Student Journals

Homework Distractions

Tue, 10 Apr 2007 20:53:28GMT

As the world turns, so does the leaf of spring. The spring weather has temporarily left us here in Harrisonburg and the cold winds have greeted us with a sneer. The sweatshirts and winter jackets have been busted out of the back of the closets to be worn once again as we turned the calendar to April.

Easter has come and gone with the final weeks of the school year left ahead of us. Four pagers and a daunting ten pager loom in the distance in the coming weeks for me as my head in starting to spin out of control. To keep me sane, I have the dodge ball team. If you ever need to let out some steam after a hard days work, try picking up small, soft balls and throwing them at your friends...it works wonders. The Bed, Bath, and Way Beyond team have had their ups and downs this year with another game tonight which should be intense as the rest. Some team members, including myself, have had to skip a few games due to school work which seems to get in the way. Either way, throwing balls at people can really help clear your mind. Try it.

Some other distractions on campus that can help you push off your homework even more, including intramurals, are Common Grounds, various campus events, and the Quad. Common Grounds is a place where you can buy different kinds of coffee drinks and yummy treats late at night as you sit around playing chess in big, lush couches that eat you up when you sit on them. You can bring your laptops in there if you want to get out of your small rooms to an open area of comfort and good ole community.

Various campus events such as the play can also help lighten up your nights. The play, "Ti Jean and His Brothers" which recently ended here on campus, was an excellent Caribbean play that entertained the masses. My sister, who happened to be the mother in the play, enjoyed working with the other actors and encourages any new students to try out....(that's you guys and gals).

The Quad is the little grassy area in the middle of the Woods (Maplewood, Elmwood, and Oakwood Dorms). On a sunny day you can find blankets sprawled out with people huddled around with relaxed laughter filling the air. The frisbee, volleyball, football, baseball or any other ball is usually spotted being thrown through the air over the heads of the relaxed and safely into the arms of a friend. This is my favorite thing about college. The happy-go-lucky attitude of the students when the sun is out and the community of friends it creates.

I hope you all can enjoy spring and the upcoming summer as school is coming to a close and part-time jobs are beginning again. Now go on outside and have a great day! Peace.

Latino Student Alliance

Tue, 10 Apr 2007 20:37:18GMT

This semester is almost closing up. It almost time to elect leaders for
clubs next year.

I have been the vice president for Latino Student Alliance (LSA) for two years in a row. Im looking forward to be part of the club for next year but I do not know what position I want to take. LSA is open to any student on campus. This means that you do not have to be Latino or come from a Hispanic background to be a member of LSA.

Our main focus is to have a place where students get together and get know a little more of everyone elses culture, becoming a family. In our events, which are focused around the beginning of the fall semester during Hispanic Heritage Month, we try to incorporate a variety of Hispanic/Latino cultures. We do that because there are many different Spanish speaking countries and its important to have a little input from each. The leadership committee of LSA has not yet met to plan for next year. I cant wait to begin planning for the upcoming school year. It will be different without both of our co-presidents, Raquel and Lori, since they are graduating, but we will continue LSA with the positive energies our co-presidents always imposed.

Bed, Bath, and WAY Beyond Triumphs!

Thu, 22 Mar 2007 20:51:48GMT

So here is an update on the infamous Bed, Bath, and WAY Beyond dodge ball team. The last game we played we came with hostility in hand and a competitive spirit. The warm up in which we usually just toss the balls back and forth became quite violent, complete with yelling and taunting. If you were listening from the surrounding track above, you would of thought a bunch of kindergartners were about to go to war in our very own EMU gymnasium. But in fact it was just a bunch of rowdy college kids trying to pelt each other with every-color-of-the-rainbow balls.

With the fog of defeat still lingering over us, we brought out our best for the first game. We beat them fairly fast causing our team morale to double. After beating them fairly quickly the second game, our morale tripled to its peak where we suddenly felt the Mennonite sympathy set in. The third game became a sympathy round where all of our guys threw left handed. It was a knee-slapper to say the very, very least. After they won that round, although not by much, we finally ended their agony and beat them in the forth game.

