(A quick note: Don't believe the timestamp on this post. It really is midnight.)
Today's been an odd day. It started out a little poorly, but then ended up well.
My alarm clock failed me this morning. I had set it for 7:15 so that I could be at breakfast at 7:45 because my LAS had to get on a bus at 8:30. I ended up being startled awake at 8:15 by my roommate and her boyfriend (I think he spent the night? I was asleep when they came back to our room) because the LAS student leader came knocking on our door looking for me. I dressed, put in my contacts, grabbed a granola bar, and RAN down to the BSC (Brenton Student Center) to get on the bus. I didn't see my LAS group, but a man told me they were on bus 8. Of course, bus 8 was clear down at the end of the line of buses. I was the last one on, but I had a tiny bit of breathing room before the bus rolled out of the parking lot.
The bus took us to Des Moines' Pleasant Hill suburb, to a charity called Hope Ministries (www.hopeiowa.org). There, we took a tour of their thrift store warehouse, and I was amazed by the sheer volume of things they had received as donations. One thing that fascinated me was the clothing baler. The machine baled up 700 pound batches of clothes that didn't sell, and the workers send the bales to the East Coast to be sold there, and if the clothes don't sell there, they are sent overseas.
We met a man whose life had been changed by the charity. He was about 45 years old, and a few years ago, he was homeless. He didn't know Jesus, and he hadn't really 'grown up'. The charity (which is Christian and doesn't take any government funding) took him in. There is a large system of charities in the area involved with Hope Ministries. He was eventually led to Christ, and taught how to make something of himself. Today he is a manager for the thrift store and warehouse. He prayed for us when we arrived and when we left, and I could tell he had a true and fulfilling faith. It was truly inspiring to meet him.
Our purpose, however, was not to be tourists, but to work. We were needed because the charity had built a new addition to the thrift store and they wanted to open it this coming Saturday; the addition had made a mess of their furniture department, and we had to clean up the furniture and help organize it. The room was piled with old bookshelves, sewing machines, tables, couches, mattresses, and other various furniture pieces. The girls were given buckets of soapy water, rags, sponges, and Pledge, while the boys moved the couches out and the mattresses into a better place. The paint on the walls was fresh, and there were cleaning fumes, and there was also dust, so breathing was mildly tough. We worked in these conditions from about 9:30 to 11:20. I am proud to say we cleaned up most of the room in that fairly short span of time. It was irritating when people didn't do a very good job of cleaning the shelving, but I think our teamwork enabled us to do a thorough job.
We finished and the bus came back to take us home to Simpson. This time it wasn't a fancy charter bus, but a Yellow Limo. We returned in time for lunch on the plaza in front of the library. My LAS professor had us go into the hall where our classroom is, and we discussed the morning's activities. He asked questions like, "Does what we did today really impact homeless people?" It was food for thought. I didn't speak during this session but I did consider each question as it was posed. I prefer to listen for a while and then speak.
I headed back to my room for a little break, and then I biked nearly two miles to the Indianola Activity Center to sign up for swing dancing and ballroom dancing. It cost me $80 ($40 per class) but I am really excited to do it. I have always been interested in dance; I was once in a dance class with tap, jazz, and ballet foci, but I quit when I realized it was expensive and I wasn't having fun anymore. I am trying to find someone who has a car who wants to come with me to the dance lessons. The dance lessons start in October and are on Tuesday nights.
After my four mile round trip, I went to OrgFest, which is Simpson's activities fair. It was kind of boring, but hey, free stuff! The RLC was giving out pens and fun size candy, while the Greek Life people were giving out full-size candy bars (I got a Kit-Kat). The Alumni Association was giving out free water bottles to first-years, and they even offered jobs doing Phone-athon. I don't think I will do Phone-athon because I dislike asking people for money (My parents don't count- Love you Mom and Dad!).
