The Last Whitworth Weekend of My Freshman Year

Wow, did you read that title?! I am unsure what to think about that. A lot has happened over these last couple of weeks and quite frankly, it is all sort of a blur. I went into this last week unsure how everything would get done, but of course it did. And it literally meant taking it one day at a time, which can be a good skill to learn.

Two weekends ago on Friday night, one of my good friends, Katelyn, who lives next door to me proposed we should do something fun. I told her I was unsure because I had a lot to do. Well I eventually convinced myself that I could afford an hour or two and that it was one of my last weekends here so why not. Well, an hour or two for dinner or a movie turned into a seven and a half hour, late night adventure! We went to Teriyaki food, went shopping, went and saw the new movie The Lucky One, which was adorable! Then we went to Sharis to have a pie shake (which I had a coupon for a free one!) and eventually headed back to campus.

The following Saturday was the Powder Puff football tournament! I was not on a team but definitely went and rooted for the team that was mostly Arend freshman girls. When I set out to head to the tournament, it was cloudy and overcast and I thought the tournament might last about an hour….well that then turned into a five and a half hour tournament that I couldn’t pull myself away from, as well as eighty degree weather that gave this girl a very bad sun burn on her arms! Aside from the painful, burning arms and people gawking at how red I was, it was definitely worth it.

A picture of the sky while I was at the tournament. It was much brighter and hotter outside than this picture looks like!

After the tournament I went with a good friend to the mall to get his hair cut (we always do random stuff like this), and on our way back we saw a carnival! Well it’s not every day you see a carnival in town, and they do not have many in Hawaii (which is where he is from), so of course we had to stop! We ended up playing a couple of games and we won four goldfish. Well this was exciting at first until I realized that I have no way of caring for these fish. I went to Wal-Mart and got everything I needed to care for these fish, but sadly, within a couple of days we were having a fishy funeral, and they are no longer with us. I think they were unhealthy.

So Sunday was full of homework and studying, but I am so glad that I decided to break loose from campus for a lot of the weekend and do other things, because it was one of (the many) most fun weekends I have had here. But do not worry, it did not take away from school, I managed to get my homework done as well ;)

Last weekend was also a pretty busy weekend. Friday night we had something called Pirate Idol, which is where people showcase their music abilities. At the end everyone votes and whoever wins is crowned the Pirate Idol. It was incredible and I am always blown away at how many talented people I go to school with and I LOVE listening to some of those musicians because they write great music and can sing and play instruments beautifully. After Pirate Idol there was a dance, which I went to later on in the night. It was really cool, there were black lights everywhere and neon body paint that people had painted on their arms and faces. Randomly there would be confetti dropped from the ceiling, or toilet paper unraveled into the air by a leaf blower. It is kind of odd, but silly and fun.

My friend Katelyn and I at the dance

The Arend crew at the dance! I love them all!

Saturday morning I went with my small group from one of my classes to volunteer at Habitat for Humanity to help build houses. It was a great time, I really enjoyed it. I learned how to caulk inside and outside of the houses. Then when I arrived back on Campus we were having Spring Fest, which is like a carnival on campus where different clubs, dorms, and departments put up booths doing different things. There are also bouncy houses, food, and entertainment. I wasn’t able to go to much of it, but I walked through, ate lunch, and tie dyed my first shirt! I wish I had been able to be at more of it but there is always next year. And also, the proceeds of Spring Fest always go to a charity and this year they went to BELIEF, the organization that I helped with over Jan Term! So that is exciting.

Last night, we had a dorm BBQ. There were people everywhere outside, socializing, and it was nice just to take it in. Being the end of the year, it makes you realize that this won’t last forever. It is not a bad sad feeling, but a happy sad feeling. After the BBQ we had another Arend Unplugged, which is like a talent show for Arend residents. The performances range from music, skits, dancing, and funny performances. It was hilarious and a great way to kick off our last weekend this year.

After that I ended up coming to my room and I started packing (and found a lot of things I forgot I had or that I have been looking for). It is a weird feeling. My walls are white again, and my pictures are off of the walls. My bed no longer has bed risers and there are boxes stashed in corners. It is really making the fact that we are leaving soon set in. Late last night I went and said my first goodbye, to a friend who had to leave school early. It is a strange concept, to be in a place that has become your home with people that have become like family, and then you are told to be out 24 hours after your last final and everyone disperses across the country. Summer will be a good break, and the sense of accomplishing a year of school is refreshing and fulfilling. However, in all honesty, it will be very different. It is going to be hard to go back home after being on my own for almost a year, and going from always having people around to not constantly being with friends. As I said earlier, summer is needed and it will be good, but I am doing my best to be intentional about being open minded and not having any expectations as well as making the most of the time I will have at home with my family.