After our team huddle which the other team joined in on because they had lost their team spirit and wanted to steal ours, my roomy and I headed back to the room full of pride for our team. The whole match took approximately 15 minutes rather than the usual 30-40.It was AmAzInG! Our next game is this coming Thursday night. I hope our team will keep up the winning streak so wish us luck! But I will keep you updated on our progress in the dodge ball intramurals.

As people fill the Quad with picnic blankets and laughter, spring time is finally starting to show its fragrant face. Although it abandoned us for a few days with blustery, nipping-at-your-nose winds and winter jacket worthy temperatures, it has decided to grace us with its presence once again. The long sunshine hours are welcomed by the smiling faces in the Woods as we congregate to debrief at the end of the day and take a deep breath.

This weblog will be short and sweet insuring more time to go outside and enjoy this wonderful weather. I hope you are all having a good week and remember it's almost over! A small piece of advice and wisdom before you go: Live simply so others can simply live. Think about that. Have an awesome evening! Peace.

Baker's Back to Dodging Balls and Pins!

Thu, 15 Mar 2007 20:00:44GMT

Spring has officially arrived on the EMU campus and so have the students back from, the not nearly long enough, Spring Break! As we are flying through second semester and midterms, we are now settling into the last stretch of the year. The spectacular weather makes for a hard transition back into class rooms from the leisurely lifestyle of break.

To lighten the mood of the mounds of homework being a total drag, a new batch of intramurals has started up! Although you may not know me well, the fact that I am on a Dodge ball team should be shocking. My roommate and I have been plucked out of the crowd to fill the space on a team that needs girls. You see, EMU has a certain standard of equality that carries over into every nook and cranny of campus...this includes intramurals. Each team requires a certain number of girls to be eligible to play. We both got the golden ticket. (That was a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory reference if you didn't recognize it)

Our first game was this past Tuesday and the anticipation was excruciatingly painful. Not knowing more than half your team allows the lack of comradery to kill the mood of competition. This is what happened to me. But after the 3rd game (best of 7 wins) the tension and hostility between the two teams was at a raging high. The phrases "Are you KIDDING me with that?" and "That ball didn't hit him/her in the face! He/They're OUT!" were said to the refs and opposing team with a slight sneer of distain. As the tensions worsened and the stakes got higher, the tie breaking game was a disappointment for Bed, Bath, and WAY Beyond (that's my team). We are counting on redeeming ourselves this coming Monday, wish us luck! Or pray...pray a lot.

This past evening was another Late Night Bowling Extravaganza! A bunch of my friends and I had a blast as we shoved down cheese fries in between turns which led our greasy fingers to mislead the ball. The neon lights didn't help my situation as I struggled to hit a pin after 5 frames of gutter balls. As the night went on and my friends realized how bad I actually was at bowling, they decided to give me some pointers which helped my score get close to breaking 100! What great friends to wait and tell me the hidden secrets of bowling during our last game. Perfect!

Overall, the past few days back from break have been unexpectedly eventful! Whether I was dodging balls or try to hit pins, it was quite a relaxing break from the homework that awaited me when I returned. I hope the weeks following your Spring Break are as fun and exciting as mine have been! As usual, I ask that you go on outside and enjoy this AMAZING weather! Have a splendid day! Peace.

Westover Park

Tue, 13 Mar 2007 20:57:46GMT

If you're tired of studying for those mid-terms and are looking for something fun to do during the spring semester in Harrisonburng then you should go to Westover Park and play some frisbee-golf or "frolf." The course at Westover Park has 18 "holes" (metal baskets raised about 3 feet off the ground), and is quite challenging with a par of 3 for each "hole." Each "hole" is surrounded by beautiful scenery, with a LOT of trees. For anyone who's played frissbee-golf before you know that trees make for a rather difficult course; making par itself is pretty difficult on some of these "holes." Whether you know how to play or not "frolf" is fun for a couple people or even a small group. Just bring yourself and a frisbee and enjoy the game.

Or if "frolf" doesn't sound like something for you, then head over to Westover Park in the 'burg to play some pickup basketball on Tuesday and Thursday nights. WARNING: these guys are really good - a lot of the guys that come to play are on a divsion 1 level skill, so you better bring your best game. If you're thinking about playing basketball for EMU, then playing at Westover on Tuesday and Thursday nights will be a good place for you to practice in a more competitive environment. It's a lot like a playing an intense pickup game in the Bronx or Brooklyn.

