From Windy City to Tulip City

By: Eddie Cervantes Growing up in Chicago, there was always something to do whether it was in my neighborhood, downtown, or even in a neighborhood on the other side of the city.  Transportation was never an issue, it allowed us to get from one side of the city to the other without ever switching a …

A Michigan Winter

It’s been a while since I have written a blog, but when I do decide to write, there have been multiple consistent themes. Soccer, school, family, etc. However, there is one theme, not as heavily touched on as others, that has always worked its way into my writing one way or another: Michigan winters. From …

Playing Favorites: Downtown Holland

Holland is a small town with a lot of cool things. From windmills and wooden shoes to independent restaurants and small businesses, anyone can find something they enjoy. I’m going to play favorites and pick a few of the things Holland has to offer that I enjoy. Parks Holland has a lot of parks, 22 to …

Stuck on Summer

Hello, Readers! I hope your summer was amazing and you’re starting to get back into the swing of the new school year routine. It’s hard to do just coming off of summer, but once you’re there, it’s a good place to be! If you’re a new reader, let me tell you a little about myself: …

I Finally Got My Driver’s License

The day I was leaving for Spring Break I took my final driving test. Not like in Europe it had two parts in the U.S.. During the first part, I had to park the car in three different positions at the parking slot between the cones. In order to move on to the next part, …

The Best (And Partially Hidden) Allergy-Friendly Places in Holland

I’m a food connoisseur – not just because I’m a college student – but also because I’m a, well, hungry college student. I lived my first two years in the downtown strip of Holland, running triathalons between JP’s, Jimmy John’s and Lemonjello’s- but this third year, I discovered there’s so much more to explore. Especially with gluten, egg …

Pre-Dance Marathon Froyo #FTK

Dance Marathon is coming up this Friday. Last year, I participated as dancer for the full 24 hours. This year, I will be a “moraler” for an eight hour shift on Friday night. Orange Leaf, a frozen yogurt shop downtown Holland, has been running a competition this year to see who can earn the most …

Michigan: Winter / Spring / Winter

Last week, I saw some students were throwing a football in the Pine Grove. It was sunny, the snow had melted, and there was a cool breeze. They were wearing shorts. Today, some guys ran from Durfee to a pile of snow outside of Phelps Dining Hall. It was 20 degrees out. They jumped on their …

Smells Like Pickles

If you go about a mile down 10th street from Hope’s campus towards Lake Macatawa you will find yourself in Kollen Park. Kollen Park sits on land that used to a basket factory in the late 1890s into the early 1900s. Eventually the land was bought by Martha Diekema Kollen who gave the land to the city of …

“This is my Anchor of Hope”

There’s a park at the end of the east side of campus in the square that makes up 10th, 12th, Central and River. Its name is Centennial Park. I know that now. But freshman year, while trying to find the Pine Grove (and inadvertently walking directly through it to instead find Centennial), I sat down …