Blog - Page 53 of 147 - Life at Hope College

Saturday Rocked

Hello again, Readers! I hope you are enjoying the last few hours of your weekend, and that these last few days have been treating you well! I’ve been itching to tell you all about my Saturday because it was the most beautiful one’s I’ve had in a while!

The first reason my Saturday was so interesting was because of a class I’m taking. I’m in a class called British Literature, and we are studying the great Romanticist writers, such as William Blake and William Wordsworth (and many more writers named William I’m sure). The main premise of Romanticism is to be in touch with nature. This was in reaction to the Industrial Revolution, which was just before the dawn of Romanticism. One of the projects required for this class is doing a project called “Being Romanticist” in which we have to basically set our own parameters for the project and decide how to best portray Romanticism in our everyday lives. We get to decide what it entails and how we get to carry it out. It’s very independent and open ended, so I decided to think outside the box. I decided that for my project, I would give up technology including my phone, laptop, and TV three times throughout the semester and journal about the things that happen in the absence of the technology. This comes out to be one day per month of no technology, and yesterday was the first day. It was amazing!!

So, luckily Hope is awesome and always has something going on during the day most Saturdays. Yesterday was no different. There is a ministry on Hope’s Campus called Delight that meets Fridays at 7am, but yesterday was their kickoff breakfast, so I got to go to that. It was an amazing morning full of pancakes, fruit, and Jesus and I didn’t miss my phone at all…except for when there were picture-taking opportunities. I love to take pictures so that was a struggle not having my phone on me to snap some pics. We did get one on someone else phone though! Here it is:

There were so many girls at Delight! It was wonderful to see so many girls on fire for God and willing to be vulnerable with each other.

The rest of the day was just as magical! A few of my friends and I went over to Saugatuck for the afternoon and did a little shopping, lunching, and hiking. Once again, the only time I missed my phone was when there was a picture-taking opportunity, but being with friends always puts you in your own little world and you kind of forget everything else anyways. A quick stop to Michaels for some decorations for our house rounded out the evening and that was that! During the evening was a little more challenging because I listen to music A LOT and I didn’t have any to turn on while I was doing my homework and reading.

Other than that though, having no technology for a Saturday made me open my eyes to the more beautiful things around me without having my eyes glued to my phone. If you all have the chance, I highly recommend taking a day or two and going technology-free. It’s rewarding and made me feel a lot closer to nature because I wasn’t seeing it from behind a phone.

Until next time, Readers!

Questions about what I wrote? Check out the bio and give me a jingle via email or social media!

433 Miles

433 Miles. Six hours and twenty-four minutes. That’s all that separates me from my front door.

When I first committed to Hope, distance didn’t seem like that big of a deal to me. Sure, Pittsburgh is a long way from Holland, but in my naive, eighteen-year-old mind, I thought it would be easy.

Now, I’m not going to sit here and tell you that college is ridiculously hard and that I’m homesick. However, I will tell you one thing; it has not been easy.

Leading up to my arrival here at Hope, I had a list of things that would make the transition easier. It went something like this:

1. Soccer. Soccer has always been my escape, and my best coping mechanism. Whenever things off the field aren’t going well, I use my time on the field to forget about them.

2. Friendships. I came to Hope with the intention of building life-long and life-altering friendships. I wasn’t sure what exactly those were going to look like, but I knew they were coming.

3. FaceTime. As silly as it may sound, I knew I would be depending on FaceTime to get me through some tough times. After all, my best friend is now at Arizona State, my girlfriend and family are both still in Pittsburgh, and my closest girlfriends are at Penn State and Notre Dame respectively.

I was extremely confident that if I could keep those three things working in my favor, then I would be perfectly fine. Unlike my last blog, I wasn’t completely wrong. Soccer is a HUGE part of my life here at Hope and I love every single one of my teammates like brothers. In addition, I’ve met the most amazing, Christ-centered people in the past month. I have friends here that are challenging me to become a better brother, son, servant, etc. more than I’ve ever been challenged to do so before! Finally, my FaceTime sessions with my girlfriend, parents, or friends are usually the biggest highlight of my day. Again, my plan wasn’t a complete failure!

However, as always, God has been working in my life in ways I never expected he would. Frankly, God has been throwing things, (great things mind you), I did not intend to be handling during Fall semester. God’s list looked a little bit more like this:

1. Haiti. Shockingly enough, God has decided it’s a good idea for me to lead a missions trip to Cap Haitien, Haiti in May of 2016.