Finally, Westover also has a huge community pool if you like to go swimming as it starts to get warm and finals come around. Or you can also go workout at Westover, or play pool or ping-pong. Whatever works for you; it's just important to find places off campus in the 'burg every now and then to shake off the weekly stress.

Visiting a Dialysis Center

Wed, 07 Mar 2007 17:27:17GMT

One of the most recent clinical experience I had was visiting a dialysis center.

Patients that undergo dialysis usually have difficulty with their kidney function. The kidneys serve as a source of removing waste from the blood which then is eliminated by urination.

There are different shifts of people coming in for dialysis. At 7:00 a.m. the first round arrives and the patients are set up to get started.

One of the most important nursing techniques to perform before beginning and during dialysis is checking the patients blood pressure.

That gives feedback on how the blood flow is functioning in the patients body and whether or not patient is able to have or continue having dialysis.

Each patient has his/her personal experience with dialysis. Some say it is not comfortable being poked every other day and wish they had a temporarily catheter placed to be not be poked continually.

Others say the have gotten used to the procedure.

Other things dialysis patients have to keep an eye on is their nutritional intake. Each patient has his/her dietary instructions to follow in order to prevent any complications with the treatment.

During the treatment the patients have their blood cleaned from their body wastes. Some go to sleep, others watch television or talk.

The treatment lasts approximately three in a half to four hours.

The patients go home after they have been approved to leave. Some patients say that their activities are diminished after they go through dialysis but as long as it provides an improvement for life, it is a good thing.

I Hope To (Bullet) Point You In The Right Direction!

Thu, 22 Feb 2007 21:27:47GMT

As a first year student, I would like to help you out a bit so you know what to expect next year when you come. (As you can see I left no room for ifs). There are a few essential things that are crucial to do before you leave and while you are here to have a successful first year.

First of all before you leave for home you need to:

Have your parents sign a written agreement to send you a care package at least twice a month.
Remind your friends that snail mail is more exciting to receive than an email.
Put a sticky note on your grandma's purse reminding her you're going to be far away at college. She will take pity on you and send you money...you're parents won't.
Love up your pets before you leave, you'll miss them like crazy.
Don't bring everything you own because in actuality, you don't need all that stuff to survive, I promise.

Now, here are a few things you need to be able to remember to utilize your "firsts" here at EMU:

The first time you go to a basketball game, make sure you keep your ticket stub because you can get a free foot long at subway (after purchase of course).
The first time you go to the Regal buy a large Coke, not only because it's massive and you get free refills, but because it simply makes your first movie at college even more awesome.
The first time you go to Common Grounds, get a milkshake. Why? Cause I said so.
The first time you eat in the caf remember that you chose this school for other reasons...just swallow and move on. (Just kidding, it's not THAT bad...)
The first time you think about going to IHOP at 1am make sure it's a Wednesday because college students get half off and us frugal Menno's are all about that.

I hope that at least some of these points will allow you to have a successful first semester in college! You know the protocol! Go on outside in this Spring weather (well hopefully you have some too) and have a SUPERB day!

Midterms and Orlando

Thu, 22 Feb 2007 18:57:03GMT

Midterms and Orlando

A person might think that the words midterms and Orlando have nothing in common but on the contrary they do. Both midterms and Orlando will be happening next week and it is hard to concentrate on one without thinking about the other. For example, I can think about going to Orlando for Spring Break but then realize that I can not get to Orlando until all of my midterms are complete. On the opposite side of things, the only thing that gets me through my preparation of midterms is keeping the goal in mind: Orlando.

I do not have too big of a load, exam wise, but it is the whole idea of a break. The more years of education I have, the more apparent it is to me to think that every student thinks and plans their life around deadlines; I do not like that method or theory. I want to be able to live my life not focusing on deadlines or exam dates but instead, focus on my goals and aspirations that I hold in my life. Yes I know, I am on my soapbox once again, but I think we all need to be reminded of this every now and thenlive life for that day not according to an exam or a presentation but instead notice the little things in life that make each day complete. Especially since we are college students, we need to enjoy EMUs dorm life, discussions in classes that challenge us and what we believe, IHOP, Common Grounds, our roommates, late night games and movies and then also study hardit is hard, but doable.

