A Taste of The Anchor

Hello!

My name is Jimmy Champane, and I’m returning as a Student Blogger this year. I am also the Editor-In-Chief of The Anchor, Hope’s very own campus newspaper. Below you’ll find the first post from my column, #nofilter. If you like what you see, you may want to consider writing for The Anchor when you attend Hope yourself!

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This past summer I re-fell in love with comics. I crazy that I ever fell off the train because anyone who has come within ten feet of me at any point in time knows how much I love Marvel movies. If I’m remembering correctly, it was because Marvel killed off Peter Parker again, (yes, again), and I decided I was done with the cycle of death and guaranteed resurrection that Marvel seemed to be caught in with all of my favorite heroes.

I don’t know what made me do it, but one day last April I decided to look up reviews for the Spider-Man series that started up after Peter’s death, ‘Superior Spider-Man.’ I couldn’t believe my eyes. Every single one of the 31 issues had received a score above a 9/10 from countless review outlets. I decided right then and there to give Marvel another chance by purchasing the entire ‘Superior Spider-Man’ collection from ComiXology.com, and boy, am I glad I did.

What I found was an incredible story about what happens when one of the biggest villains in all of comics, Dr. Octopus, switches bodies with Peter Parker and then sets out to be a better Spider-Man than Peter ever was. Spider-Man lost his wit, his empathy, even his classic costume, but what replaced him was not only hilarious in its own right, it was genuinely exciting to read. By taking Peter Parker, a character that Marvel won’t even let have kids so they can keep him young, out of the equation, Spider-Man was able to travel down one of his darkest paths yet.

Anyone who kept up with the news last summer undoubtedly heard that two of their key characters, Captain America and Thor will have some major changes happen in their respective series this fall. Sam Wilson, commonly known as Steve Rogers’ African-American sidekick, Falcon, will take up the helm and shield of Captain America. In Thor’s neck of the universe, something will happen rendering him unworthy to hold his trusty hammer, Mjolnir, and his title will be taken from him by a woman who is unknown at this time.

Of course, whenever big comic book characters get replaced, there has been a massive uproar from internet trolls, keyboard warriors, armchair lawyers and the kinds of people who make fifteen Twitter accounts just to sling homophobic slurs at writers. I think a few years ago, I would’ve reacted in a not-so-great fashion too. After seeing how amazing something like this can turn out when it’s done with care, I have an incredible amount of confidence in Marvel to get this right.

The good thing is that if they mess it up, and let’s be honest there’s always a chance they will, Marvel isn’t killing Steve Rogers or Thor. Steve just got his Super Soldier Serum removed so he’s about 90 years old physically right now, and Thor just gets to wield a crazy battle axe and he at some point will receive a metal arm. That being said, I think I’ll try my hardest to enjoy it for what it is. I’ll also keep in mind that with ‘Marvel’s The Avengers 2: Age of Ultron’ is looming on the horizon, so it’s pretty much guaranteed that I’ll see Steve Rogers and Thor back in action soon.

Vienna: Now or Never

Welcome back, everyone! This past May, Marvin (one of our fellow bloggers!!!) and I had the chance to go to Vienna to study abroad. It was such a great experience overall and since we were both planning on writing about our time there, we thought we would share this post and break up our experiences!

Morbisch

Where do I even begin? The whole time on the flight (all 10 hours of it) I still could not grasp that I was heading to Europe! Once everybody met up at the airport and got on their respective buses the trip truly started and it began to feel like we were in a different country. The first day was quite the blur because the time change was so different that we arrived around 8 AM a day ahead of the US, so attempting to stay awake the whole day was going to be a huge challenge. However, the bus ride from the airport to Morbisch proved to be a true test of our ability to stay awake.

The reason we headed first to Morbisch instead of Vienna was to get us all accustomed to a different country and gradually immerse ourselves in a different culture before being thrown into Vienna. I personally appreciated this approach because it allowed for people to get to know one another without the stresses of public transportation and classes yet.

