Blog - Page 66 of 147 - Life at Hope College

Adventure Is Out There

Adventure IS out there. Sometimes you just got to create it yourself and keep a keen out for it. Over Winter Break (02/07-02/10) I went home for a wee bit and brought my friend Christian along with me. My home is located in little ol’ Tipton, Indiana – population of 4,992 (thus about only 1000 more people than students at Hope College). It is a place full of corn fields. So, it is fair to say that we had to do a bit of searching to find the adventure, but we found it.

We first got to my house on Friday evening. We came home to a nice dinner and a then played some cards with the family. Then Saturday rolled around, or better labeled, Adventure Day. We woke up to some more good food and then set off. We first walked to a woods and explored in there. We then went to a silo that had a large connection to my childhood. Then we headed back to my house and walked on the frozen pool, which nearly gave my grandma and mother a heart attack. Then we went into town. We snuck into the high school, did some shenanigans, and then went t the park to adventure some more. We ended the adventuresome day by going to the Turbine Farm that was right besides my house and did some exploring.

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All in all, it was fun. It also helped me realize something. Ever since I have come to college and the beautiful town of Holland, my enjoyment of Tipton, Indiana, has lessened. Holland has so much for my extroverted-self to do, where Tipton is a place that doesn’t really fit my personality. Due to that, though I do love being with my family, I have unconsciously had some negative feelings towards Tipton and thus slightly avoided it.

This break allowed me to let go of some of the disdain towards the town that I was born and raised. Sure, I don’t ever expect to live in Tipton after college, but I do now know this, Tipton is more adventuresome then I thought. I guess that maybe I just wasn’t looking in the right places or maybe even looking at all.

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!

Habits and Intentions

“Live less out of habit and more out of intention.”

I’ve heard that phrase used a lot lately. It sounds nice: It’s a simple expression that tries to act to point out how life should “really be,” especially for Christians, all neatly packaged into ten words. We in the church talk a lot about being intentional; in fact, we tend to talk about it so much that the term has been labeled as “Christian-ese.” We say we’re just trying to be intentional about one thing or another, all too often falling short. Why is that? The word itself is intention. It’s a thing we mean to do. It’s a plan. It’s an aim. It’s a goal. None of those things are something we’re necessarily actually going to carry out to completion. It just sounds nice for us to be able to say that we’re being intentional about reading the Bible or connecting with people on deep levels or listening to God, but we so often don’t feel a need or a desire to actually do it. It’s just an intention.

Habits are a vital part of our lives. Things would get pretty chaotic for all of us if we didn’t have any habits to work from. Obviously, not all of our habits are good, and I think it’s fair to say that each of us has a bad habit or two that we could stand to work on. But we also all have good habits. Do you brush your teeth every morning? Great habit. Some people (and I wish I could honestly include myself in this category) read their Bible every single day. Great habit. If you’re like me, maybe that one is an intention. Great intention. But how often do I actually follow through on that intention? Not nearly as much as I should. It’s only an intention: Something I want to do, something I aim to do, but not something that I will necessarily do.

Here’s what I think we should do. Quit making habits out to be the bad guy. We need those. Some are really good and healthy for us physically, spiritually, emotionally, and mentally. But intentions are important too. When we actually carry them out, they can help us move toward becoming the people we hope to be.

What if our intentions became our habits?

What would happen if our intention to dig deep into the Word of God on a daily basis became a habit?

What would happen if our intention to take people out to coffee who just needed someone to listen to them became a habit?

What would happen if our intention to lay down our selfish desires to truly follow Jesus became a habit?

What would happen if our intention to align ourselves with the world’s materially poorest people and to listen to their needs became a habit?

What would happen if we quit just intending to do things and we really made them habits?

Nothing? Maybe.

But I think it’s far more likely that something would happen. Or that a lot of somethings would happen.