That is what is so great about collegewe go, go, go and still manage to get a few hours of sleep in a night.

Grandpa Update

I wanted to thank ALL of you who have been praying for my grandpa Lester. His surgery went very well this last Monday and is now recovering his hip and body. He is the most eager, determined, kind-hearted man I know. I talked with him yesterday and he was telling me about how he was feeling well and also was telling me the plans that were going to be taking place that day. His spirit is strong, and now his body is also becoming strong once again. Thank you again for the prayers and keep them comingevery one is appreciated.

FINALLY, the Movie I have been waiting for!

This weekend instead of one cheap movie on campus, there will be two cheap movies on campus! One, being the Bobby which I dont know much about but am excited to see it and the other is The Holiday which I have been looking forward to since before it came out in the theater. I will let you know what my personal reviews for both movies are (I am not trying to aim high thoughremember?) next week and I hope EVERYONE has an excellent weekend!

Nursing and Kids!

Tue, 20 Feb 2007 22:20:32GMT

Nursing and Kids!

This semester has gone really fast.Its almost spring break!!

I have completed my clinical study at RMH and part of the learning experience in Nursing Level 2 includes visiting and observing a child development and dialysis center.

Today I visited the child development center where I got to play, talk, and eat with two, three, four, and five year olds. It was interesting to see the differences between the age groups.

Two year olds speak very little compared to the older kids but when it comes to play time it is interesting to see them be very active and ready to go. Two year olds play randomly, they will be doing one thing now and the next second they want to do something else.

The three year olds manage to speak more than two year olds and are very curious.They have a great imagination and enjoy talking and asking a bunch of questions.

The older kids are capable of focusing a little more when it comes to activities.For example, I got to see the four and five year olds drawing dinosaur images.Most of them accomplished there drawing and waited for instructions of what to do next.

The overall experience was amazing.I learned a lot playing with the kids.The most important fact is that kids learn all the time and want to be like grown ups therefore, we need to demonstrate a great example to them so when they grow up they become great human beings.

"The Perfect Storm"

Thu, 15 Feb 2007 21:39:34GMT

As I sat in the office and discussed with Patrick and others what exciting topic to ramble about, I came to the conclusion that our recent ice storm was perfect; I guess you could say it was "The Perfect Storm" (BUM Bum bum!! (Dramatic Music)) to talk about. I apologize for the lame joke in the previous sentence but in my head it made me chuckle, so I wanted to share it.

Anyways, the ice storm of '07 has accomplished what the student body thought impossible; it cancelled all classes! After I woke up to see my 8 am cancelled along with my other classes, I almost couldn't sleep because of my excitement that I actually could sleep! I forced myself out of bed at 12 so I could hopefully make something of my day. I failed...horribly.

After lunch I went out on the town because the roads really weren't all that bad by the afternoon. Overall, my day was full of nothing but sometimes you just have to sit back and relax to regain some strength to push through to the end of the week.

The more I did nothing, the more time I had to look out the window at the gorgeous work of art that had rained down the night before. The tree branches were enclosed in the glistening ice, frozen in place for all to admire. As the parking lot became an ice rink. Over night, the puddles collected in over turned leaves became little rinks themselves. The shimmer from the reflective trees and the ice sculpture like atmosphere turned EMU into a museum of modern art overnight. The ice had created the perfect storm in the sense that it was beautiful, got us out of school, and melted by the afternoon practically giving us a day off for no reason. I absolutely loved it.

As night fell, so did reckless and incautious sidewalk travelers. The brisk and chilly air made it almost impossible to breathe outside without your nose turning red and your lungs freezing. But the more insane EMUer's decided it would be a brilliant idea to go sledding in the slippery winter wonderland. The various sleds of choice were nontraditional in the sense that they consisted of big plastic container lids and lunch trays from the cafeteria. The following morning I saw scraps, bumps, and bruises from all he "fun". So I suggest caution in your excursions outside on the frozen waters because you could fall as fast as a sinking ship!

Now I hope you all can capture the various events that occurred from this ice storm that covered the 'Burg in a icicle paradise. Now get along outside but be careful of the slippery sidewalks! Peace.