Once everybody got off the bus and put their bags in their hotel rooms, the majority of people rode bikes or walked to… Hungary!!! Just a typical afternoon, right? That was really fun seeing the different and beautiful landscape and being exposed to a different culture and language just passing through towns. That whole day was pretty mellow because we had our first dinner as a group and realized that ice was not offered in water, which proved to be a disappointment down the road, but we managed to cope without the luxury of cold beverages. After that first evening, the only other main activity we did was going on our first dinner cruise. I had such a great time and I’m sure Marvin would say the same because we all got to have authentic, European food while having an acordian player serenading us while we enjoyed the boat ride. It was absolutely beautiful and overall, very relaxing after our hectic day beforehand.

Vienna

After Morbisch, we went directly to Vienna and went to our respective host-family homes. I was lucky enough to be living with three other girls: Tara, Sara, and Sam. I had such a blast with these girls and grew so close to them! I only knew Sara out of the three girls but I’m so happy to say that I gained two other close friends from this trip because our experiences of getting lost, figuring out public transportation, struggling to exchange money into Euros, getting to class on time and various other daily activities that soon became routine that we had trouble with initially.

The first day in Vienna Tara, Sara, Sam and I went to an honorary ceremony for our host father who was a well-known organ player and got lost (we weren’t even on the map anymore) and struggled to find our way. Surprisingly we were only twenty minutes late, but we definitely got some stares when we made our way into the pews. That was probably one of my favorite memories because we were so completely lost and we knew it was going to happen eventually but finding our way around at night was such an adventure. Everybody was so exhausted from the first two days in Europe that when we went to the symphony the night of our third day, nearly everybody fell asleep. Keeping my eyes open and trying not to be rude was one of the most difficult things of that trip because the music was so soothing and we were so tired! Even some of the professors dozed off for a minute or two!

What was really cool about where our school was it’s location across the street from the Opera House. Occasionally we could hear singers practicing from our classrooms for their performance later that day. Crazy, right? At times it was hard to remember that the point of this study abroad May Term was that we actually had to take classes. I always had to remind myself that I was here for more than leisure and experience, but to learn. I took Modern European History while most other people took German, Music, Religion, Art and Architecture or Senior Seminar. From what I gathered from everyone was that each of their classes was interesting and fun in their own way, and although it was a bummer we had class, it was something we definitely did not dread because we were surrounded by what we were learning. We would go on tours of the Treasure Chamber, tours of Vienna, and just take adventures that benefited our learning in a more hands-on sort of way that we couldn’t grasp through reading a textbook.

What proved to be really interesting and challenging every day was figuring out where to eat. We were each given a certain amount of Euros to spend on food each week but it typically didn’t cover all of the costs, so budgeting the money while also being aware of tips that needed to be given was frustrating. I think our group as a whole went to nearly every restaurant in a 3-mile radius just to see what was out there. Typically we would go to food stands because they were relatively cheap but we would also go to Billa (their main grocery store) and buy food there and eat in the local park that was around the corner from the university. That was probably one of my favorite memories because word got around that people were in the park so my roommates and I as well as others all joined us and we had a relaxing picnic in an area that looked like an oversized Pine Grove.

Following each meal, we had to figure out what kinds of places and events we wanted to attend. Some days we would just explore the city, take the Eubahn (subway) to different districts in Vienna and explore or go to more popular sites. These included Schonbruun Palace, the Schonbruun Zoo, the Danube beach, Top of the Hill, and others. These were all amazing locations and the ease in which we were able to get there was astonishing. It was so easy to say, “Hey, I’m going to head to Schonbruun Palace in a few minutes. Anyone want to join?” It would take only about 20 minutes to get there or anywhere for that matter because public transportation was so nice.

One of the definite highlights (and I think nearly everyone will agree with me) was the Manner cookies. Man, those were chocolate wafer pieces of heaven! YUMMM!