I know that I’m making this all sound far easier and simpler than it is. I’m not saying that making all our Kingdom-oriented desires into realities will be clean-cut or happen quickly. I’m not saying we’ll ever be perfect at it. I’m not saying that I’m any good at this at all. I’m not saying that I even entirely understand what it means to lay down my selfishness for the interests of the cross. What I’m saying is that, by the grace of God, we can start moving in a direction that can truly make a difference.

I think most Christians would agree that there are many, many things in this world that are unjust, broken, and painful. I think we can also agree that one person creating a new set of positive habits won’t fix any of these things on its own. But I think that one person creating a new set of habits can make a huge change in their own life, and in the lives of others around them. Our own strength isn’t sufficient to fix everything (or most things, really), but we have the best Help there is on our side.

Thanks for reading! Keep up with me on Twitter (@hopekathryn17), Instagram (@kathrynekrieger), or email me at kathryn.krieger@hope.edu!

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.’”

– Matthew 16:24-25

Why 2015 is the Best Year Yet

Despite the fact that it’s only February and we still have 10 months to go, 2015 has already proved to be the best year yet (for me at least). So much good news has come this year, and I am looking forward to so many things things year which is exciting! Let me tell you about the most exciting things that are coming up.

NACA (National Association for Campus Activities)
Where: Minneapolis, MN
When: February 14-16
What: This conference is an important one. Along with my other directors for SAC and a student life adviser, our purpose is to find talent to bring to Hope College not only to provide entertainment, but also provide an enriching experience for our students. This process is confusing, but so much fun at the same time. This year, the conference is in Minneapolis which will be fun and exciting! Last year, it was in Boston, but I was unable to go. I am beyond excited to go this year and scout out possible artists for the 2015-2016 school year! I can’t believe everything is happening so early!

Spring Break Trip to POLSKA!
Where: Gdansk, Warsaw, and Krakow POLSKA (Poland in Polish)
When: March 11-March 22
What: Well, seeing as it is my last spring break as an undergraduate student, I thought it was appropriate to “go big.” And so I did. I had a plan since this past August with my friend Dimitrie. I told him that we are going to travel for spring break. First, it was back to Vienna, then it was to Vietnam, but we landed on Poland. Why? For starters, it’s cheap! Secondly, there is so much history and culture to experience. Lastly, it’s an unconventional place to visit! When people go to Europe, it’s usually Spain or France. Don’t get me wrong, they’re wonderful places and would like to travel there also, but it’s cliché. So we’re going to Poland! I am excited for everything, especially our visit to Auschwitz Concentration Camp. It will be one heck of a learning experience.

GRADUATION
Where: Hope College
When: May 3
What: 4 years later, I am finally getting my undergraduate degree (Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing). It really doesn’t feel like 4 years has gone by, but it has. I am on track to graduate, and at this point, I am ready for a break from academia. I have already started a countdown because it’s reality, people. Some may get irritated at me that I have a countdown, but that’s their problem. They’re just not ready. But I am. I am ready to live in the world and I am beyond ready to apply my Hope College education.

Picture from Hope College. I can't believe that's what I'l be doing this coming May! — Picture from Hope College. I can’t believe that’s what I’l be doing this coming May!

PEACE CORPS!!!
Where: Cameroon, Africa
When: September 2015-November 2017
What: Where to even begin. First of all, I am beyond excited to be joining the Peace Corps! Make sure you check out my blog dedicated to my Peace Corps Journey, L’Afrique en Miniature. Anyway, I will be serving in Cameroon as a community health educator focusing on maternal and child health. What a perfect role for me seeing as I will be coming out of nursing school. After my service, I want to go to graduate school, and community health is one of my interests! After a long period of waiting, my time has come to serve!

There’s Always Something New

I lived in the same small town in Illinois for my entire life until I came to Hope. I recognize so many faces out of the 7,500 that inhabit my community, I know every nook and cranny of the shops and restaurants on Main Street, I’ve memorized the churches and the best running routes (or the running routes that don’t involve hills), and I can name who lives in a significant number of the houses on any given street. I like to think I know my hometown inside and out.