I think I like the Bolded Terms...

Tue, 13 Feb 2007 18:52:55GMT

Finishing up the sems

It has come time to call the costumes for Medea done. I have been working on them for the past two weeks and have to say that now, I am looking forward to seeing the play again with the costumes and lighting included. Learning to sew has been a positive skill for me--it has, and is, helping me with my patience level, design plans and has allowed me to have a few hours to myself a day. I have not been doing it on my own though--Erin, the faculty costume designer has been helping me and also Kaleb, one of my friends from Iowa. Costume design has been a good project for me but I must say that I am looking forward to finishing it to move onto the next project. Who knows what it will be! Come out to see Medea February 15-17 and also February 22-24!

Prayers

It is hard being away from home when important events happen in your family. My grandpa Lester has been having hip and heart problems and will be having surgery for his hip on Monday, February 19. It is this time where I wish I did not have to worry about deadlines here at school but instead be with my family and catch up on the things that I have missed while being here in VA. Do not get me wrong, I amLOVING EMU but when family things come up, I feel torn of where to be--all prayers would be helpful and appreciated. Thank you. He is the strongest 90-year-old I have ever met and is an amazing grandpa and mentor.

Spring Break?!?

Before you know it, the students will be spreading out over the country and maybe a few leaving the country for spring break. I am going to be spending the time with Lindsay's (my roomate) family. We are going to be traveling down to Orlando, Florida and are planning to soak up the sun, relax, read, enjoy the water parks and eat excellent crab. It is hard to believe that spring break is only two weeks away--and then it is hard to believe of what needs to be done within that amount of time in classes. The idea of it is overwhelming but do-able.

Sidenote: I am hoping to get a little feel for "Virginia storms" tonight and tomorrow. It has been sleeting all day but we will see where it takes us later in the evening. Snow? Rain? Both? Who knows?

Would You Be My Valentine?

Tue, 13 Feb 2007 15:27:54GMT

Valentine's Day. The day for little girls and little boys to give each other candy with a blushed smile. The day for greedy girlfriends to drain their nervous boyfriend's bank accounts. The day for Hallmark to reach its annual budget high. As the pink ribbons and the red roses start to shower the princesses, I must say that the whole kit-and-caboodle of Valentine's Day is ridiculous.

This day of chocolate headaches and paper hearts is as full of clichés as the boxed candy hearts which read the words you are too chicken to say out loud yourself. When will people realize that this day of sappy love songs and cheesy pick-up lines is just a day for people to spend money on others to show their love for them? Why can't we just say it? Why do we have to go out and spend dollars on rings that are overpriced as it is and candy that no one really likes?

That's a pet peeve of mine, those assorted chocolates. A box of candy that has unexpected allergy attack all over it. Coconut? Nuts? Some funky orange goop? Just as Forrest Gump's mama would say, "Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get."

The whole "holiday" just seems worthless. Why wait till one day out of the year to tell the people you care about that you love them? Shouldn't we tell them every day? Plus it gives everyone who is single a reason to curl up in bed at night with a gallon of ice cream. It promotes gluttony! That may be a stretch but I still believe it.

The girlfriends who live for this day need to get their heads out of the clouds and back onto solid ground where love isn't always a walk in the park and cupid is just that crazy guy dressed up in red and pink hearted boxer briefs with a bow and arrow in Times Square. If one day love becomes an easy and painless thing, call me up and I'll rethink my opinion. But right now, as it stands, Valentine's day is simply a day for forced "I love you's" and sickening sweet candies.

For all of you that agree I'm glad we have all come to our senses, but for those of you who are daydreaming in a bed of roses, enjoy it while it lasts because one day you'll understand its frivolity and lack of reality.

Now go and do some homework or something else productive! Have a swell and peachy keen day! Peace

8 Stitches On My Forehead!

Sat, 10 Feb 2007 17:30:30GMT

A week ago, (Friday February 2), while watching a movie for a class assignment, I busted my forehead open with a glass.

It all started at home when Natalie, my sister Carina, and I decided to go to the movie presented by CAC in the Science Center at EMU.

