If you have ever wondered what the most beautiful campus is, it has to be Hope College. This place looks like it is straight of a fairy tale in the winter. It really looks like an enchanted Winter Wonderland. You cannot feel more at peace than when you are walking through the Pine Grove right after a fresh snow. Night walks during the large snow falls are also a blast! Nothing beats a doughnut run while it is snowing the large fluttering snowflakes.
But really though, Hope College has an amazing campus. Its small enough that your friends are close, but large enough that you know you are at college and that you are not going to know everyone. I still see people throughout the day that I haven’t ever seen before. Also, we all know winter can get old, but think about it, there is something peaceful about a fresh snow where everything is perfectly covered and smooth. It is just refreshing.
The warm weather will be back soon enough! It is a good thing for us to be thankful for the beauty God has given us during different seasons of the year.
Thanks for reading, I hope you are all having a great week!
Here is the Auditorium that we got to use on Sunday to preform the songs we learned all while the Glory was going to God!
Wow….So this weekend, I and members of the Hope College Gospel Choir and the Black Student Union had an amazing opportunity to go to a Black Sacred Music Symposium. This was an event hosted at the University of Illinois that focused on what Black Sacred Music was as well as putting that into action. What I mean by that, is we got to hear from numerous speakers focusing on topics like “How to prepare for singing gospel music,” “The calling of being a director,” “The lyrics behind the songs,” and so much more. Not only did we get to learn all this insightful information, but we also got to learn different genres of gospel songs and sing them with a mass choir at a performance on Sunday (which was more than a performance – it was using the voices and the soul of everyone in the room as well as the lyrics behind the songs to give Jesus praise.)
Got to experience this with some of my Gospel Choir Friends.We adopted some family titles during this trip, mom, dad, and their three children.
This event was amazing, but you know what made it ever greater, it was FREE! Ahhh, one of my favorite words….free. 🙂 We got to stay in a nice Hyatt Hotel for free.
This wasn’t a bad place to stay for free. 🙂
We got to be apart of this symposium for free. We got to Campaign, IL, on a Hope bus for free. The only thing I spent some money on was two meals. This was possible through Dr. Trent-Brown setting everything up (SHOUT OUT) and through Hope providing the money for us to be able to do this stuff for free. Hope really values the opportunities that student life can provide, and thus Hope Administration Staff is often very willing to work details out with clubs so that students can pay less to nothing at all.
Man, this conference was amazing. Hope’s willingness to provide for students is amazing. I love this place.
For more about me, follow me on twitter @hopejohnluke17 or on Instagram at johnlukehawkins. If you have a question you can email me at john.hawkins@hope.edu. Until next time!
I’ve been so busy lately that the last thing I want to do in a post is reflect on how busy the last two months of my life have been.
But, whatever, because it’s been a good busy.
Like I said in an earlier post at the beginning of the semester I decided to join a sorority here. Since the end of January I have been spending a lot of time getting to know the girls in our class. It’s been so busy. And normally when I get this busy I fall under immense stress and turmoil and my whole life feels like it might be over.
Not this month, though. Part of this is about time management, and the other part is about how much fun I’m having. I’m doing more than I ever thought I could handle but that can’t beat the people I’m meeting and spending time with. It’s truly shaping up to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made, though I think that I will be able to say that with even more gusto once I’m a senior.
For example, last Friday night we watched movie with our brother fraternity and then went to the Science Center afterwards to play sardines. It was so fun! I’m so happy to be surrounded by such a lovely, supportive group of people.
On Saturday, we went on a donut run together for one of the girl’s birthdays! It was great to be able to celebrate with her while munching on one of Hope’s delicacies.
There are so many ways to meet people on Hope’s campus, and this is just the way that I have chosen to branch out after feeling like other opportunities weren’t working as well for me. I’m so glad that I did! When my time frees up next week… I don’t know what I’m going to do. Yeah, it’s been busy, but I kind of like it.
Plus, Big keeps sending me gifts. [Big stands for Big Sister. This is an older girl in the sorority who gets paired up with you to help support you and be there for you! Since Big Sisters also have Big Sisters, this creates a family line. It’s really cool to see how far back your family line goes!]
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If you have any questions for me you can contact me at brookelyn.wharton@hope.edu, through Hope on Facebook, or my twitter @hopebrooke18! I’d love to answer them!
It’s cold, dark, and snowy and I just watched what could be one of the best movies of the year. On sale on Google’s Play store for about 5 bucks, my girlfriend and I ordered some Hungry Howie’s and decided to escape the Michigan life and delve into the the neo-noir underbelly of Nightcrawler’s Los Angeles.