Sometimes it’s easy for me to think I know Holland inside and out as well. I’ve started to learn all different routes to drive to get to the beach or Target or nearby towns. I know what I want at the Windmill Restaurant (cinnamon roll and French vanilla cappuccino, please). I have all the stores downtown memorized and I know which ones I can afford, which ones are fun to look at, and which ones aren’t my taste. But I can tend to forget that Holland isn’t my hometown.

I’ve been coming here for a week at a time since I was ten years old, but a week isn’t enough time to learn an entire town. I’ve lived in Holland for less than two years, and that is still definitely not enough time to know everything. I pass by stores and restaurants and parks and movie theaters on a daily basis that I have never been to. The only faces I recognize when I walk around town are those who I know from Hope or a few people from church. I know a lot about Holland, but recently I’ve realized that even knowing a “lot” might really only be a small snippet.

My parents brought me back to Hope on Sunday night, and they asked me to pick a place for dinner that they had never been to before. I started listing off places downtown, forgetting that there are so many other parts of town with places that I have never been to before either. We ended up at the New Holland Brewery, where I’ve been many times for their awesome pizza. An old standby is never a bad choice, but I kind of wished I would have picked somewhere that was new to me, too.

The next day, my mom picked deBoer’s Bakkerij for lunch. I had never been there before, but this is one place that I will not regret putting in standard rotation. IT. WAS. INCREDIBLE. If you’re looking for a great place to have breakfast or lunch in Holland, this is where to go. I had the second best omelet of my life there (the all-time winner is a peanut-butter bacon omelet from a restaurant in my hometown that is no longer in business). My parents both had grilled cheese and soup that they said were amazing. I’m so glad we did something new for lunch yesterday, and now my parents are determined to visit new places every time they come to Holland. Fine by me!

Last fall, a friend and I decided to come to Grand Haven to find a new coffee shop. The ones in Holland are great, but we wanted to try something different. We found one we really liked, and ever since, I’ve been driving up to Grand Haven every few weeks to get some things done and enjoy the change of atmosphere. Today, I decided to drive around Grand Haven a little more, and I discovered that there are a bunch of coffee shops I didn’t know about before. I’m currently at The Coffee Grounds. It’s pretty quiet with good coffee and natural light. I’m glad I tried something different!

Coffee Grounds — Such a cool coffeeshop!

Cappuccino — So much foam on my cappuccino, and it’s so good.

No matter how much I think I know about Holland or the other towns nearby, there is always more to explore! I’m realizing that all I’ve talked about in this post is restaurants, but over the past few months I have also explored forest preserves, beaches, downtowns, and more. West Michigan never really gets old, but it also feels pleasantly familiar. I am so glad I live here.

Thanks for reading! Keep up with my adventures on Twitter (@hopekathryn17), Instagram (@kathrynekrieger), or send me an email at kathryn.krieger@hope.edu!

“And the one sitting on the throne said, ‘Look, I am making everything new!’ And then he said to me, ‘Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.'”

– Revelation 21:5

Thoughts About My Classes in France!

As much as I would love to post only about my fun adventures I have had (and will continue to have) here, I do have classes to attend and homework to complete. But, it isn’t bad at all! I only have classes Monday through Thursday (Hello three-day weekend!).

On Mondays and Tuesdays I only have one class and am done by the afternoon, so that leaves plenty of time to explore!

Wednesdays are long because I am in class from 11-6:30 pm, with only a twenty-minute break in between. Thankfully, I eat dinner with my host mom afterwards, so I don’t have to worry about cooking or buying something to eat after a long and tiring day.