We arrived and people were walking out of the building, we asked a few friends outside the doors and we found out the movie has just ended. Usually the movies begin at 10:00 p.m. and that day it was started at 8:00 p.m. We got back on the car and drove to rent some movies.

BACK AT HOME
At home the movie was going great. ~Of course I was enjoying the movie, it was one of J Los movies when suddenly the TV announced low battery and turned off.

In our living room, we dont have a DVD player so we use a portable DVD player to see DVDs and the battery had gone dead.

My sister and I began searching for the power supply cord. We looked everywhere. We had to wake up my mother who told us she had seen the cord down stairs.

Downstairs in my room I thought I had seen a similar cord and I leaned forward to get it when I suddenly hit my head with a glass shelf. Luckily the glass did not break in pieces but it sliced my forehead open.

At the moment of the accident I thought I could treat it, but once I
noticed I was staining everything with blood I realized the best thing to
do was to go to the hospital to get it treated.

At the hospital it was quite a fast in and out visit. Overall it took
about an hour. The long part was filling up the papers and waiting for
the doctor but the stitching part took about ten minutes.

BACK AT HOME AGAIN, My father had suggested a better idea than searching for a cable to be able to see the movie, and I got to FINALLY finish watching the movie. Phew-What a Friday?!

Welcome To The Circus!

Thu, 08 Feb 2007 15:32:03GMT

As they say, life can throw curve balls. Well, I am in an entirely new ball park...it's not even a park at all! I like to think of it as a circus. You have the trapeze artists who think that they can balance the weight of the world on their shoulders and walk a thin, straight line and then there are the clowns that jump around trying to make you laugh when really, behind all the white and red face paint, they are just as confused and dissatisfied as the guy sitting next to you in the stands.

As of late, I have been apart of Act 2 after the intermission. I am the one in the blue and white striped dress trying to ride the unicycle while juggling 3-5 (depending on how I feel that day) enflamed sticks that are painted to look like candy canes. The hardest part isn't the juggling, but rather the challenge of balancing the bike and the drive to keep pedaling forward.

Leaving the analogy aside for a second, it can be very difficult at times when you are overwhelmed with more than you can handle with the expectation that you will keep going hanging over your head like a trapeze artist. Once you get the basic time management skills mastered it can seem like you have everything under control until the infamous "they" throws you another wanna-be candycane into the mix and your balance is altered.

But I have found over the past week or so that even if you wipe-out and loose control of all you are juggling, there will always be someone there to help you back up. It may be an unknown clown that you've never seen or it may be another unicycler that fully understands the difficulties of it all, but either way, the hand up is there and all you have to do is grab it. These type of people, I believe, were sent down here to this lost and misguided earth to help us, those lost and confused wearing our own shades of face paint, and lead us towards an easier path full of support and common understandings.

This is something that I have learned lately when I myself was rescued by a fellow unicycler after I had wiped-out with the firey candy canes threatening to land on me. When you think you are all alone on a path of confusion, there will always be someone there to help you up, just have a little faith.

Now off you go to the outdoors as usual! Have an AMAZING day!! PeAcE.

Into the Dump

Tue, 06 Feb 2007 21:56:42GMT

Throughout your years in college you are bound to have an interesting mix of roomies, ranging from the fairly normal to the incredibly strange. Your freshman year is usually an adventure into the paranormal because you most likely will have no real idea about what your roommate(s) is (are) like. Throughout my time in college I have had quite a diverse collection of roomies, but perhaps none quite like Jon C.

Jon C. was a very large, built kinda guy with an afro that made him at least a foot taller than me. His major career aspirations were to either become the next spider-man or to be the next running back for the Washington Redskins. On the whole Jon C. was a very likable, funny guy who always had a good joke to cheer you up, and his laughter could cure any depression.

Yet, Jon C. wasn't exactly the cleanest person in the world either. Throughout my senior year I constantly tried to keep our room basically organized. But that was clearly a losing battle. In fact, it would be more accurate to say that I was trying to organize his trash because there was no hope of making that room clean. It's like the guys who work at a landfill. Do you think they say to themselves after a while, "Gee, I guess we better clean this up"? No, they just push a layer of dirt over top of the existing trash pile and wait for the next load of trash to arrive. It's truly a practice in futility after a while, but you get used to it. Freshmen year of college can be much like this.

