Lights Festival, a Christmas celebration coming this holiday season.

While working, I’ll also be taking 2 classes through the Chicago Semester and trying to experience all the city has to offer. I can’t wait to share more of my experience with you guys and am so excited about all the opportunities in store for me this coming fall.

Only 15 more days till my big move and the countdown is definitely on!

What I’ve Learned on Worship Team

As you may know if you’ve read my blog before, I have the privilege of being on the worship team at Hope. I get to help lead music at Hope’s worship services multiple times a week. It is my favorite thing that I do at Hope. When I look back on my time in college, I am pretty positive that this will be the thing that I think of, even though I was only on the team for one year. It has been a privilege and a blessing to work with such wonderful people day after day, all for the glory of the Lord that we love. I am thankful.

Last night, the two worship teams combined our seniors (since this is my last semester on the team due to my early graduation, I count!) and came together for our last Gathering rehearsal (the Gathering is our big Sunday night service, and the final one of the year is on Sunday). It was fun to play with a couple people that I do not normally see as much since they are on the other team, and I am thankful to get to call the people on this team some of my best friends. My team, Team Y (or Ysenhower, as I like to call us), also had our last service together as a full team yesterday at chapel. In light of these endings, I thought it would be appropriate to rehearse the faithfulness of the Lord in this post and to name some of the things that I’ve had the privilege to see him do throughout my time on worship team this year!

Team Y
Ysenhower after our last Chapel (appropriately, on Yndsday!)

What I’ve Learned on Worship Team

  • People you’ve never seen before in your life can become a family with whom you feel at rest, at ease – like you can heave the sigh that’s been growing in the pits of your soul for the past week and finally let it go. It is a gift and a blessing.
  • Meeting with people multiple times a week at 7 a.m. when you just rolled out of bed at 6:55 is the best thing. Few things bond you like, in the words of one campus staff member, “seeing each other when you’re nasty.”
  • Prayer is powerful. When I’ve asked for bold clarity from the Lord this year, I’ve seen it, and I’m thankful.
  • The Lord will sustain us through things we did not think were possible. Last year I had a node on my vocal cords and did not talk for a week in order to treat it. After that, my voice was super out of shape and I would go stand in the congregation at the Gathering, unable to even sing through three songs in a row during worship. Now I sing more songs than that in one rehearsal, and I am able to do so healthily.
  • Being a worship leader is a really cool job that I might actually want on an even longer-term basis. It doesn’t just entail a person who shows up to do music on Sundays; there is room for a worship leader to be someone who shepherds people through life if they have the desire to do so and if the Lord gives them the opportunity (notes from Zac Hicks and the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, where this year’s seniors were thankful to help lead some services and attend some sessions).
  • The words we say and sing and repeat in worship are immensely important. They get stuck in our heads and begin to shape our perceptions and our faith lives in powerful ways. We have to be conscious of the things that we are saying and the things that we are leading other people in saying – are they true? Are they good? Do they reflect the character of God? If we are not sure, then perhaps we should pick different words (Christopher Williams reminded us of this in powerful ways).
  • Lemonjello’s and Stovetop Roasters are important. But if I finish my cup of coffee within 30 minutes of starting Chapel, my voice and body both feel shaky. Bonus points if I decided to wear some sort of heels that day.
  • It’s cool to have recordings of music that you made. It’s cooler to have recordings of music that your friends made and that you made with your friends. The recording of “All Thy Fullness” on this year’s worship team CD, Fairer, will always make me cry because I can just hear the love of the team and their love for the Lord.
  • Visual art, dance, sign language, and far more are forms of worship too. It is powerful to be able to partner with people who are practicing worship differently than you are and to come alongside one another and work together in leading (Silent Praise, Sacred Dance).
  • Say thank you often. More things than you consider probably go into any given thing that you do. Think hard about the process. Who set up my microphone at 6:30 a.m. before I showed up to rehearsal? Who printed out my lead sheets? Who wrote the song, and what verses and experiences shaped it?
  • Change and new things are good. So are old classics. May “All Hail Christ” never die.
  • I am confident that I have seen and will continue to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. This team, the chaplains over at Campus Ministries, the tech team, the people who clean Dimnent Chapel, the people who write our music (some of whom, like Sandra McCracken, we’ve gotten to meet and even play with!) and the students of Hope College who worship with us have all had huge parts in helping me to see this. It has been unforgettable, impactful, and glorious to watch heaven come down to the earth around us. As our worship leader, Bruce, often says, Dimnent Chapel has become a thin place countless times this year – where the distance between heaven and earth becomes marginal because the presence of the Lord is so evident. The Lord is near to us. It is a gift to see this so often and to know that he has truly never left us alone. All the fullness of the Lord is here among us.
CICW
Seniors and friends after leading with Sandra McCracken (front row, next to me!) at Calvin’s Worship Symposium in January.

I could go on forever, but I have to get on to some final projects (and I don’t want to cry in Starbucks this morning), so I’ll leave this here. Thank you for reading.