On Thursdays, I only have two classes, one of which is pretty cool! It’s called Paris Collage: History, Culture, and Architecture, and we pretty much go on field trips! We start off in class for lecture and then take the metro to somewhere new, be it an old building, a château, or church. It’s so fun to actually see what we’re learning in class in real life! I am taking two other literature classes, which, thanks to my English major, I am very much used to 🙂 They are both French literature classes, which is something new for me. It’s quite challenging to read in French, but it’s good practice for me to further comprehend the language. I highly recommend reading books in the language you are learning!

Who doesn't love books? #Englishmajorlife — Who doesn’t love books? #Englishmajorlife

I also have to take French grammar and conversation, which I both thoroughly enjoy because they both give me more reasons to practice my French! I wouldn’t say I am completely fluent, but I am getting there! I am getting more comfortable with using it when I am at home talking to my host mom, when I am with friends outside of school, and of course when I need help and have to ask for directions, which has happened a lot lately. Actually though, people have come up to me to ask me for directions! My goal is by the end of my time here, I will be able to give someone directions with no problem 🙂

To end this post, I want to share a picture of Notre Dame I took before the 6:30 pm mass service on Sunday. It is even more beautiful at night! It was my first time attending mass since I came to Paris, and it was just what I needed to reassure me that this journey I am on is a blessing.

Thanks so much for reading! Follow me on Twitter @HopeMarisela16 to hear more about my life abroad!

Reflections From Home

Being home makes me wish I were still in high school. I guess that’s just because I have such an awesome family and I want to be around them more. I still love Hope… just hear me out ’till the end, trust me.

So maybe you’re a senior in high school, which is who I’m thinking of as I write this, but maybe you’re not. This is still something to think about.

Home is where warm candles are lit, where vanilla scents waft up my senses constantly, and fuzzy blankets are always there to snuggle under and watch a TV program while munching on my mom’s homemade popcorn. Home is my cat and dog, cuddling into me at any moment they can. It’s my mom’s cooking: real, fresh food. Home is my brothers and my step-sisters laughing, my step-dad cracking the jokes, and my mom rolling her eyes behind it all.

My cat sleeping on my bed

Candles burning at home

Home is comforting; everything about it screams, “Stay here!”

What if I did?

Whenever I get the feeling that home is a better place than anywhere else, I ask myself this. I wouldn’t have made the friends that I have so far, learned as much about myself as I have, and learned as much about others as I have. Home is cool and all, but nothing compares to the beauty of Holland. The lakes, trees, and hills, keep me grounded. Not to mention the fresh set of friendly people that surround me.

The snowy Pine Grove

A couple of my friendly friends behind me 🙂

While home may be comforting, it’s important to get out there in the world, and push yourself out of your comfort zone a little bit. Without that, growth would never come. Without growth, I’d just be a stagnant person, munching on my mom’s popcorn and listening to my step-dads same corny jokes until I get old and can’t hear him anymore.

I’m exaggerating. But still.

Home is where the heart is but Hope is where my heart grows. While I wish I could have more time here, I know it’s time to get back to the books and friends that are waiting for me in Holland. Every day there is an adventure, and I need to continue mine.

Seniors: I hope that as you think about college and where you’re going to end up next year you remember to enjoy the moments you have at home right now. It’s sad but true that you will get less and less of them as time goes on. The good part is that a new chapter in your book is about to start, and whoever is at home is hopefully ready to cheer you on.

Until next time,

Brooke

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!

Winter Break in New York!

Wow!

This week has been intense. I was reminded again that time management is definitely not my forte when it comes to studying for exams, but to top it off, Rachel and I decided to spend our weekend in New York!

One of the unavoidable characteristics of Hope College’s spring semester is the snow. There’s enough snow in our lives here that I would not be surprised to wake up in snow. As beautiful as it can be, it’s also dreadfully suffocating, and has been the motivator for us to fly away to New York.

Therefore, today’s blog post is dedicated to travel.

Hope College is 45 minutes away from Grand Rapids Airport (GRR) that has domestic connections to larger hubs such as O’Hare (ORD), St. Paul in Minneapolis (MSP), or Detroit (DTW).

Don’t have a car? NO WORRIES!