For those who have no idea what I am talking about, check out the trailer here.
I didn’t really know what to expect from this movie. From the trailer, it was something about a guy with a camera filming tragedy on the Los Angeles pavement. So Rachel and I turned down the lights and mashed our faces in pizza unaware of the mental roller-coaster we were about to experience.
The film revolves around the persistent character of Lou Bloom portrayed by Jake Gyllenhaal as he desperately finds work. Captured by the energetic allure of crime journalism, Lou muscles his way into the gritty work of capturing late-night tragedy on camera with the encouragement of morning news director Nina Romina. His newfound career expands as he hires a protégé, Rick Carey, to help him capture crime and feed the news machine with tragedy, violence, and loss. The rest you must watch for yourself.
There’s more at stake than journalism with Nightcrawler. The film itself was an intense rollercoaster ride of action and suspense, but it ultimately had us, the audience, look both into ourselves and around us.
There may be spoilers so I do not recommend reading my reflection about the movie below until after watching it yourself.
Mouseover for Potential Spoiler(s)
I highly recommend everyone to watch Nightcrawler and if you can, enroll in a cinema class at Hope!
Looking for something fun to do this weekend? Tired of doing homework and just need a break? Then you should DEFINITELY drop everything you’re doing and hitch a ride to the beach!
Even though my personal favorite season for the beach is the summer, the winter gives a different definition of beauty to the beach in the winter. The constant changing of temperature from cold to colder lets the beach shape-shift into a different formation every time you visit. One day you could be looking at a frozen wasteland and actually get to step out on the water, and the next you could get to see a beautiful sunset that lowers over rushing ice on the shore.
As you can see, the beach changes every day, so if you can, catch a ride there and make sure to bundle up!
Even though the beach is beautiful, it’s beauty can be deceiving at this time of year. When you go there, you need to be sure to bundle yourself up. I just went there today today with my friends, and it was dangerously cold… cold enough that if you leave you’re gloves off for even five minutes, you’d get frostbite. Be sure to double layer all your clothes (including your socks!) and take your hat, gloves, scarf. Don’t stay out too long and be careful driving if the roads are slippery.
Even if you do get to visit the beach this winter, make sure you also check it out in the summer, because the beach oh-so much better in the summer!
Just to give you a taste of the best time of year 🙂
Happy Thursday! This week seemed to have flown by, at least for me. However, today was a complete drag, mostly because it was so cold outside, that I was dreading leaving my cozy apartment. I woke up this morning, convinced that Hope would cancel class because it was so ridiculously chilly, but unfortunately that email was never sent. While looking out my window at all of the snow, it got me thinking—there are so many other things I would rather do than walk in these negative temperature conditions! Here’s a list of some practical and also unpractical things that would please me more than having a frozen face walking around campus:
Watch Netflix—literally any show because I wouldn’t care what I was watching as long as it distracted me from the freezing weather.
Organize the refrigerator—I don’t think anybody ever wants to do this, so it’s saying a lot that I’d rather do this than walk through a bunch of snow.
Eat/drink a bottle of ketchup—I personally have never done this, but I imagine it’s better than slipping on ice outside.
Stub my toe—this and paper cuts are probably the worst injuries that seem so small, but I would gladly deal with a stubbed toe than have to thaw my whole body after walking to classes.
Hiccup for an hour straight—even hiccuping for ten minutes gets super annoying and depending on the severity of the hiccup itself, it can be painful. I would rather suffer through this feeling and sound over not having visibility while walking outside.
Do laundry—I think everybody dreads doing this, along with going grocery shopping.
Organize and clean up my desktop on my computer—this is something I always put off and sometimes never do, so getting around to this would be a difficult feat.
Watch a documentary on ancient architecture—I cannot imagine something more boring and dull, so sitting through this would be more enjoyable than having icicles forming on my face.
I don’t know if you would rather do these things as well to avoid going outside, especially with the wind chill here in Holland, but staying inside is very appealing for days like today! All I can hope for is that it will warm up a tad this weekend in time for the dodgeball tournament tomorrow men’s basketball game on Saturday. Stay warm everybody!
In case you’ve been living under a rock (or haven’t left your room in weeks, as *cough* some of us might wish we could), it is COLD out there. There is so much snow on the ground and the buildings and the sidewalks and trees. When I can get my face out of the 87 layers I wear any time I walk somewhere, I can’t help but admire the beauty God creates out of something that can also feel so heavy and sad and frustrating to us most of the time. Campus honestly looks amazing right now, with heavy clusters of snowflakes lining every tree branch and rooftop. It’s really beautiful.