Salzburg:

We went to Salzburg on the weekend of May 16-18. Our weekend trips were all a blast, and we learned so much in each city and what it has to offer! Here are some highlights of our Salzburg adventure! On a side note, one not so great thing about Salzburg weekend was the weather and the rain. On our way to Salzburg, we made a pit stop at Melk Abbey, the oldest in Europe. Pretty neat right? There we learned so much about Austrian history and what makes it Austria today.

After our stop at Melk, we kept truckin’ to just outside of Salzburg to our hotel. Before getting to our hotel, we also passed by some important sites where they filmed the movie, The Sound of Music. To be honest, we both thought it was let down because we couldn’t stop and take pictures, and the weather was just not ideal. Anyways, we stayed in Hallein, Austria, which is a small town outside of the city. There, we ate dinner, walked around the quaint village. After, we just went to bed.

Saturday was a long day! It started with an awesome breakfast with the group, then it was to Salzburg to get a historic tour of the city, as well as its landmarks. Although it was wet, we all had a great time. I mean, why complain? It was EUROPE, for crying out loud.

One awesome thing about Salzburg was the chocolate. There was this particular kind, we all called “Mozart Balls,” that was just amazing. It was dark Austrian chocolate with a pistachio filling on the inside. My goodness, each one was about 1 euro, so $1.37. It was definitely worth it because you simply can’t get that in the United States. After touring all of what Salzburg had to offer, we went back to our hotel to unwind and hang out with the group!

Sunday was another packed day. We all had to get up early because the first agenda on our list was the Hallein Salt Mines. What a cool experience! We went inside a mountain through a train, and we were both in Austria and Germany in a span of only a few hours! Inside the mountain, we learned about how essential the mining industry was in Austria, and we also went on a boat because there was a large lake inside the mountain! But, my favorite part of the salt mines were the slides. In order to get through the mountain from the inside, we all had to slide down long slides. It was a blast!

After the salt mine, we headed to Hitler’s Nest which was just outside of Austria in Germany. We thought we were so cool because one minute, you’d be in one country, then a few minutes later, we were in another! It was such a cool experience at the museum. We learned more about WWII, toured the bunkers were Nazi soldiers stayed, and it was hands on. After experiencing the museum located near Hitler’s Nest, we visited Mauthausen Concentration Camp. It was an amazing, but eerie experience. Just to think that not even 75 years ago, people suffered here. To just be present and reflect was great. If you have the chance, visit a concentration camp. History will definitely come to life. Once we finished, we finally headed back to basecamp, Vienna!

Prague

Prague by far was one of our favorite cities. There is just so much culture and history behind it! As nerdy it sounds, it was neat to see the communist remnants of the city. When we arrived in Prague, we had a dinner at an old monastery. After, we had an AMAZING tour of Prague and its historic monuments with our tour guide, Donna. She was a sweetheart. She loves Hope College students and it was just a great time to be with her. One thing we did every time we saw her was say, “Dobry den, Donna!” which simply means hello. After our tour, we headed back to our hotel and relaxed.

On Saturday, we had one heck of a packed day! Firstly, we headed to downtown Prague to experience its culture and get another tour. One of our favorite places in Prague was St. Charles Bridge! There were so many vendors and talented musicians on the bridge performing. It was just a great time! In our slideshow, you’ll find our classic picture. After more touring and shopping in the city, we went on a dinner boat cruise on the Vltava River. It was so much fun to eat dinner and take pictures with friends. Another funny part of the dinner was that our tour guide, Donna, made seagull noises. Everyone on the trip LOST IT. It was one of the Prague highlights for sure.

On our last day in Prague, we had more opportunities to learn about history and culture. We visited the old Jewish Ghetto, now a memorial to commemorate those who died in WWII. We also visited the Spanish Synagogue which was just beautiful! After, we had chances to do more shopping and meandering around before heading home. We could seriously go into so much detail about our weekends, but then it wouldn’t be a blog post, it would be an essay!

The Vienna Summer School was one heck of an experience for the both of us!. Our lives, as cliché as it sounds were changed and we now have new perspectives on life. If you are interested in going, make sure you email Dr. Hemenway at hemenway@hope.edu. He is your man and go to for anything Vienna. Trust me, you won’t regret it. If you have any questions about the trip and experience, don’t hesitate to ask either Leslie or Marvin! Make sure to read our upcoming blogs and follow us on twitter!