Hope has a variety of services to help students get to GRR on time. Hope College’s transportation services are always easy to reach and are super helpful for booking a time for you to travel to the airport with their shuttle, a quick call and you will be good to go.

Hope College transportation services information can be found here.

If you do have a car, you can always park it overnight at GRR, but mind you, flying out of GRR is always a little bit more expensive. For the frugal student, I highly recommend booking tickets from ORD or DTW directly to Dulles or wherever you are going, it can save you $300 a ticket if you have a car. The 2-hour drive will cost you about 20 bucks and the 17-dollar per night fee for parking at ORD beats the 300 dollar extra cost.

I recommend every student at Hope to travel as much as they can. As beautiful and relaxing as Western Michigan can be, it’s always refreshing to explore the world and imbibe your minds with new adventures. Here are some of our adventures from this weekend!

Fantastic Les Miserables showing at the Imperial Theatre

Chicken bones from diseased soldiers who fought in WWII at New York’s oldest Bar. Lincoln used to hang out here!

Flash Mobs in the Library

That’s right. It happened. A flash mob in the Library. But not only there, but also in the cafe area called the Kletz. “When did this happen?” you might ask, we’ll to be honest it was awhile ago, November of last semester, to be exact… but now the video of the whole ordeal is out!

So why am I so excited about this? Well… I was in it! Not only that, but my co-chair and I for Dance Marathon choreographed it! Mark that off my bucket list! We had the opportunity to lead a group of students, teach them a choreographed dance, and organize a flash mob. It was awesome.

What is even more awesome, that this whole ordeal was done for a cause much bigger than ourselves!!! It was for Hope College Dance Marathon! If you don’t know what Dance Marathon is, it is a student led event that is 24 hours long. During the whole time, the participants have to stand on the feet. I did it last year as a freshman, and it was an exhausting experience, but so worth. You want to know why it was worth it? Because. it. was. (and is) for. the. kids!

This event is a giant fundraiser and all the money that is raised goes to Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids. This event is all for these kids in the hospital that are there fighting a hard battle against cancer or another sickness, so we, as participants of Dance Marathon can stand on our feet for a mere 24 hours.

Dance Marathon is a huge part of my life here at Hope and I encourage you, whether you are reading this as a incoming student, or a registered student, to do Dance Marathon during your time at Hope. After all, it is for the kids.

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!

Step Up Your Grub Game, Part 2

Well everyone, I hope you’re ready to take a well deserved few days off, as tomorrow begins Winter Break. You all deserve it, you’ve worked hard so far this semester!

Thanks for coming back for part 2 of discovering all that Phelps has to offer! Without further adieu, lets get started!

1. Chips and Dip/Salsa. This side dish is fantastic, especially when you’re craving a little crunch. First off, Phelps always has tortilla chips – right next to the soup section in a big white bowl! Then for your dips/salsas, there are always yummy options at the salad bar closest to the ice cream machine. There’s this three-bean one that I get all the time, and it’s super healthy too so it’s double goodness! Or, it’s your lucky day at ChipHOPEle, then you can always ask them for a side of salsa.

2. DIY Panini’s. This is a great option if you’re in the mood for something warm to go with a bowl of soup. All you have to do is make your own sandwich at the sandwich station (or even get one of the special ones!) and then go to the grillers right NEXT to the sandwich station, and grill up your creation! Some of the best one’s I’ve heard of are the grilled PB&J sandwich, the grilled Caprese sandwich (one of my favorites) and even making your own quesadillas with whatever fillings you want! It’s a great experience and lets you be super creative with your food – try it sometime!

3. Breakfast! Do you like breakfast for dinner? Well then these options are for you! Over where you find the dessert bars, you’ll find a breakfast oasis. There’s a whole section for cereal alone! Cheerios, Lucky Charms, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cocoa Puffs, and Life are the main options, but sometimes there are more…it’s awesome. Then right next to that is the waffle-making station where there’s batter that you can put in a waffle iron, and when that’s done, you can top it with strawberries, whipped cream, cinnamon and chocolate chips! SO yummy.