Here’s a picture I snapped of Van Vleck Hall in the snow a couple weeks ago. There is so much more snow now!
While there are definitely things to appreciate about winter in Holland, it is also important to be prepared. Even my friends who can usually bear to walk across campus in sweatshirts have been breaking out their real coats lately. Here are my tips for surviving the Michigan winter!
Another thing to appreciate about winter in Holland: The beach!
#1. Get a good winter coat. Preferably a long one. Mine goes down to the middle of my calves, so it’s really long, but sometimes I find myself wishing that it was even longer! I’m so glad I invested in a nice, warm parka. I’m still cold in it, but I couldn’t imagine walking across campus in anything shorter or thinner! I got my coat on a major clearance sale at a Land’s End store. Patagonia and The North Face are popular at Hope and accessible at stores in downtown Holland, but brand doesn’t really matter – warmth does!
#2. Take advantage of that travel coffee mug that’s collecting dust in your bottom drawer. There is nothing better than finally arriving at your 9:30 class after trekking through a blizzard and remembering that you have a Tervis full of hot coffee (or hot chocolate or tea) to drink.
#3. Cut through buildings. Is this sad? I get cold really easily and I hate it, so whenever I have an opportunity that makes some amount of sense, I cut through a building on my way anywhere. I will admit that I have gotten lost in unfamiliar buildings while trying to do this, but then at least I get to wander around a building and get warm in the meantime.
#4. Get a good pair of snow boots (and probably some wool socks). Last year, I wore riding boots all winter, and my feet were always cold and I slipped on ice more times than I care to admit. This year I invested in a pair of snow boots that will last me for the rest of college, and I’ve felt way more stable while walking to class on snow- and ice-covered sidewalks. I have Sorel boots, and I know Khombu boots are popular as well, but again, brand doesn’t really matter. They sell cheaper boots at Target and Meijer as well. Anything intended for snow will work!
#5. Layers are your friend. This is an easy one for me because I love to layer up my clothes. You can usually find me on any given day wearing a button-up shirt, sweater, vest, and when it’s really cold, a scarf. It keeps me so much warmer than just a t-shirt would!
#6. Take advantage of soup and tea in Phelps.Phelps always has good cold-weather pick-me-ups. Don’t waste a chance to warm your belly with a bowl of chicken noodle or a warm cup of tea before your next class. Grilled cheese and tomato soup day (my favorite lunch!) is a real gift on a freezing cold day.
#7. Take advantage of on-campus spots to buy snacks, toiletries, and other necessities. Sometimes you run out of food or toothpaste in the midst of a blizzard, and that’s a real bummer. I’ve spent way too long digging my car out of parking lots in order to go grab one little thing at Meijer, but there are places on campus to get your necessities! You can pick up chips, muffins, or cookies at the Kletz, several toiletries at the bookstore, and fruit at Phelps when you’re in a pinch!
#8. MITTENS. Mostly I included this because I love the word mittens. They are also my saving grace in the winter. They keep your hands warmer than gloves do, and I just like them. I like the way the word sounds too. Mittens. What a great thing.
What are your winter necessities? Let me know on Twitter (@hopekathryn17), Instagram (@kathrynekrieger), or email me at kathryn.krieger@hope.edu! Thanks for reading!
“And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
You read my title right, we all fail. I challenge you to say this phrase out loud three times before continuing reading this blog post.
“I have failed.”
It’s hard to admit. Even though we have so many successes, it is also important to recognize our failures. Without recognizing our failures, how will we be successful in the future? Anyway, failure is a topic that is taboo to millennials and the Hope College student body. We are so threatened when it comes to failure, and we are so afraid of it. I don’t blame us. I can’t stand to fail. I am always striving to avoid failure and aim for success. But we aren’t perfect. God made us this way for a reason. By making mistakes and failing, we learn how to make things better for the future. Think about this quote for a few seconds.
A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new. – Albert Einstein
He speaks the truth, that Mr. Einstein. Trying new things like classes we are not familiar with, and accepting new challenges (to list some examples) expand our knowledge and growth. If we are always succeeding, how are we to learn anything new? For those of you who are threatened for failure, I am sorry. This information is SCARY. But if we are to be successful, we have to know that we fail sometimes. We are conditioned by our society to strive for perfection and success. Although both of these are great, it becomes unhealthy in that our expectations for ourselves dramatically increase and we punish ourselves if we do not succeed. Just remember, if you don’t as well on a test or assignment, you can learn what to improve upon.