 

It’s us and our friend Amanda!
Striking a pose at Melk.
Just us and Joey at some Roman ruins in Vienna!
Taking a picture in Salzburg!
Here we are and Joey getting ready for our salt mine adventure!
Here we are with Kaysee and Meg!
Going inside the mountain to the salt mine!
Here is our favorite picture we have. We’re on the St. Charles Bridge is Prague, Czech Republic!
Yeah, classic in Prague.

A New Beginning

The first week of my junior year is over! Before this year started, I already felt that this was going to be a tough year. This is my schedule for this semester:schedule

The number of the courses is not really too bad; all of these classes are very hard and have a lot of assignments. So my point is that if you choose the right major, you will have a very rich college life 🙂

This year, we have around 50 international and third-culture students. As the orientation assistant for international students, I had the chance to go to the Explore MI trip with them. It was so much fun! When I was a freshman, I went to the exactly same places, so this trip really reminded me of my freshman life.

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We went to three cool places: a camp, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, and Mackinac Island! It was so much fun.

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Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
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Ferry to Mackinac Island
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Mackinac Island
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Bye, Mackinac Island

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The international student community is a significant part of our college. Many of the domestic students are from either Michigan or Illinois, so it is kind of cool to have students from different cultures.

The week of Orientation was amazing. There were a lot of events going on. The Groovin’ in the Grove was one of the coolest thing here. Around 1500 people attended the event. Check out a short video I recorded:

I am so surprised that our college band is so professional.

The last thing… Our Phelps Dining Hall was refurbished!!! See the photos:

It is like a restaurant now, isn’t it?

Well, these are all I want to share this week. Please let me know if you want to know more about Hope College. Drop me an email at: xiaodong.wu@hope.edu and follow me on Twitter 🙂

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From the Freshmen: WHY HOPE?

Since I am an RA in Dykstra, I get to interact with a lot of freshmen. I thought it would be fun to hear all their reasons for choosing Hope! Here’s what they had to say!

“I decided to come to Hope because it’s small and it’s really important to me to have good relationships with my classmates and my teachers. It’s a Christian school so I knew it would be a good place to grow in my faith. It also has a good science program and that’s important to me. When I came to visit it just felt good in my gut!”

–Ellie, Kalamazoo, MI

 

“I came to Hope because it was very important to me to create lasting relationships from my college education, and whenever I came to Hope they were always talking about the awesome dynamic that happens between professors and students and other students. They have a great education program and, in general, everyone was just really helpful and kind. And it felt right, honestly.”

–Macauley, Middlebury, IN

 

“I felt the most at home here. It was the only school that I had peace about, that I wasn’t like, ‘Oh my word, I’m going to college!’ It was exciting rather than terrifying. I like the Christian atmosphere.”

–Hannah, Zeeland, MI

 

“I felt like I could be academically successful here and I really like the atmosphere here.”

–Marissa, Lake Orion, MI

 

“I chose to come to Hope because of the good nursing program and I got to play softball.”

–Sierra, Wayland, MI

 

“I came because of the smaller class sizes and the professors, but also because it’s a lot smaller than most universities and it has more of a personal feel.”

–Clara, Mesick, MI

 

“I liked the small community and everyone makes you feel really welcome. It just felt right when I visited here! I felt like I belonged.”

–Marissa, Northville, MI

 

“The people were the main reason. When I came on my visit, the two girls on my overnight were very genuine and nice. You could tell that they really meant it when they said they loved Hope.”

–Kaley, Grand Rapids, MI

 

“I decided to come to Hope because I get lost super easily and it’s an easy campus to find my way around. I really wanted a Christian atmosphere and Hope is truly Christian; They don’t just say that they are and then just act a different way. They really care about God and have events like Groovin’ in the Grove and chapel where it’s packed and people really want to go to it.”