For supper I had to use my meal plan, and I chose to eat the "Chinese". Bad idea- it was too salty or too soy-saucy or something. It didn't taste very good. I will avoid it next time. After supper I hung out with my new girlfriends in their room and we watched Youtube videos, danced to funky music, and giggled together. At 8:00 our whole floor met on the basketball half-court in front of our hall. Our CAs told us some simple rules and safety things, and then they gave us our recycling bins! Woo-hoo for recycling bins!
There was a comedian scheduled for tonight, but I decided I was going to try to shower and go to bed. My plan was derailed by a knock on my door and the offer of a game of Apples to Apples, which is my favorite game that comes in a box. Instead of going to bed around 10:00, I ended up playing Apples to Apples with six other girls until about 11:15. There was much laughter and silliness, where one girl's name was "Megan" (not her real name) but she jokingly called herself "LaQuisha" (the name she was actually joking with). The atmosphere made it funnier than it seems now, but it was a good memory to have.
Finally the party broke up, and then I went to shower and to finish this blog post. It's midnight but I do not have class tomorrow at all, and my only orientation activity is at 12:30 PM. Not much is going on for me tomorrow, actually. I am thinking about trying to catch up on my sleep, but I also might explore Indianola. I still haven't figured out where Wal-Mart is. Google Maps or MapQuest to the rescue! :)
Monday, August 31, 2009
Sunday, August 30, 2009
My first weekend at Simpson
Wow, I can't believe it has only been two days that I have been here at Simpson. It seems like it has been a week already! There has been so much crammed into so little time.
Saturday was Move-In Day for freshmen. The frats and sororities helped us move in- all my family had to do was take in one load per person. We changed the height of my bed, and that was a bit of a trick. We took the bed apart to 'de-loft' it. Once we got that taken care of, I moved in fairly quickly. I have so much storage space and really not that many items to store.
We went down to Walgreens to get some last minute supplies like laundry soap and hearing aid batteries. Then we went to lunch in the cafeteria. The food is okay. Mom and Dad went to the parent orientation meeting while I went to the library, bookstore, and student center. I got my books and they look quite interesting. I have 6 books for 4 classes this semester, but I know I will be keeping 2 of them- a Spanish dictionary and a writing textbook.
After those events, we went to the Welcome Service on the quad. There is a tradition that the first-year students pass through the College Gates, and so I walked through the gate and into the Simpson world.
Mom and Dad left soon after and I went back to my hall. We spent a little time with our CAs (Community Advisors) and met the other people in our halls. One girl said she graduated in a class of six students! Wow. That is tiny. After a little get-to-know you, we went to supper, a picnic outside the cafeteria. The food was good and we met more people.
After supper all the first-years went to the campus theater to see a show called Risque Business. It is about college life and the things that can happen while a person is at college. There were some awkward moments. But it does happen and it could happen. It was a good show, though. Four students (two girls, two guys) played several roles and they were very convincing in each role. Once this show was over we headed back to our dorm floors to process it, and our CA gave us the harassment policy.
Next was the luau party at the chapel. It was a little too chilly for it and I ended up not staying very long. I met two girls who live on my floor, just down the hall a little ways, and we decided to go watch Bones. Not a bad experience and I think these two girls will become my 'girlfriends'. There was also bingo and a midnight breakfast available, but I was tired, so I went to bed.
I got up this morning (Sunday) at 8:00 to go eat breakfast with my LAS (Liberal Arts Seminar). It was awkward because I only knew a few names, but I still tried to pay attention to the group. I can tell now who is a freshman and who has been here before; those who have been here before are a LOT less shy and are more willing to put themselves "out there". I'm still working on that part. :) After the breakfast, we went on a tour of campus and found where our classes are.
Then, we boarded four big charter buses to go to the local Methodist camp. The camp has a ropes course that the LAS groups went on. Our first challenge was "The Raging River", where we had to use teamwork to get from stump to stump "across the river". It took us a long time because we had only three boards to walk on, and we had to move them often. Once we got a system worked out, and started moving more people, we got done faster.