4. Toast. It may seem simple, but it you have an upset stomach and need something plain and simple, this would be your go to food. Right by the place that Sundae Sunday is, there’s an allergen section that has different types of breads and butters and jellies, as well as a toaster for all your toasting needs. It’s plain, but it’s still oh so good!

5. Floats and Shakes. I saved the best for last! Always a Phelps favorite, you can make almost ANY combination of shake or float you could ever want. Some of my personal favorites are: an Oreo shake (just take some vanilla ice cream with a splash of 2% and tons of Oreos), a peanut butter shake (same vanilla ice cream with 2% and a few packets of peanut butter and some chocolate chips for good measure), and a fresh strawberry shake (same combo of ice cream and milk, just add fresh strawberries from the salad station if they have them)! There’s also Root Beer floats (or any float for that matter), ice cream sandwiches (ice cream and two cookies) and just plain old ice cream! SO MANY OPTIONS.

I hope you get to experience the yummy options that are available in Phelps soon! Don’t be afraid to try new things and get creative with your food options. It can be hard sometimes, but there’s always something to eat when it comes to Phelps food!

Until next time, readers!

The Student Teaching Experience

Today I decided to interview my friend Nicole about student teaching! Student teaching is essentially the capstone experience of being an education major, so I wanted to get a first-hand perspective on what it is like. First, meet Nicole!

Name: Nicole

Tevas or Chacos? Tevas

Favorite things: Nature and Walt Whitman

Major: Secondary education English with a minor in secondary physical education

Activities: Young Life leader, admissions tour guide, student assistant resident director of Dykstra Hall, research for the education department, and teaching assistant for health dynamics and an education course

Me: Nicole, tell me about the things you are doing this semester.

Nicole: Well, I am at Holland Christian High School student teaching for sophomore English classes, freshman girls’ P.E. classes, and a class of weightlifting.

Me: What does your typical day look like?

Nicole: I wake up really early and I go to school and get coffee from the teachers’ lounge.

Me: Wow, that is a privilege.

Nicole: Yeah, it is! Then I teach freshman girls’ P.E., two classes of English, eat lunch, teach freshman girls’ P.E., English, weightlifting, and freshman girls’ P.E. again. Sometimes I get planning periods too. I love my cooperating teachers and I love the students and I love talking about Jesus in the classroom.

Me: How is student teaching different from the field placements you have in other education classes?

Nicole: I am still a guest in the classroom, but I feel more ownership over the students and the material. In field placements, it’s awesome to get to know the kids a little bit and teach a few things, but the point is more to figure out if you want to be a teacher. Student teaching is like really being a teacher and I like it a lot better because I can really pour all my energy into it.

Me: Are you taking any more classes this semester besides just being a student teacher?

Nicole: Yes, I have two education courses: Perspectives in Education and Student Teaching Seminar. Every Wednesday all the student teachers have both those classes at night and it’s basically about wrapping up our philosophies of education and why you want to be teachers. It’s also about practical application and things like how to actually land a teaching job in the future.

Me: What has been the best part and the most challenging part so far about student teaching?

Nicole: The best part is that I really love it. I love the school, the teachers, and the students, so it’s been awesome to be affirmed in the fact that I’m called to teach and I don’t want to do anything else. The most challenging part is that I miss the college schedule because I liked seeing people all the time, so it’s hard to transition away from that and realize that I am living a different, more professional lifestyle. I still get to be a college student and do fun stuff after school, but my life is different now.

Me: Do you have any final thoughts?

Nicole: Say thank you to your teachers because they care about you a lot more than you think they do.

Thanks for reading! Keep up with me on Twitter at @hopekathryn17, Instagram at @kathrynekrieger, or email me at kathryn.krieger@hope.edu!

Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord.

– John 21:12

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