–Savanah, Dallas, TX

 

“I found Hope online and didn’t really think anything of it until I applied and got accepted. When I got here to visit, I fell in love with the way everyone said hi to me when I walked around. It made me feel like I already went here even though I was just visiting. I loved chapel, and when I found out how good the nursing program was here, it sold me!”

–Victoria, Bloomingdale, NJ

 

“I chose Hope because it was a school that allowed me to incorporate all of the things I love and continue to do all the things that I’m passionate about even though they’re all very different things.”

–Teagan, Sycamore, IL

 

People come to Hope from far and wide for so many different reasons, but they make up a diverse, vibrant, incredible student body! Hope is a place that so many people love and we are thrilled to see more and more freshmen coming in each year with all these different reasons for coming, and more!

Thanks for reading! You can keep up with me on Twitter (@hopekathryn17) and Instagram (@kathrynekrieger)! You can also send me an email at kathryn.krieger@hope.edu!

“This is what the Lord says: ‘Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord. That person will be like a bush in the wastelands; they will not see prosperity when it comes. They will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.'”

–Jeremiah 17:5-8

A Summer of GROWTH + New Beginnings!

Wow, it’s so good to be back at Hope! I am an RA in Dykstra this year and I am loving it so far. My residents rock and I just love being back in Dykstra with such an incredible Res Life staff. They’re so great! Look at them!

Dykstra Staff

I’m so excited for a year with them and all our beautiful Dykstra ladies!

This summer, I was a counselor at Covenant Harbor in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, and it was truly life-changing. I learned so much about what God is really like, how incredible his love is, and how full he really can fill our lives and hearts. I also learned a ton about who I am and I feel like, for the first time, I truly became myself at camp. It was such a cool feeling and even though it might sound weird, I’m making sure to stay myself while I’m at school! Camp just blew my mind in so many ways that I really needed and, while I was way too stubborn in getting there, I’m so glad that God put me at Covenant Harbor this summer. I needed it and needed Him in so many ways that I had no idea about until I went.

Here are some pictures from camp! It was the best!

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My summer was incredible but I’m so glad to be back at Hope as well! It’s going to be an incredible year!

Thank you for reading! You can keep up with me at @hopekathryn17 on Twitter, @kathrynekrieger on Instagram, or shoot me an email at kathryn.krieger@hope.edu!

“Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry,
    but those who trust in the Lord will lack no good thing.”

– Psalm 34:10 NLT

What to Bring: Classroom Edition

The countdown is getting closer with each passing day – are you psyched for move-in? Here’s my final post in the 2014 What to Bring series. College is a ton of fun, but it also takes a lot of work. Here’s how to find success during the first few weeks:

1. Review where your classes are prior to the first day. During Orientation, you will most likely take a tour of campus buildings so that you will know where each one of your classes are before the first week begins. However, keep in mind that the route you take to your classroom during Orientation may not be the most effective route to that particular class. Due to this, consider checking out different entrances to the academic buildings as well as timing the walk from your dorm to each class. Most likely, you will not have a walk that takes more than approximately eight minutes (and many are much shorter), but it will bring comfort knowing what time you will have to leave in order to make it to class on time.

2. Come to class early at least the first day. Showing up ten minutes early helps you claim the “best seat” in the classroom and provides a chance for you to speak with your professor and other classmates one-on-one before class begins. Once you feel comfortable, it is often okay to show up 3-5 minutes prior to the beginning of the class. Follow your professor’s instructions here: some prefer you show up early, and some don’t mind if you show up exactly on time.

3. Be engaged. Don’t be afraid to raise your hand (warning: if you don’t, you might be called on anyway.) Do the assigned readings and homework prior to attending class so that you will be well-informed of the information your professor will be presenting. This will make it easier to review anything you do not understand as well as ask any questions you may have about the material.

4. Don’t procrastinate. Haha, who am I kidding? You’re going to procrastinate. With this in mind, know your coping mechanisms to be able to move through your rushed times calmly and effectively. Do you like working out when you’re stressed? Do you practice yoga? How fast can you write a three-page paper if you’re also studying for a science test? If you don’t already know, you will find out quickly. It will make your procrastinated/fast-moving times much easier.