We had to cross a small suspension footbridge across a trickling creek to get to our second challenge, which was a rope swing. This challenge would have been simple but for one twist: we had to get a bucket of water across without spilling it. Humor ensued when one of the boys in the group tried to carry the bucket across between his legs and ended up spilling it all over his shorts. Eventually we got the bucket of water across, and then all the other people went across afterward.
The third and final challenge was a tightrope of sorts. Two ropes were tied in an x above the tightrope cable, and two people, one from each end of the rope, had to go on the tightrope to the other side. The tricky part was in the middle where they switched between the two crossed ropes. I was the first girl to try each challenge, so I am pleased with myself for being brave.
After a late lunch and meeting our LAS professor, we headed back to Simpson. Then I took a shower and tried unsuccessfully to take a nap, because we had free time. Next was supper in the dining hall. I joined a table of girls who are living in the other freshman dorm, and they were quite silly and fun. Several of them left and I joined another table of girls living in the other dorm, and I met the girl who is a relative of some of my church friends. It was strange meeting after having only emailed! However, she seemed pleasant enough. I tagged along with these girls to their dorm and we stood around chit-chatting until the church service to welcome us. This service was outside the chapel. There was a praise band and we sang, listened to Bible readings, prayed, and signed up for religious life community (RLC) things. It was a new experience to have a decent praise band and an outdoor service.
Once the church service was over, I went to "The Stand Around" by the student center. This was an experience similar to prom/after-prom. I was one of the first people in line for the Tropical Sno snow-cones; I was just in time, because a 30-person line formed soon after I got my delicious (free!) strawberry cone. I ended up dancing most of the evening away with the girls I hung out with last night. There were bounce houses and fries for a quarter and prizes for dancing. I saw a guy or three crowd-surfing. Security moved in and gave them a warning to stop crowd-surfing. Apparently it is not very safe. :P Then I came back here to my dorm to try to get ready for bed. My roommate is here with her boyfriend. Now they are leaving to make a Wal-Mart run, and I am ready to climb into my bed.
About my roommate: She is tiny, redheaded, and works at Pizza Hut. She is friendly, open, and a Christian too. I feel fairly comfortable with her already.
Anyway, I need to go to bed now, because it is 11:30 and I have to be up in front of the cafeteria at 7:45 to eat with my LAS again. We are going to be doing a service learning project in Des Moines all morning. More about that later. Off to bed I go!
Saturday was Move-In Day for freshmen. The frats and sororities helped us move in- all my family had to do was take in one load per person. We changed the height of my bed, and that was a bit of a trick. We took the bed apart to 'de-loft' it. Once we got that taken care of, I moved in fairly quickly. I have so much storage space and really not that many items to store.
We went down to Walgreens to get some last minute supplies like laundry soap and hearing aid batteries. Then we went to lunch in the cafeteria. The food is okay. Mom and Dad went to the parent orientation meeting while I went to the library, bookstore, and student center. I got my books and they look quite interesting. I have 6 books for 4 classes this semester, but I know I will be keeping 2 of them- a Spanish dictionary and a writing textbook.
After those events, we went to the Welcome Service on the quad. There is a tradition that the first-year students pass through the College Gates, and so I walked through the gate and into the Simpson world.
Mom and Dad left soon after and I went back to my hall. We spent a little time with our CAs (Community Advisors) and met the other people in our halls. One girl said she graduated in a class of six students! Wow. That is tiny. After a little get-to-know you, we went to supper, a picnic outside the cafeteria. The food was good and we met more people.
After supper all the first-years went to the campus theater to see a show called Risque Business. It is about college life and the things that can happen while a person is at college. There were some awkward moments. But it does happen and it could happen. It was a good show, though. Four students (two girls, two guys) played several roles and they were very convincing in each role. Once this show was over we headed back to our dorm floors to process it, and our CA gave us the harassment policy.
Next was the luau party at the chapel. It was a little too chilly for it and I ended up not staying very long. I met two girls who live on my floor, just down the hall a little ways, and we decided to go watch Bones. Not a bad experience and I think these two girls will become my 'girlfriends'. There was also bingo and a midnight breakfast available, but I was tired, so I went to bed.