At the end of our senior year, I went ahead and decided to make a run at really cleaning that room of ours up. It was like being on that show "Dirtiest Jobs" with Mike Rowe. The worst part about it was Jon C's small college refridgerator. Over the course of months Jon must have been working on several science projects within his fridge because when I opened it there was all manner of decaying foods, and a couple of oranges that had spawned an entire family. I had decided to enact my revenge against Jon by throwing out his refridgerator. Now he wasn't too happy about this, but I tell you truly there was absolutely no life left in that thing (except for the "new life" that had been developing due to mold and such.

Imagine a person being bent over by a small college fridge as he hefts it over into one of those big waste bins outside your dorm. Now imagine the sludge spilling out onto that person. That was me in my last semester before transferring to EMU. I lived all 4 years on campus, 3 of those years with freshmen helping them to discover the joys of their new community. And I would highly recommend campus life today. Don't worry about apartments too much; you'll have plenty of time for that later. Take some time to get to know people in a setting that will be unique for the rest of your life, and don't try to become an adult so fast. There's nothing quite like really living out the college experience.

Dig into the Bolded Terms...

Mon, 05 Feb 2007 16:46:10GMT

Unhumanly

Time has been moving at an unhumanly fast pace--yes, i said, "unhumanly." I really do not know if unhumanly is a word but i like it, so i am going to use it. It is hard to believe that we have been back in classes for a month already. The excitement of classes is fading and now we are entering quickly into the stage of work, work, work. I decided coming into this spring semester, that i would take a break from doing a show. We all need breaks once in while os i thought i would jump at the chance.

Design Me

If you know me you would know that I am a fan of fashion and design. I have always wanted to learn more about clothing construction so when I was asked to be comstume designer for one of the spring shows, "Medea" I was thrilled. Now I am finding myself hands deep in disign plans and ideas. This last weekend was exciting but stressful. I went out to different shops trying to find things that I could use for each costume. I just need to have a little more patience when I am am in a tight place. Maybe if I pretend that I have the sewing hands of my grandma, it will help me succeed in the process.

Winging

This last week was the first week that I went winging at Buffalo Wild Wings. The group was new to me but i loved it. That is one thing I love about EMU--every semester I meet new people that I love hanging out with. And believe me, getting off campus for some Parmesan Garlic wings hit the spot. It might have to become more of a practice in my life. Tuesdays at Buffalo Wild Wings...it had to be one of my highligts of this year so far.

Movie Review

It bugs me when I create high expectations for a movie before I see it and then in the end, become disappointed because it was not what I had expected. For this last movie I saw, "Because I Said So" with Diane Deaton it was the complete opposite. I forced myself not to create, in my head, what the movie was going to be like and I enjoyed it much more. The movie was excellent and climbed to up the ladder to one of my personal favorites. Oh, and i must say that I absolutely loved Keaton's wardrobe; adorable and classy to say the least. I suggest anyone to see it if you are looking for a good-funny chick flick on any night of the week...you will not be disappointed.

Just remember: Yes, it is only Monday, but this week will go by fast and before you know it, it will be Wednesday and the weekend will be in sight. Then, holy cow, it will be Friday--so stck in there everyone, and live everyday to the fullest.

Wasted Weekends

Sat, 03 Feb 2007 23:35:38GMT

Weekends are merely a tease to the common student. On Friday night you get all giddy after realizing how you don't have to get up and go to class the next day. Then on Saturday, you waste your day away because "It's the weekend, dang it, I don't feel like doing homework!" Then Saturday night comes around and you sit around with friends and stay up late laughing about how much work you should of done that day. Then, instantly, you remember you have church in the morning! You set your alarm and dive into bed.

As you sit in church, hearing and not listening to the sermon, your head starts to swirl with all the work you should have done the day before...you should have written that paper instead of watching all 3 Lord of the Rings DVDs, you should have finished reading the last chapter instead of burning your retinas by playing 3 hours of Playstation. After church, you get home, completely worn out as if you had just run a marathon, and you sit down angrily thinking about how you should have had a productive weekend.