2. The Keppel House. In preparation for the missions trip, God lead me to the Keppel House. For those of you who don’t know, the Keppel House is the Hope College campus ministries office. It’s also where I have had the privilege of working the past three weeks or so, and hopefully the on-campus job I will maintain over the next four years.

3. Surprise visits. I left Pittsburgh on August 18th not knowing when I would next see my family and friends. Yet, just when I thought I wasn’t going to see them until Thanksgiving break, my Mom and girlfriend showed up at my door this weekend.

The point is that we may have plans, and they may be good plans, but God’s plans are always greater than our own. They may seem frightening at first, but they’re perfect, flawless blueprints that are designed to turn us into whatever God intends us to be. So cast your cares on the creator of the universe. Trust that whether you’re five miles from “home”, or four-hundred and thirty-three like me, God knows exactly what he’s doing (Jeremiah 29:11).

Praying you all have an incredible week!

With love,

Steve

Note To Self

Dear Hope,

It’s hard to believe that our third week of classes has already come to a close. Since the start of term, the hours that once felt like days, now pass in a blink of an eye. As I sit at my desk, with my grubby Cubs hat (aka my thinking cap) perched upon my head, I can’t help but file through my mental list of to-dos. With each new item I am reminded of, I tear off a new piece of paper from my dwindling stack of sticky notes, and feverishly scribble down my thoughts. Aside from accumulating in forgotten crevices of bags, backpacks and pockets, I have little reason to believe these reminders have greatly benefited my productivity. If anything, I think I depend on them most as a way to bring control to the chaos my mind is so frequently consumed by.

Though, if there is one thing I most often need to be reminded of, it is that life is so much gratifying when we focus on what truly matters. As college students, we typically have a narrowed perspective of what is important in life- whether it be fulfilling the academic expectations of our family, let alone ourselves, declaring a suitable major and then landing that perfect job. But, if there is one thing I hope to leave you all with, it would be that our lives are not measured or defined by the amount stress we put upon ourselves, in order to achieve perfection or success. Believe it or not, It’s okay if we don’t always have a correct answer to the questions we are so often expected to know- after all, we are students, and eager to learn. As my dad often reminds me during my own moments of weakness, be the best you can be. Take note to learn what it means to live in the likeness of God. Learn from others, grow in patience and kindness, take risks, and enjoy each and every moment, as there is life to be lived.

Sincerely,
Your fellow Hopester, Emily

Thank you Mr. Ben Rector for your timely inspiration #NoteToSelf

7 Tips: When You Get Sick Three Weeks Into College

You barely know your friends, you’re just getting into a routine with your classes, and now you have a nasty cold. What do you do? As a recent head cold survivor, I have seven tips that can make being sick less awful.

1: Drink orange juice. Don’t be a pansy about it, either. Down that stuff.

2: Throw a pity party. Invite your friends! If you complain about being sick for long enough, someone might bring you soup.

3: Watch Netflix. Nothing is better than wasting away the hours in front of a screen. You’re sick, so you can’t think about important things anyway.

4: Wear a blanket. It’s still pretty hot outside, but it sounds like a nice idea, doesn’t it?

5: Procrastinate on your homework. You’re too young to spend time working when you could just sit there, blowing your nose every few minutes.

6: Drink Emergen-C. It tastes horrible. But you’re sick, so you don’t really care that much. Plus, the stuff actually works.

7: Go back to bed. You were made to stay in bed.

Get well soon!

Danny sneezes. — Danny has the sniffles, so he uses a napkin because Kleenex are scarce.

Creating Quotations, Collecting Memories.

I spent a portion of my Tuesday morning creating a new Quotation Wall for my home, VV3, the third floor of Van Vleck Hall.

While it might be true that I could have spent that time doing homework, I concluded that the new Quotation Wall was on the same level of importance to my success as a college student as getting started on my Biology lab analysis was. How might that be you ask? Excellent question! Please read on, inquisitive reader.

Graph created from my own observational conclusions of the benefits of these two factors. Data, analysis, and conclusions not peer reviewed.

Data collected on the completion of Biology Lab Analyses concluded that the process and product were beneficial to the learning process, academic achievement satisfaction, and grade earned of the student. The completion of Analyses ensured that the student solidified understanding of concepts, improved their critical thinking processes, and built a reliable resource of information to review for studying purposes as the information is organized effectively and analyzed thoroughly.

Data collected from last year’s Quotation Wall experiment concluded that the creation of quotations with fellow VV3 residents who grew to become friends was a beneficial impact on the residents’ well being. The creation of quotations coincided with the collection of memories, the strengthening of relationships, and provided a resource for future comic relief when needed as the Quotation Wall was prominently displayed and easily accessible to all.