I got up this morning (Sunday) at 8:00 to go eat breakfast with my LAS (Liberal Arts Seminar). It was awkward because I only knew a few names, but I still tried to pay attention to the group. I can tell now who is a freshman and who has been here before; those who have been here before are a LOT less shy and are more willing to put themselves "out there". I'm still working on that part. :) After the breakfast, we went on a tour of campus and found where our classes are.
Then, we boarded four big charter buses to go to the local Methodist camp. The camp has a ropes course that the LAS groups went on. Our first challenge was "The Raging River", where we had to use teamwork to get from stump to stump "across the river". It took us a long time because we had only three boards to walk on, and we had to move them often. Once we got a system worked out, and started moving more people, we got done faster.
We had to cross a small suspension footbridge across a trickling creek to get to our second challenge, which was a rope swing. This challenge would have been simple but for one twist: we had to get a bucket of water across without spilling it. Humor ensued when one of the boys in the group tried to carry the bucket across between his legs and ended up spilling it all over his shorts. Eventually we got the bucket of water across, and then all the other people went across afterward.
The third and final challenge was a tightrope of sorts. Two ropes were tied in an x above the tightrope cable, and two people, one from each end of the rope, had to go on the tightrope to the other side. The tricky part was in the middle where they switched between the two crossed ropes. I was the first girl to try each challenge, so I am pleased with myself for being brave.
After a late lunch and meeting our LAS professor, we headed back to Simpson. Then I took a shower and tried unsuccessfully to take a nap, because we had free time. Next was supper in the dining hall. I joined a table of girls who are living in the other freshman dorm, and they were quite silly and fun. Several of them left and I joined another table of girls living in the other dorm, and I met the girl who is a relative of some of my church friends. It was strange meeting after having only emailed! However, she seemed pleasant enough. I tagged along with these girls to their dorm and we stood around chit-chatting until the church service to welcome us. This service was outside the chapel. There was a praise band and we sang, listened to Bible readings, prayed, and signed up for religious life community (RLC) things. It was a new experience to have a decent praise band and an outdoor service.
Once the church service was over, I went to "The Stand Around" by the student center. This was an experience similar to prom/after-prom. I was one of the first people in line for the Tropical Sno snow-cones; I was just in time, because a 30-person line formed soon after I got my delicious (free!) strawberry cone. I ended up dancing most of the evening away with the girls I hung out with last night. There were bounce houses and fries for a quarter and prizes for dancing. I saw a guy or three crowd-surfing. Security moved in and gave them a warning to stop crowd-surfing. Apparently it is not very safe. :P Then I came back here to my dorm to try to get ready for bed. My roommate is here with her boyfriend. Now they are leaving to make a Wal-Mart run, and I am ready to climb into my bed.
About my roommate: She is tiny, redheaded, and works at Pizza Hut. She is friendly, open, and a Christian too. I feel fairly comfortable with her already.
Anyway, I need to go to bed now, because it is 11:30 and I have to be up in front of the cafeteria at 7:45 to eat with my LAS again. We are going to be doing a service learning project in Des Moines all morning. More about that later. Off to bed I go!
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
I got my hair chopped.
It was fairly long.
Now it's pretty short. It feels so strange to be able to flip my hair around.
Now it's pretty short. It feels so strange to be able to flip my hair around.
Hello everybody!
This blog is mainly for my family and friends to keep "in the know" about what I am up to, what I'm looking forward to, and what I'm learning at college.
My policies for this blog:
- I won't use your name unless you expressly say I can.
- I won't post photos of people unless expressly given permission.
- I will try to update at least once a week. Please don't expect a novel; it IS a blog, after all.
My policies for this blog:
- I won't use your name unless you expressly say I can.
- I won't post photos of people unless expressly given permission.
- I will try to update at least once a week. Please don't expect a novel; it IS a blog, after all.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)