A little update on the baseball team status which I mentioned in my last post: they won their tournament last weekend and are conference champions! They talked about how they were dreaming of a dogpile at the end if they won, and then it happened!

And there it is, the dogpile and the first conference championship in 20 YEARS!!

Also, I found a picture of my roommate Erin and I at the Green with Envy dance that Arend put on in March, and I love it. It is one of my favorite pictures!

And more pictures to share of my beautiful school's campus:

Sun and warmth!

Flowers blooming! I love that there is a very dead, bare tree in the background and then there is new life blooming in the foreground.

As I was writing this blog, I recieved some pretty great news. I applied and interview to work at the Whitworth library these last two weeks, and I was just notified that I will be hired and be able to begin in the Spring of next year. So that is pretty relieving, good news!

And alas, I am at the point at the end of my freshman year where I have completed every single homework assignment and the only thing left to do is complete four finals! Next week is not a bad week, all I have to do is be good about studying. Thursday is my last final and then I am moving out Friday morning. I will be staying at my roommate’s sister’s house for a couple of days and then I am heading home on Sunday. Saturday, one week from today, my roommate Erin, her twin Emily, and Emily’s roommate are all going to Silverwood!! A long time ago back in October when a bunch of us from the dorm went to Scarywood, we received a voucher to get into Silverwood for free during May. So since we will still be around here, we are taking advantage of that. I am very excited for that and hoping for good weather! After that, onward to Oregon and summer vacation! 

Baseball, Lu'au, and Another Weekend To Come

Wow, this last week went by fast! I was busy preparing for tests, presentations, planning and registering for classes, attending campus events, and getting assignments out of the way! I guess when you can clearly see everything you have left for the year, the days go by pretty quickly! I am trying to take it day by day and am not going to think about the end of the year emotions yet!

This last weekend was very nice though! I was pretty productive. Last Saturday was Whitworth's 42nd annual Lu'au that the Hawaiian club put on. I attended and it was a lot of fun! There were a lot of people there, and not only students but professors and faculty, families, and community members, so that was nice. We were served traditional Hawaiian dishes and then there were dances performed by students (as well as a dance that staff did, including our president). I definitely enjoyed it and I am glad I went!

I went to a baseball game here last Sunday and it was a very exciting and fun game to be at! Whitworth baseball (mind you that baseball is my favorite sport to attend and watch in person) has been doing very well this year! They unfortunately do not have many games at Whitworth until April because the weather is usually so bad, but they have had several weekends of games and a couple during the week this month that have been here. So the baseball team had a pretty big round of games this last weekend, they were playing Pacific University which was/possibly still is first in our conference. But Whitworth pulled through and won two out of the three games which means that they are tied for first in the conference! From what I understand, if they continue to win and Pacific loses a game, we will be first in the conference! That will be the first time in ten years for that to happen so that is very exciting! The baseball team is headed for Salem this weekend to play at Willamette. I wish I could have snagged a ride, but unfortunatly it doesn't quite work that way, haha!  

Last Sunday night we also had a hall activity, which was Henna night! There is a student here who has had her own Henna business for the last four years. She is extremely talented! I got a Henna tattoo on my shoulder blade. I am not exactly the most creative person so I just gave a general idea to the woman who did it for us and it turned out great, I really love it! I just haven't been able to show it off much because it is on my shoulder blade!

The weather has been up and down these last couple of weeks, it was cloudy and rainy most of the week but rumor has it that it is supposed to be between the 60's and 80's this weekend! So that would be amazing! I do not have many plans for the weekend other than homework, but now that I think about it it may be one of the last weekends that I can spare some time before the year is over. Tonight I may be going with a friend, or a couple of friends, to see a movie and maybe to dinner. Tomorrow we have a powderpuff football tournament, so of course I have to go out and support my team (the team that is from my dorm and that I was deemed "head coach" for.....yeah, we all know how realistic that is!). Then Sunday my roommate has an orchestra concert so I will go watch her :)

I did decide to stay here in the same dorm for next year. It seems as though almost everyone else is moving off of my hall and there will be mostly freshman, but the girl I am living with seems great and I am excited for a new experience. There will be many good, healthy changes, I hope.

That's all for now, hoping that everyone has a great weekend!

Easter!

Just writing a quick note to say HAPPY EASTER to everyone!