This horrible cycle of laziness/lack-of-motivation and "I should have..." is something every college student struggles with on a daily basis. Will there ever be a time when you say to yourself, "Yes, right now at this very moment in my life, of my human existance, I want to do my homework." Will that ever happen for us college kids? It's a head scratcher for sure..I'll keep you posted if an answer arises.

Now, as always, you should go outside, play with your younger siblings or your pets (which should be, like Bob Barker would say, spade and neutered to reduce over population). Have a superb day! Peace.

Buffalo Wild Wings

Fri, 02 Feb 2007 18:17:43GMT

So . . . you're a senior in high school thinking about coming to EMU. Perhaps you're wondering what Harrisonburg is like and what could possibly be in this area that will keep you busy for the next 4 years (or 5 or 6 years if you're especially lucky). I give you three words: Buffalo Wild Wings.

Ahh, the joys of food in college. You are bound, at some point or another, to get tired of the traditional school menu (no matter where you go to college), and that is why God created buffalo wings. But wings aren't just any food; they are, in fact, their own food group. You could have your own college meal plan exclusively based around Buffalo Wild Wings (or B-Dubb's for short). During my freshman and senior years my friends and I went once a week (and sometimes twice) and gorged ourselves on an endless supply of spicy goodness.

But B-Dubb's is not for the faint of heart, my prospective friends. You must come prepared for an intense spicy lineup. The variety ranges from the sweet and the mild to the increasingly dangerous chemical concoctions like the " blazin' " sauce. If you can eat 6 of these puppies in a row without squirming then you will have won my respect. But I warn you: you may need to bring your own jug of milk to quench the burn.

If you were once a vegetarian or vegan, then I urge you especially to change your sinful ways and find out what it's like to eat 24 or more wings in one sitting. College is all about discovery, and Buffalo Wild Wings is one of the best discoveries you can make in Harrisonburg. Come with a group of friends or bring a date (and embarrass yourself with licking the sauce of your face/fingers). Watch the Red Sox beat the Yankees over and over again, or show up for super-bowl weekend. Tuesday nights are the best: only 30 cents per wing, which adds a whole new meaning to the proverb, "the more the merrier."

Bumper To Bumper

Mon, 29 Jan 2007 20:27:20GMT

Not only does the phrase "bumper to bumper" refer to high-risk traffic where most accidents occur, it also applies to my bowling style. A couple weekends ago, EMU held a midnight bowling night (complete with neon lights and dance music) at our local bowling lanes. With my highly competative friends, bumpers were, without a doubt, a no go.

So more or less, my bowling style had drifted to a constant gutter ball status by the end of the first game. As a last attempt to save my suffering score, I pulled out a granny move where I just carried the ball to the line like I was holding a small child, bent over and rolled it. As the ball slowing made its way down the lane I held my breath with anticipation and the laughter from my friends echoed in the background.

As all of the pins came to a crash, the snobbery began and the retaliation for the doubts commenced. Bowing for my awesome bowling performance only increased the laughter and a round of high fives followed.

Weekends here at EMU are whatever you make them out to be. Either you can chill in your room and surf the infamous facebook or you can go out and have a good time with friends under the neon glow of Harrisonburg's Valley Lanes.

Now you guys go on and turn this computer off. Go outside, paint a picture..maybe even bake something...but whatever you do, look away from this screen because the long hours of staring at it just isn't healthy.

Have a fabulous day! Peace.

Snow in the Valley

Thu, 25 Jan 2007 19:58:10GMT

Today it started snowing again - though it was brief. I am surprised at the lack of snow thus far in the Shenandoah Valley. Granted, snow in the Valley is nothing like snow in the northern states, around the Great Lakes area, or in the mid-west. Yet, in its infrequency there is nonetheless a certain beauty against the backdrop of rolling hills, farmland, and the ever-distant mountains. I have lived in the Valley area for most of my life, and I find that whenever it does snow (even for a few minutes) there is something of a mystical quality revealed in this quaint, little place. How can our attention be so easily drawn away from God by the mundane when there are these elegantly-crafted miracles slowly drifting down to us from some other, more perfect plane? God makes God's Self evident in daily acts; yet, we in our own daily routine seldom make intimate contact with the One whose ways differ from ours. If the light falling of a gentle January snow cannot put us in touch with the Divine what can?