What to Bring: Classroom Edition
Final tip: Don’t forget all of the necessary school supplies! Folders, notebooks, pens, and pencils are are great items to carry with you in your backpack.

5. Bring a copy of your classes with you everywhere you go. Whether it be a screenshot off of KnowHope Plus, a note on your phone, or a piece of paper, you will find it is helpful to carry it around with you until you get into the swing of things. This way, if you have any questions about where a class is located, your professor’s name, or what time a class begins, you will have it available for use at any time.

Need more tips? Have questions or comments? Comment below or send me an email at sophie.guetzko@hope.edu. Follow me on Twitter @hopesophie17 for more info, too! And we’ll see you on campus very, very soon!

What to Bring: Social Edition

The greatest casualty of your college career may take place within the first few days of your existence on campus. Yikes! It sounds scary – but it’s simpler than it seems.

It can be avoided with this one easy step: be social. You see, it’s easy to be wrapped up in the change – there’s a lot of it happening the first few months – but instead of tying yourself in knots, embrace the adjustment. Check out these tips to help you out during your first weeks of college:

1. If you’re in your room, open the door. People walking by will stop and chat! I made some of my best friends in my dorm by leaving my door open during the first few weeks. **College Dorm Room Life Hack: Opening your window and opening your door creates a draft that will keep your room cooler during the hot summer months & cooler when the heater gets too hot in the winter!

2. Your dorm will offer opportunities to meet other people within your dorm. GO TO THEM. Last fall, Kollen held a “Speed Friending” night and I met almost 20 people this way. At least five of them are now my closest friends. If nothing else, these events are great ways to be able to recognize a few faces around the dorm and in the dining hall! **College Event Life Hack: Most of the time, dorm events have free food involved.

3. Smile. Smile a lot. You become much more approachable if you have a smile on your face. **College Happiness Life Hack: Whether or not you’re actually happy, scientific studies show that fake smiling can cause real happiness.

4. Travel – outside of your comfort zone. Hope will offer a lot of opportunities with a lot of people with a lot of life experiences that you have never seen before. Walk through your entire dorm to see who has their door open, and don’t be afraid to walk through other dorms, either! **College Avoid Awkward Situations Life Hack: Come up with two to three most hilarious situations that have taken place in your life or quirky traits that make you who you are and keep them in your back pocket as stories to share as you meet people. People will remember you better this way, and you will also be able to remember other people better – most times, the other person will share a story as well. My example: I dislocated my rib from playing golf!

5. Friend as few people as possible on Facebook prior to being on campus. I “friend-ed” a LOT of people before I came, which worked out fine – so if you already have, don’t worry about it – but if possible, avoid it. You will be meeting a lot of people quickly, and if you “friend” your classmates as you meet them on campus rather than in cyberspace, you will remember them better and they will also remember you better.

6. The first five people you meet might be your best friends for the next four years. But then again, they might not. I met AMAZING people at the beginning of the year. As the year progressed, I met even more amazing people. My friend group progressed and changed throughout the entire year. On the opposite side, if you’re not meeting people within the first few days, do not fret! The right people will show up if you continue to engage yourself within your community.

7. Free food = free friends. Baking cookies in your dorm kitchen (if you’re willing to share!) is one of the quickest ways to make friends. Who doesn’t love free food?

8. Try not to talk about high school. Very few people, if any, will know who you’re talking about – and plus, people want to hear about you, not about your hometown friends! Take this opportunity to share less stories and tell more about who you are. Your hobbies, class schedule, and dorm life are perfect conversation starters to find other people who share your similarities!

9. If you have seen my blogs or I’ve chatted with you via social media or email and you see me on campus, please introduce yourself! I would love to meet you in person!

10. THE OCTOBER RULE. Abide by it. You’ll find out more later.

Hope you’re enjoying your summer! Want more tips? Keep up with me @hopesophie17. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to send me an email at sophie.guetzko@hope.edu. Hope to talk to you soon!