I went to church with a couple of other girls this morning, which was held in a beautiful theater downtown! Today was a BEAUTIFUL day! It was probably around 70 degrees, with a clear sky and sun! I sat outside for a couple of hours reading, but it was hard to concentrate so I moved and layed in the grass for a little bit with some other friends.

It was so lovely and felt amazing. It started to feel like Summer might actually be coming!

I had dinner recently and it was delicious, the cafeteria had a wonderful dinner. For the rest of the night I plan to read for a class some more, catch up with friends that will be returning from the long weekend, and make cookies for friends and people in the dorm!

Anyways, my quick note is coming to an end, I hope everyone had a blessed Easter!

I Have Less Weeks Left In Freshman Year Than The Number Of Weeks Since I Last Updated This Blog

Although it has been a long time since I have written, I have a lot to share! Right now I am enjoying a relaxing evening to myself. Tomorrow is Good Friday and we do not have school. Many people are leaving but I am staying. I am glad to have a long, relaxing, enjoyable weekend ahead. So much has happened in these last two months. The last time I updated this blog was before Spring semester even started, and now I am two-thirds of the way done with it! I cannot believe that I am almost done with my first year of college, it has gone by so fast. However, in hindsight I realize how much I have learned and how much I feel that I have grown in these last seven months.

This semester has felt much different than last semester to me. I am still fulfilling gen eds for the most part, but they are much more interesting, I have more variety and there are new subjects and content that I have never learned about before. The classes I am taking this semester include Intro to Psychology, Intro to Sociology, Spanish, Foundations of Christian Leadership, a Major/Career skill/exploration course, and Core 150, which is a course about the history of Christian perspectives and all different worldviews. I am really enjoying my classes this semester, they are all interesting to me.

The first half of this semester, especially the month before Spring break, was very busy and stressful for me. I was juggling homework as well as midterms and many different applications. I applied for an academic program, a Resident Assistant position, and a study abroad program. I applied for a Certification For Ministry program here, and recieved good news, I was accepted! It will turn out to be a Theology minor as well as a bit more due to the certification for ministry aspect. Honestly, I sort of applied to see what would happen. I honestly have no idea what I will or can do with it but I will learn a lot nonetheless and who knows where it could lead me or what it could do for me either while in the program at college or afterwards.

Applying to be a Resident Assistant here in the dorms was a very long process. Total it took about a month which included the written application, essays, cover letter, resume, references, scenarios, prime time activity,  and interview. I made it through everything and was invited for an interview but the day before Spring break I found out that I was not hired. It was a let down, I will be honest and say that it was a disappointment and I didn't quite understand it at first. I think it just seemed like a huge let down because it had been building for so long and was such a long process. Luckily, Spring break was right after I recieved the news and it was incredibly nice to be able to go home. I did learn a lot and it was a great experience and process to go through.

So long story short, my parents and family knew that I was coming home for Spring break but they thought I was coming home a couple of days later than I actually did. So I showed up Friday night a lot later than expected at one in the morning! Nobody but one friend knew that I was coming home and so it was exciting to surprise everyone, especially Sarah! Her reaction was the best :)

I didn't stress much about doing a lot with friends, I mostly rested and relaxed. It was really nice to be home and not worry about a lot. I just layed low and did homework mostly, it was very much needed. Also, Sarah's Spring break was starting the week after mine. So we had come up with the idea for her to come to school with me and guess what, it worked out! I drove back to school Sunday and Sarah came with me. It was the first time I drove to Spokane myself, especially without my parents. I was a tad nervous but it was a blast. Sarah and I had a ton of fun. It took us quite awhile to make the trip. We only missed two exits so I guess that's better than it could be, haha. But it was okay because we easily found our way back to where we needed to be in not much time. We stopped a couple of times. We stopped in The Dalles, in Tri-Cities, and then stopped and ate in Spokane once we got into town. The road trip itself was a lot of fun!

Once we got to campus, we kind of just hung out for the night. Sarah stayed from Sunday night and then flew home Wednesday night. While she was here, it was a huge blessing and very unusual that I did not have hardly any homework. I was able to spend all of my free time with her. She came to my classes with me, we both managed to sleep in my twin bed, we went shopping, went out to lunch at a local pizza place called Shakey's, and we got our hair cut. We also watched several episodes of Cake Boss, hung out and talked, went to dinner with my roommate at Applebee's one night, went to frozen yogurt with friends, and also just spent time being in the dorm with people, going with whatever came our way. I think she got a pretty good idea of what my life here at Whitworth is like and I am pleased that she felt so welcomed by my friends and the students/faculty here, as I knew she would be. Having Sarah here at Whitworth with me was absolutely incredible. It was good for me in many, many ways. It was nice to have her here, and it was a nice transition back to school for me after I had had a rough week before break.