If you’re interested in worship at Hope, tweet me at @hopekathryn17, send me an email at kathryn.krieger@hope.edu, check out this year’s albums, Fairer and Beatitudes EP, and check out the Campus Ministries website!

“I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.”

—Psalm 27:13

Hope College Study Spots

My final project in my Writing for Media class was to create a website with a group focused on one topic. Our topic: Surviving Finals Week. The following is my post for the blog on some of the most popular places for Hope students to study.

Ten Hope College Study Spots

Every college student has his or her ideal study environment. Some like background noise, while others prefer silence. Some like to be around other people, while others prefer a space with minimum distractions. This list of the ten best Hope College study spots will have something that fits your ideal studying environment.

1. 1st & 2nd Floor of the Van Wylen Library

This is the place to go to study with friends, work on group projects, or be in an academic environment where it’s acceptable to talk and contribute to the constant background noise. There are lots of large tables and some cushioned chairs, as well as desktop computers where you can settle in and get work done.

2. 3rd & 4th Floors & Basement of the Van Wylen Library

These levels of the library are dedicated to quiet study. There are tables and cushioned chairs similar to the 1st and 2nd floor as well as individual study nooks for a distraction free space. The basement has a rare book room which has a computer cart, projection screen, classroom tables and chairs. The library is open Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 a.m., Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m., Saturday from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. and Sunday from 12:00 p.m. until 12:00 a.m. For finals week the hours are extended making the closing time 2:00 a.m. Sunday through Wednesday.

3. Paul Schaap Science Center

Home to the sciences, this building has plenty of spots to set up for a long day of studying. The atrium has small study rooms as well as cushioned chairs and couches with tables. In addition to the atrium and, of course, classrooms, there are many smaller spots throughout the building with tables, chairs and couches available for students to use when studying. Since the science center is an academic building, it can be accessed at any time with a Hope student ID.

4. Martha Miller Center for Global Communication

This academic building is home to the Communication and Modern and Classical Languages departments. There are classrooms that can be used to study, but the most popular areas are the two levels of the rotunda. There are many tables and chairs on both the first and second floor. This building is also accessible at all hours for Hope students.

5. The Kletz

Here you have a coffee shop, food and ice cream all conveniently located in one place on campus. If you like the coffee shop conversational background and don’t want to make the walk downtown, the Kletz is a great option. There are plenty of tables and booths to choose from. Both seating options have power outlets to plug into and study for as long as you need. The Kletz is open from 8:00 a.m. until 12:00 a.m. Monday through Thursday, Fridays 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. and Sunday 2:00 p.m. until 12:00 a.m.

6. Lubbers Hall

This building houses six departments: English, History, Philosophy, Religion, Political Science and Philosophy. Most of the rooms are offices with only six classrooms but cushioned chairs and small side tables are in the lobby area of each floor. However, the lights in the lobbies and halls are on timers and motion activated at night. So studying in the lobby late at night will require getting up and moving every so often to keep the lights on.

7. Coffee Shops

There are two independent coffee shops in downtown Holland, JP’s and Lemonjello’s, that are within walking distance of Hope’s campus. There are also chain stores including Starbucks and Biggby, that are a short drive away. If you run on caffeine and like to have a conversational background noise while studying, plus a little bit of distance from your daily surroundings, any of these coffee shops in the surrounding Holland area are a great option.

8. Residence Hall, Cottage or Apartment

This is the one studying environment you have the most control over. Depending on how you and your roommate(s) live, this can be as quiet or filled with music and background noise as you like. Staying at home also means that all of your studying materials are right there with no need to pack it all up, load it into your backpack and move everything across campus. Plus, food, drinks, a bathroom, blankets, your bed, etc., are all nearby making studying at any hour as conveniently comfortable as possible.

9. Residence Hall Lounges

Dorms, as well as some apartment buildings, have common area lounges available for studying. However, they are also available for watching movies or whatever else those you live with want to use the space for. Therefore, these spaces are not guaranteed to be quiet, but are less crowded than the library. Plus, they have printers and computers available if needed.

10. The Pine Grove

When the sun is shining and it’s 50 degrees or warmer it is hard to stay inside after a long Michigan winter. Packing up the books, grabbing a blanket or a hammock and setting up in the Pine Grove is a great way to multitask and get some vitamin D in your system while studying. With Frisbees flying around and Spikeball games in action, it isn’t a distraction free environment, but since it is outside the most noticeable background noise is the construction happening from around 8:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m.

Thanks for reading!

~Erin

3 Reasons Why I Loved My Study Abroad Program

I’ve been back in Michigan for a little over a week now, and I’m still processing the fact that I’ve been in Ireland for four months. It’s just crazy to think I’ve been there and experienced so much all within such a short amount of time. There were so many things that made my time in Ireland memorable, but one aspect that was a huge part of my experience was the program that I went through – IES.