What to Bring: Dorm Room Edition

If you’ve been feeling similar to how I felt last summer, you’ve been anxiously awaiting the arrival of your housing email for months. Good news: that day is finally, finally here! You’ll be moving into the dorms in a month and a half — 46 days — and we are so, so, SO excited for you to be on campus as the Hope College Class of 2018.

As you may begin to coordinate items and decorations for your room, it’s important to keep in mind that the space you’ll be living in lends a lifestyle that very few of us are used to — especially if you have not spent much time in a college dormitory — and because of this, there are some large items (such as a fridge, couch, or TV) you should consider sharing with your roommate if you choose to have them. My roommate brought a couch and I brought a fridge last year, and it worked out great to share the two items based on the amount of space and setup of our room.

Depending on your dorm, you may decide it isn’t necessary to bring a couch or TV (I will admit, it’s almost critical to have a small fridge in your room). Examples: Dykstra is set up in clusters and has a nice community space in the middle of each cluster; therefore, you will not need a couch. Kollen has an air-conditioned lounge with a nice TV, providing a space for you to watch TV in that location instead.

While there are items that you are able to share within your community, there are also items that you’ll want for yourself.

Here’s are three items I couldn’t live without my freshman year:

1. Bunk Bed Shelf. It’s a shelf that attaches to the side of your loft so that you will be able to keep small items near you while you sleep. I used my phone as my alarm clock, and this shelf provided me with a way to charge it throughout the night & also keep it near me as I sleep (and hit the snooze button a few times without having to get out of bed!) It was also the perfect spot for my glasses (because I’m super blind without them) and my Jesus Calling devotional, too.

2. Eye Mask for Sleeping. There will be nights where your roommate (or you) will be up late studying. Wearing this mask blocks out light to enable you to have a good night’s rest or daytime nap regardless of bright lights in the room.

3. Extension Cords and Power Strips. LOTS OF THEM.

There are also good ways to pack and bad ways to pack (I found this out the hard way as the oldest child). Here are three ways to pack up your belongings to make unpacking easier:

1. Keep as many clothes on hangers as possible pre-move in. You can definitely pack them in suitcases, but keep each item on a hanger as often as possible. Another way to consider packing is to place them in garbage bags (in a similar way to how dry cleaning places put your clothes in plastic). This way, you’ll be able make the transfer of clothes into your closet simple and quick, as well as ensure that you have enough hangers for all of your clothes.

2. Organize your items into different boxes based on their typical placement in a house. Identifying items such as “desk,” “food,” “clothing,” etc. to keep everything organized during move-in. If possible, numbering your boxes is helpful as well – during the commotion of move-in, you’ll be able to make sure you have every box you arrived with to campus.

3. Bring as much as you can, and decide what you really need as you unpack. Coming from Iowa, I over-packed my suitcases and boxes on purpose. Then, as I unpacked little by little during Orientation, I was able to send my parents home with things that I decided I didn’t need. Rule of thumb: Don’t be afraid to bring more the first time moving in. You’ll find out what you need vs. don’t need very quickly.

If you have any questions or would like more insight of the “ins-and-outs” of living the dorm life, follow me on Twitter @hopesophie17, send me a Facebook message, or shoot me an email at sophie.guetzko@hope.edu. Can’t wait to see you on campus!

It’s a Blast to be in a Cast

Alright, it’s been a couple weeks since my post about May Term, and enough is enough. I can’t say that everything about May term was absolutely fantastic. Or maybe I can. But I really can’t. But I kind of can. Here, let me explain…

Two weeks into May Term, I went for a walk with a friend. Upon returning to my dorm, I noticed my left foot hurt a little bit. I took off my Sperry and looked at my foot. The first word I could think of was “gross.” The veins were puffy, my foot was swollen, and the top of my foot was reddish-pink. I called my mom, who told me to go to the Health Center the next day to figure out what was going on.

Guess who didn’t go to the Health Center the next day?

Yes, you guessed correctly. Me.