Conclusion:

The benefits of both the Biology Analyses and Quotation Wall are important to the success of a college student in the academic and personal sectors respectively. The impact of the Biology Analyses is anticipated with moderate enthusiasm as the year continues, but that in no way minimizes the positive impact of this factor. The impact of the Quotation Wall is enthusiastically anticipated as the year continues on and the new residents of VV3 2015 develop friendships filled with encouragement, laughter, and quotable moments.

Thanks for reading!
~Erin
For thoughts and lots of pictures about life at Hope that are rarely influenced by as much Biology lab stuffs that currently fill my brain you can reference my Twitter (@HopeErin18) and Instagram (@e_delaney333)

A is for Apple (Picking)

Hello Readers! Happy Hump Day!! Only a few days until the weekend – hallelujah!

Speaking of the weekend, what are you planning on doing with yours? SAC always has a movie or some fun event going on, or there’s always the option of staying in and watching documentaries on Saturday night (which my housemates and I may or may not have done last weekend…), but what if you want something fun to do off campus during your lazy Saturday? Plus, it’s the beginning of fall and end of summer, so you want to be outside, right? Well in this post, I’m going to talk about just one option for your weekend – Crane’s Orchard.

Cranes, if you don’t know, is an apple orchard. There’s Cranes in the city, which is right here in Holland, but that’s not the orchard, and that’s not where you’d go to pick apples (silly). The orchard is in Fennville, Michigan, about a half an hour drive from Holland, and like any typical apple orchard, you’d go here to pick apples! According to their website, they have just about every apple you can think of – Macintosh, Gala, Golden Supreme, Blondee, and Honey Crisp. The way it works once you get to the orchard is you get a bag, fill up your bag with as many yummy apples as you want, and then pay just $0.90 per pound of apples. What?! That’s a fantastic price! And I’m telling you, these apples are absolutely delicious and well worth your money. Once you’ve picked your apples, you can head to Cranes Pie Pantry and Restaurant, which is in the same vicinity as Crane’s Orchard, for some cider and donuts – a fall classic. (**A note to East-Siders** Crane’s isn’t a cider mill. You’ll have to get your fill of watching cider being made when you go home for fall break.)

These pictures are from last year when my friends and I went to Crane’s to pick apples. It was so much fun!

Lucky for the Hope community, Crane’s Orchard just opened back up last weekend for the fall season, so if you’re looking for something to do this weekend, you’ve found exactly what you’re looking of! I’ve gone to Crane’s at least once every Fall while at Hope, and this year it’s become an event for our house, complete with baking pies after we pick our apples. I’m pumped!

Keep looking forward to the weekend, Readers! Try out some Crane’s if it fits your fancy. Enjoy!

Until next time.

How Much Your RA’s Do For You..

Hey Everyone,

This year I am an RA(resident assistance) in Kollen Hall on the first floor. I never realized how much the RA’s go through for the residents in their hall. During this week of training, we go through multiple different safety, psychological, and physical lessons on how to handle situations in order to keep a Residence Hall safe. We have training from 9-6 everyday for the week, but we have lots of hallway work that we do during the nights and are busy until 10 pm most nights. This was one of the most grueling weeks I have had in a training situation. We get to have some fun with our co-workers as well though! Don’t get me wrong!

I really have a new appreciation for my RA’s of last year. We really do care about our residents. We want to make it the best year possible for them. Hopefully everyone is enjoying getting to know their RA. We really are here to help, serve, and care about you. I can guarantee you that if you are concerned about fitting in or being involved with activities, your RA can help you, or at least point you in the right direction.

Although RA training week was a lot to handle and learn, the staff here at hope college really works hard to show us that they care about us RA’s as well and that we are valued employees. They even throw a celebration dinner for us at the end of training week.

Being an RA, so far, has been a busy, yet wonderful experience!

Thanks for reading, I hope you are all having a great week!

Jesse Heerdt

Making the Most of the Mornings

For the past two years, I’ve definitely been someone who rolls out of bed as late as possible before my first obligation of the day. I usually worked as hard as I could to stay in my bed for as long as I could. A lot of times, this was the product of staying up way too late the night before to do homework or whatever I needed to get done before the next day, and if I really had a ton to do, I would stay up really late and get up really early (so basically I would sleep from about 2-4 a.m. A word of advice: DO NOT DO THIS.). I started this semester off with much better habits involving being in bed before midnight and getting up at 8:30 a.m. at the latest. Even getting up at 9 has started to feel like a waste of my day. I’ve realized that when I get up early, I can make so much more out of the day and not have to be awake at hours when only owls and bats should be. Here are some ways I like to spend my mornings now that they actually exist!