IES, or International Education of Students, is a study abroad program that offers students a wide variety of countries in which to study abroad such as Italy, England, Australia, and Ireland. While the base of the program is the same everywhere, there are obviously unique aspects to the program in each country that it resides. Today, I’m going to give three reasons that the IES program in Dublin made my study abroad experience one of a kind.

1. The professors were out of this world.

At any school and in any program, if you have good professors, you’ll probably end up liking whatever class your taking, even if the content isn’t the greatest. However, I feel that it’s especially important to have good professors in a study abroad program because the students are there to learn and learn well, and if the professors aren’t up to par, students’ experiences could be marred. When I was in Dublin at the IES program, the professors were warm, welcoming, and delighted to help with anything I needed. They even made me tea on many occasions and we became good friends. The atmosphere and kindness of professors was very close to Hope’s and I appreciated that when I was feeling most homesick.

2. There was a good mix of expected traveling and school work.

The first day of the program in January sitting in Orientation, a professor got up to speak and told us that during the 12+ weeks that we were in Dublin, he didn’t want us stay put. He wanted us to travel and to see different places – that’s what we were here for, anyway. That statement carried our class through to the very end and reflecting back on it now, was something that was incorporated into the curriculum well. Every Monday, professors would ask where we had been during the weekend and those conversations of travels were mixed into what we were learning that week. Travel was expected and encouraged, and I loved that.

3. Activities were fun and ran smoothly.

Throughout my many weeks in Dublin, the IES faculty and staff put on events and field trips. Anything from a trivia game night to reentry workshops to visiting a local farm, there was always something to do through the program and people to be with. Especially towards the beginning when everything about the city was fresh and new, there were orientation activities and dinners to attend that got us acclimated to our new surroundings and forced us to interact with new people. It was helpful and fun and I’m grateful to have had those opportunities.

If you have any questions about the IES Program or just about Study Abroad in general, I’d be more than happy to answer!

During my time in Ireland, I made a video of snippets of every day I was there with the One Second Every Day App. It was so fun to make and I love being able to look back on moments that trigger amazing memories for me. So, without further ado, here is my One Second Every Day video!

This week holds a plethora of events on Hope’s campus, one of which is Spring Fling! Lookout for blogs about that, as well as what I learned from my semester in Ireland – there are a whole lot!

Until next time!

An Ode to Phelps 204

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Oh, if these walls could talk… right? Phelps 204 welcomed my roommate and me in with open arms back in August. Since then, there have been joy-filled moments, tear-filled moments, and many, many, many stress-filled moments. Through it all, room 204 has been there. So here’s to you, Phelps 204, we couldn’t have made it without you.

It started in August, soccer preseason was upon us. Every day we awoke early, never once did it complain. All day long our room stayed here alone, and didn’t mutter a word when we came back sweaty, and reeking of B.O. As Move-In Day came for the rest of campus, its walls were the only ones bold enough to proudly boast a Buckeye flag in a land full of Wolverines and Spartans, and a Pirates flag where Cubs, Brewers, and White Sox fans run rampant.

Then school, soccer, and studying began, nights got longer. Yet, the room was always open to all-nighters, welcoming the smell of fresh coffee at 2, 3, and sometimes even 4 a.m. Never once did it grumble about Ben’s sleep talking, my snoring, or our alarms going off at ungodly hours of the morning.

Its walls heard many conversations. The start of new friendships, the end of old relationships, numerous FaceTime calls back home, and always happily greeting visits from Columbus and Pittsburgh family. It held three birthday celebrations, multiple study sessions, and innumerable FIFA tournaments. The room did not care when our speaker system echoed loud, sometimes ignorant music off its walls. 204 was the first to hear some of Woody’s best poetry, a witness to my sub-par free-styling skills, and housed the mirror that one of us boys checked every five minutes or so.

2nd semester, the room welcomed us back after Christmas as if we had never left. It helped us brave the cold, providing warmth during what most called a “mild” winter. Not once was a question raised to Ben when he returned late at night from pledge events. Likewise, there was never a debate when I rolled into bed before 10. It did not groan about the smell that invaded our room when spoiled milk spilled all over the mini fridge, and accepted the new scent of an air freshener that soon followed. Then, probably unwillingly, the room embraced the stink of shin guards, soccer socks, and sweaty boy that soon reappeared along with spring soccer season. 

These walls heard prayers when things were going well, when things were going not-so-well, and when things were stuck somewhere in the middle. They listened to screams the same way they listened to whispers: silently. Never once did they murmur disapprovals to those too talkative, or to those too subdued. Phelps 204 accepted us as we were, watched us grow into young men as the year progressed, looked beyond our flaws, but was always careful not to handout too much praise towards our accomplishments.

If these walls could talk, I think they would pour out some extremely cliché wisdom to the next two boys that have the privilege of calling this place home. Something along the lines of, “Don’t blink, or you’ll miss it”, and let me tell you…

Those walls would be right. What a year it’s been.

With Love,
Steve