I told myself that my foot didn’t hurt that bad (keeping in mind that my tendonitis cream and Tylenol didn’t help at all, and my foot continued to swell.) For the next two weeks, I went to the Dow for workouts, walked to a lot of places with a lot of people, and practiced my longboarding skills for at least an hour each day. I moved myself out of my dorm by myself. I drove six hours back to my home in Iowa.

… I was home on a Friday and throughout the weekend I hung out with some friends, who told me my foot looked kind of weird. I woke up on Monday and could barely walk.

THEN I decided to go to the doctor. And what did I find out?

I have a fracture on my 2nd metatarsal, stress fracture on my 3rd metatarsal, and a foot sprain. And I walked on that for two weeks without knowing it was broken at all.

I’m not entirely certain of how I broke my foot, but I think exercising, longboarding, and jumping out of my bed are combination culprits of this particular situation.

Now, I told my mom that I must be “One tough gluten-free cookie,” but honestly, I might just be stupid. (I call myself that very lovingly, but c’mon, Soph… you were already at the Dow for your workout, why not just go to the Health Center while you’re there, too?)

Moral of the story: If your foot does not look normal, please go to the Hope College Health Center. They are very caring and will help you with anything you need.

But after all, it’s called Summer “Break,” right? While some are spending summer on their longboards, I have a pretty cool scooter I ride around. My scooter, or “Swaggin’ Wagon” as I like to call it, creates lot of conversation with the elderly people I meet on the street. Apparently, most of them have used one too. And lots of people hold the doors open for me when I use my crutches, so that’s been pretty nice. My main goal is to see how great of a “boot tan” I can get by spending time in the summer sun. I’ve been in the boot for five weeks so far, and I’m hoping I’ll be out of it by the end of July.

Here are a couple of my Summer “Break’ adventures so far:

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It’s Partway into June… way too soon!

Yikes! Am I far behind or what? I’ve been meaning to update you on my summer thus far, and after review I realized that I have plenty of drafts and nothing published.

I apologize for that.

However, I was up to some pretty awesome shenanigans in May. I stayed on Hope’s campus to complete my final 100-level four-credit Communications class, Public Presentations, with professor Deone Quist. I also had Professor Quist for The Communications Process last fall, and I loved having her again for this class.

What were some of the best parts about sticking around for May term? Let me fill you in.

1. Tulip Time. The Tulip Time Festival in Holland took place for the two weeks right after finals week. Although there are very few students around, Holland is filled with tourists and people dressed in Dutch outfits.

Okay, that may not sound very exciting, but believe me, it is. Beyond the tourists, there are tons of rides, two parades, and lots of food stands that look pretty delicious (I unfortunately couldn’t eat at any of them due to my gluten intolerance, but my friends confirm that they were awesome.) Definitely check it out for at least one year while you’re here.

If you don't take a picture of tulips in Holland... were you ever really there at all? ;)
If you don’t take a picture of tulips in Holland… were you ever really there at all? 😉

2. Small Class Sizes. My class had eleven students, while the typical Public Presentations class during the school year can have up to thirty students due to the high demand of the class. Less people, less pressure… and less speeches to sit through, too. 🙂

3. Longboarding. I picked up longboarding, which was an absolute blast! By the end of May, I was pretty good at it, too.

4. Spending time with friends. My two best friends, Delaney and Sarah, came up to visit me during May term! We had an awesome weekend longboarding, shopping, and drinking late-night coffee at JP’s and Lemonjello’s.

Delaney and I had a blast hanging out in the Pine Grove to enjoy the warm weather!
Delaney and I had a blast hanging out in the Pine Grove to enjoy the warm weather! (Sorry about the Instagram filter, we accidentally deleted the wrong picture.)

I can’t believe May term has been over for almost two weeks– this summer is flying by! Soon enough, we’ll all be back on campus again, and I can hardly wait. If you have any questions about May term, or any questions about anything as you prepare for the coming year, please feel free to contact me via twitter @hopesophie17 or shoot me an email at sophie.guetzko@hope.edu.

Hope you’re enjoying summer!