Go for a run

If you read my last post, you know I’m getting back into running. Running first thing in the morning is the best. I feel ready to go for the day, it’s cool outside, and Holland is pretty quiet. I love running by peaceful Lake Macatawa first thing in the morning.

Get homework done in advance

I’m most productive in the morning. That is by far the best time for me to get things done, so when I get rolling first thing in the morning, I feel super accomplished about my day!

Rehearse for chapel

The Rose Window in Dimnent Chapel is so beautiful.

Sometimes I have rehearsal for chapel at 7 a.m. since I am on worship team, but starting my day by worshipping with some of my favorite people is always a highlight.

Sit down for breakfast

Even when I have rehearsal at 7 a.m. or class at 8:30, I make time for breakfast. Freshman and sophomore year, I either grabbed a granola bar and ate it on my way to class or skipped breakfast entirely every day because I got up too late. This semester I bought a box of granola bars a week before class started and I think I have eaten three of them. Every other day, I have had the chance to sit down and eat breakfast (and even to do my dishes afterwards!) and it is just such a nice start to my day. I really do feel better when I take the time to eat breakfast. (Read about my favorite breakfast here!)

Pick up a cup of coffee and my Bible

I’ve been trying to pay attention to how much I read my Bible, and I really like to read it in the morning. It sets the tone for my whole day and focuses my mind on what is important. There is no better companion to the Bible than another of God’s greatest gifts to us: Coffee.

What do you like to do with your mornings? Let me know with a comment here, on Twitter (@hopekathryn17), Instagram (@kathrynekrieger), or send me an email at kathryn.krieger@hope.edu!

“I pray to God—my life a prayer—

and wait for what he’ll say and do.

My life’s on the line before God, my Lord,

waiting and watching till morning,

waiting and watching till morning.”

– Psalm 130:6, MSG

An Introduction to Scott Hall, Home of the Phelps Scholars

To skip the introduction, go to the bolded, numbered section.

When I applied to Hope College, I didn’t know what I was getting myself into.

My overnight visit during my youthful high school senior year spring break involved a burrito that was too big for human consumption (I finished it anyway), a Grey Squirrel at the Kletz, awkward conversations with upperclassmen, the most breathtaking sunset at Lake Michigan, and extreme culture shock. I say “culture shock” in the strangest sense because I lived in a predominantly Asian American community (Silicon Valley, California) and I wasn’t used to Hope’s predominantly Caucasian population.

I loved Hope College but I was scared to commit; I was scared of my lack of knowledge and unsure of my ability to adapt. But of course, that’s when God and late-night internet surfing intervened and introduced me to the Phelps Scholars Program.

From what I’ve learned during my three weeks of freshmanhood, no one really knows what the Phelps Scholars are. We know that it’s for freshmen to experience a multicultural community but that’s about it. I also knew that all the Phelps Scholar students lived in Scott Hall, a small building on the outskirts of campus, but I didn’t know how much of an impact that would make in my Hope experience.

So for future Phelps Scholars students out there, here’s Scott Hall in a nutshell:

1. Everyone, literally everyone, lives here

From what I know, the international students here are pretty cool cats. There are students from Bethlehem, Haiti, Kenya, Korea, China, Japan, Sweden, Mexico, the Czech Republic, Germany, and me from the Philippines (mabuhay ang Pilipinas!). I’m sure there are more students I have yet to meet. Then you have the students who came from all over the United States: Arizona, Texas, Chicago, California, Minnesota and so on. Lastly, you have your good ol’ Michigan locals who might just let you in on Michigan secrets and the hand map.

2. Open doors and music playing constantly throughout the day

The rule is simple: quiet hours start at 11 p.m. So of course, we abuse it to the best of our ability. Because Scott Hall is such a loving community, a lot of our doors are held wide open. As a result, people like to blare their music so that the floor can jam out almost 24/7 and sometimes the building if you’re loud enough.

3. Friday nights in the Scott basement are the best

I’ve only been here for three weeks and so far: an impromptu dance party with strobe lights and disco balls, an ultimate Super Smash Bros tournament, Game Night (Cards Against Humanity, Battle of the Sexes, ping pong, and pool) and freshly baked cookies, and a surprise birthday party at 1 a.m.

4. The piano room and the tomb

The piano room and the tomb are communal rooms on the first floor. The piano room is also known as the air conditioning room (Scott doesn’t have air conditioning otherwise) and the room with a vending machine. It’s also really close to the staircase so all the floors can hear you play your beautiful piano music (and your screw-ups but we tolerate it). The tomb is supposedly a study room that is dead quiet but from time to time you’d find a rebellious group of jackanapes infiltrating the space.