Moving to more recent matters, as I said earlier, I applied for a Jan term study abroad program in Guatemala. I was unsure about it, but once I found out about a month ago that I was on the wait list, I figured it was not the right time and I must not have been ready. Therefore I sort of stopped thinking about it. However, this last Sunday I recieved a very unexpected email from the director of the program that said I have been selected and there is a spot for me after all. I was shocked and excited. I needed to talk to the professor before I made a decision in order to get more information. I was finally able to talk with her yesterday and I have made the decision to go! This will be in January of 2013. It is an incredible opportunity and the more I think about it the more excited I get! I will travel with a professor from Whitworth as well as about twenty other students. I will be there for three weeks taking an intensive oral Spanish course. I will live with a Guatemalan host family with one other student, and attend a language school there. I will have my OWN teacher who will work with me at my speaking level for five hours a day, Monday through Friday. We will be able to see sights, have "weekend excursions", spend time in the city, work with children at a community center, and many other things. I cannot believe I have such an amazing experience ahead and I am really excited!

Summer is approaching very quickly, which means that many things will be changing next year. My roommate has become my best friend here at Whitworth, I am so incredibly thankful for her. She was hired as a Health Advocate for next year, which I am so proud of her for. However, she will be moved to another building and I have to figure out if it would be best to stay here in my dorm or move along with her. It has been a very difficult choice to think about, but I need to stay focused on the fact that regardless of what happens, God will use it. So I have been mindful and been praying about that a lot, hoping that whatever is meant to happen will be laid on my heart. After all, basically all of my biggest decisions in life have come from God providing direction to me, laying His will on my heart, and making it possible.

Overall, there have been a couple of challenges over these last couple of weeks, but good things come from them in one way or another. But many incredible things have been happening as well. God has definitely been working in my heart lately. He has mixed things up from where I thought I may be going and shown me that ultimately, I do not have control. And I am perfectly content with that. I wouldn't want my life to be directed any other way. After all, He knows best.

Jan Term Reflections, Spring Semester Kick Off!

Overall, Jan term was not quite what I expected. The B.E.L.I.E.F. conference that I was involved with, the girl that I was supposed to host did not show up so that was a disappointment but I think it worked out for the best. Jan Term was a nice change and definitely a unique time during the school year. I was hoping to do much more than what I was able to do, but it was relaxing and I made many fun memories in being able to spend more time with people. I don't think I fully appreciated it until I thought about everything that is coming with another semester ahead!

I took ta class called Identity, Race, and Power. I really appreciated that class and I learned a lot. I think it was my favorite of any classes so far. I would not say it was a hard class, but there was a lot of reading every day and that was time consuming and left me spending most of my time doing that. Every Friday (three times total) we went out in service learning groups to organizations around town. I went with three guys to a place called Vanessa Behan Crisis Nursery. The first week we cleaned through and organized donations in the attic. The second week we played with the children. The third week we shoveled snow (that was a first for me), and then played with the children in the snow (that was a cold day!). I really enjoyed that part of the class. Not only because it was in place of our class on Fridays so it seemed like we always had a three day weekend, but I enjoyed being able to go out and serve in the community and have a change away from campus every now and then.

However, there were several fun things that happened during Jan term! Some of the highlights for me were sledding, a hall date bowling, eating out at Olive Garden, and a basketball game where Arend Hall won the dorm spirit contest!



Amanda (my Jan Term RA) and I while we were out in the snow for sledding.



One of the weekends during Jan Term, many people from my dorm went sledding. There is a big hill down in the back 40 (an area of 40 acres behind campus that Whitworth owns) that we went down. We went twice in one day! I had been waiting to go all year and it was the first time we had gotten enough snow for it! We were sledding for a total of three hours, one time in the afternoon and one time at night (yeah probably not the best idea). It was a blast though and although I ended up with a bruised knee and a hurt tail bone (that was not fun), it was a lot of fun, possibly my highlight of Jan Term!



At the Arend/Duvall camp fire night!



We had a camp fire night with my dorm and another dorm. There was a big camp fire. People made smores and drank hot chocolate. There were a lot of people there! A couple of guys from the other dorm brought their guitars and so they were playing and singing songs. It was a lot of fun :)



The Arend Belles on our hall date bowling.

What started out as a hall date kind of just turned into whoever wanted to come bowling could come bowling, so we had about four lanes of people bowling, guys and girls both. It was a fun night as well.