Now, why might I be talking about failure? Easy. On March 27th, Hope College is hosting an event called Failure:Lab. During this time, there will be 6 special guest speakers who will verbalize one of their most significant failures, and will share no lessons. This may, or totally does sound intimidating, but the purpose of Failure:Lab is to start conversations in our community. It also strives to remove the negative stigma on failure. Just remember, no matter how hard we try, we are not perfect. That’s reality.
To learn more about this event, go to Failure:Lab‘s Hope Event website. Ticket information and speakers are listed there. This event is like no other. It is a stepping stone in opening up conversation about failure.
Photo from @HopeCollegeSAC
Make sure you spread the word about this event. Tickets are limited! Share this blog post and use the hashtag #HopeFailureLab. Thank you for reading, everyone! Make sure to follow me on Twitter at @HopeMarvin15 or on Instagram at MarvSolberg.
Hold on for just a second, count it up slowly. Only 7,423 days of my life have passed.
If I’m lucky, I can plan for at least 29,209 more (that’s age 100).
That’s a lot of days, a lot of changes, and a lot of growth (to think that at one point in my life I weighed less than my backpack is a weird thing to think about.)
But from the very beginning, I’ve been Sophie. And I’ll still be Sophie until I reach my 36,632nd day.
I was thinking the other day about how cool it would be if I had a Twitter-type search engine for myself and I could #Sophie and find all of the stuff in the world that I impacted enough to get a hashtag with my name on it. Then it scared me, because I remembered that for every hashtag that gives out praise there’s another one complaining about exactly the same thing.
The greatest thing I’ve learned over these past four months is to be brave. Beginning with my foot being healed (see link here) in November, then later that same week dying my hair red, I began to see the world without boundaries. The only thing for me to be afraid of was to be afraid.
But my bravery didn’t come from myself. The confidence I tried to dig up from the depth of my gut instead became me believing the lie that I would never be a person who could be brave.
I realized something important. The glory couldn’t go to me.
The glory had to go back to God. Yeah, it’s been a journey. I’m a pride-claiming master. But everything that I couldn’t do became things I could do when I learned to give the glory back to the one who gives everything to me.
Once I realized this, all of my fear left. Because if I hashtag-searched “Sophie,” it’s less about what I have done and more about what I’m doing for God’s Kingdom. I’m gonna keep messing up, I know. I’m never going to be perfect. But there are so many chances for redemption because I’m swimming in an ocean of grace. Every complaint bearing the #Sophie, God helps me to forget so that I can move forward in confidence without fear.
[Today was a snowy Ash Wednesday.]I’m blonde again as of Monday, back to my natural color. But if I looked at the #Sophie over these past four months, there’s way more change than that of just my hair. I know they’d have a different voice all together because of the bravery He has placed in my heart. No longer am I living in the boxes and fences of comfort and fear, but instead stepping out into the adventure of living life without borders. It makes my hashtag way more awesome.
Follow me @hopesophie17. Want to know more about being brave? Comments? Email me at sophie.guetzko@hope.edu. Stay warm!
Grandma Dinner(grănd′mä′ dĭn′ər)
n.
Eating dinner as soon as possible in order to avoid crowds.
Examples:
“I’m going to eat a Grandma Dinner tonight because I just don’t want to deal with hordes of people right now…want to join me?”
College students may be all about that late night life, but, interestingly enough, many also value the early dinner lifestyle.
I don’t know about how your family functions, but when I was in high school my family didn’t eat dinner until 7:00, sometimes 8:00, whenever it was that everyone finally returned home for the night. That was our schedule.
Then I got to college.
My friends and I arrive at Phelps between 4:45 pm (when they open for dinner) and 5:00 pm to scout out our table for the evening.
The earlier you get to the dining hall, the wider the variety of seating options you have.
Our preferred side of Phelps with all the seats to choose from.
Eating a Grandma Dinner also lowers the amount of people who are in the dining hall which decreases the amount of awkward almost-running-into-someone-with-a-plate-full-of-food-while-trying-to-return-to-your-table moments.
Ashley & Kristin, my fellow Grandma Dinner-mates, in front of our choice seating for the night–a lovely booth–and happy that there are practically no people around.
Thanks to The Grandma Dinner my friends and I can eat with minimal awkward encounters, free of crowds of people, and be back in the dorm working on assignments by 5:20 – it’s a good life.
I hope you have enjoyed reading about the benefits a Grandma Dinner lifestyle can bring to a college student schedule!
~Erin
You can follow me @HopeErin18 on Twitter and @e_delaney333 for more daily insights and pictures of my life at Hope as a college Grandma Dinner enthusiast.