5. The kitchen and the computer room

We have one of the biggest kitchens on campus, end of story. If you visit, please make us food, thank you. It’s in the basement, same room as our TV, ping pong table, and pool table. We also have a computer room in the adjacent wing with about seven computers, a printer, and a big white board that students like to wheel around for study groups.

6. Friends at every corner and deep talks

Regardless of how hard you fight it, you will socialize and you will find people who will both open your eyes and relate to you. You will get close to the people in your floor and wing. As someone who liked to keep to herself for most of her life, this came as a surprisingly pleasant experience. I could always find someone to eat with during dining hours, to wave at in passing, to go on donut runs with, to study on the staircase with and to have deep talks with. Expect to find your room filled with people you’ve only seen in passing sharing crazy and genuine stories about their lives and families back at home and maybe a tad bit of gossip.

7. Home away from home

It’s hard to explain in words, but my homesickness was eased here. I feel safe and I am certainly happy. Even though I’ve only barely touched the surface of what it’s like to live as a Phelps Scholar, I’d recommend to any incoming student to apply from the program.

To see what convinced me to join, watch this video from their website: http://www.hope.edu/phelps-scholars-program

Some Words of Wisdom…

Hello readers! Oh how fast time flies….I know we have all been there, right? I am still reeling over the fact that I am now a senior in college. Senior. Before I know it, I will have some pretty big decisions to make. It makes me nervous, yet excited for what’s to come. At this point, I have been making it more of a priority to take the time to reflect–whether in prayer, in close conversation with a friend, or by writing it down. In part, my Senior Seminar class has allowed me to do just that (but that will be another blog post altogether).

But as I reflect on how I am doing now, I have also been reflecting over the past 3 years, specifically my freshman year. Wow, that seems like so long ago. It was an exciting time for me–I would be living that independent college lifestyle and pictured the many donut runs, late night pizza and HW sessions I would be having. I was ready for the classes that would challenge me and I hoped to form close bonds with my English professors. I am grateful that all of those things did happen and that along the way I was able to meet some pretty amazing people whom I still call friends today.

Don’t get me wrong, freshman year also had its downs. There were times when I was homesick for my family because I was the first person in my family to go away to college. Or when I would stress myself to the point of exhaustion over a paper or exam. There were even those nights when I would question if I really “belonged” at Hope because there were so many people who were different from me. Yes, these were the parts of my Hope experience that weren’t so great, but what I learned from those experiences only helped me grow into the person I am today.

So to the freshmen who may be having a hard time adjusting right now, I can only hope that you believe me when I say that it does get better. By choosing Hope, you have chosen a place where you will not only receive the best education, but also a place where you will learn and grow from the challenges you face along the way. Take the bad days in stride and look forward to the next day– a new day to learn something new, to meet someone new, to go someplace you have never been to before. I know for me, Hope is my second home–it just might be your second home too.

Here are some other pieces of advice from some of my very wise friends (and sorority sisters) who have been in your very shoes:

“Don’t be afraid to try new things and step out of your comfort zone. College is only four years and might seem long but trust me, those four years go by fast. Make it the best four years of your life and don’t regret anything”

–Jackie Salgado, Class of 2016

“The person you are now (your first year) will not be the same person you will be at the end of your four years. You will learn from those around you and you will teach those around you, so that you all are able to grow into people who have well rounded perspectives and ideas.”

–Laura Rodriguez, Class of 2016

“Get involved in whatever interests you. College is your time to explore. Don’t let procrastination ruin your chances to develop deep friendships with people. Try to do homework ahead of time so that you can spend your time getting to know people.”

–Rudy Metellus, Class of 2016

Think of how you felt when you applied to attend Hope. You had faith to apply, now you have faith to act on it and make it the best year you can imagine, and from here it takes faith to keep looking at the joyful end of it all, graduation. So go into this year and the next three years to come being confident, trusting in God, and relying on faith. You’ve already taken one step, let go of fear, and take a few more. “

–Alexis Simone-Rivers, Class of 2016

“Be open to trying new things and meeting new people. Don’t be afraid to say hi to the person sitting next to you in class just because you don’t know them.”

–Mary Elena Salguero Palma, Class of 2018

“Don’t wait until next year to do or join anything that you want to. Do it now because time will fly by faster than you know it.”

–Ashley Monique Quiñones, Class of 2018

Here’s to a great year! 🙂

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