Wearing purple and representing Arend Hall at the basketball game!

We had a dorm spirit night and the dorm that had the most participants and represented their color the most would win a pizza party for their dorm. You guessed right...we won!

Emily and I at Olive Garden





My roommate Erin (on the left) and another girl from our Hall

One of the last nights of Jan Term, we thought it would be fun to dress up and go out to dinner. So to Olive Garden we went. The food was delicious!

Now that Jan Term is over, we have a five day break before the Spring Semester starts. It is very nice because it is the only break other than Christmas break where we do not have homework because it is in between terms. I was able to go to Milton-Freewater because I was able to find rides to get part of the way there and my family was very welcomg and willing to let me stay with them. It was very nice to be able to get off of campus. It was lovely and relaxing, I am so grateful I was able to be there. It was just what I needed. (Thank you Milton- Freewater Family!) Although I did miss my family at home and I can not wait to see them next time.

Today is the last day before my Spring term classes start tomorrow. I checked my mail and I recieved a letter from Whitworth telling me that based on my Fall Term GPA, I made it on the Dean's Honor Roll and I will be placed in a certain society here. I thought that was nice motivation to kick off the next semester with! 

Today has been lovely, I am appreciating it while I can. I was able to sleep in. I took care of a couple of things that I had to do before class tomorrow. I went on a nice walk with a friend of mine. In fact, just before typing this we had a dorm dinner. Yes, DORM dinner. Obviously not everyone was there, but we had ten tables together! I love that! Seriously no other dorm does that here, I love the community and people here in my dorm. It's amazing.

Well still tonight I have a skype date with a friend and plans to watch a movie, but I have a feeling I will find ways to stay plenty busy once the semester starts.

Jan Term Begins

I had a wonderful Christmas break! It was nice to be home with family and friends. It almost felt like another summer break (I'm not used to not having any homework). It felt great to accomplish my first semester of college and I worked hard for the grades I pulled off.

Now we have accomplished the first week of Jan term! Jan term is a three week term during January where students can do many different things. If on campus, most people take only one class or PE classes. I am taking a class called Identity, Race, and Power. I realized that it's the first class I have taken that is different and unique to college. Most of my classes thus far are classes that are similar to classes that are offered in high school. The class explores American Diversity. I like it so far but it can emotionally challenging, but that is okay. We do a lot of reading outside of the classroom and although it is usually interesting, I am a slower reader and so it takes a lot of my time.

Jan term is also a time for fun! I am hoping that I will be able to make the most of it before another rough semester starts. I do not want to take it for granted. My roommate and I as well as several other girls have made a list of things we hope to do over the course of Jan term. We are going to try to take pictures doing each of the activities we do. I believe we are starting today by going hiking here shortly (time to bundle up)!

This week I started going to dance aerobics! This morning was the third time I have gone and it is offered three times a week. It is difficult but a lot of fun and a great workout. The woman that instructs the class is a junior here at Whitworth. She is a certified fitness instructor and teaches a class at least once a day, I find that pretty impressive!

So far this Jan term I have watched a couple of movies with people from the dorm, I have attended dance aerobics, we had a laundry room dance party last night, I have gone to frozen yogurt with a couple of people, I have been introduced to the televion series Bones, and I attended a training session for the conference that I am going to be a part of next weekend.

Next week there is going to be a conference held here at Whitworth for local high school students from Thursday afternoon until Saturday afternoon. It is called the B.E.L.I.E.F conference (which stands for: because every life is empowering the future). The conference was created by a couple of Whitworth students and it has been being planned for the last year and a half. This next weekend is going to be the first of hopefully many more! It is not advocating Whitworth but the purpose of the weekend is to encourage students to pursue a form of higher education. There are going to be a variety of speakers and workshops and lots of activities. I am a mentor for the program so I am going to have one girl staying with me for three days and two nights. I am going to be attending most of the events with her. I hope to build a relationship with her and learn a lot about who she is. Most of these students come from very difficult backgrounds where college is not usually an option. The high school is known as one of the toughest in the state with the most poverty and drop out rates. I know very little about my girl, but I know she immigrated to the U.S. within the last couple of years from the former soviet union and has had a rough time adapting. If you think about it, please keep my preparation for her arrival, the conference and my encounters with her in your prayers.The weekend is going to be a very busy one, but it should be great and I am very excited (and only slightly nervous).

I will be in touch with pictures from our adventures and an outcome of the conference next weekend!

Final Photography Project

For my final photography project, we were supposed to tell a narrative within four photos. This is my final project: