Monthly Archives: February 2014

I rely on my bike or board for all means of transportation, which can be a just as much a blessing as an annoyance. There have been way too many weekends when I just wanted to get off campus and none of my friends or I could make it happen. Even the necessary items like toilet paper and animal crackers requires a little planning and a lot of peddling. At the same time, doing normally mundane tasks suddenly becomes a little more interesting.

I needed a haircut to look fresh for my RA interview this week, and it was an open Saturday afternoon. As much as I love my brother’s attempts to use a razor kit from Ross, this time around I actually cared about how my head would look afterwards. To my surprise, what was about to be a solo adventure down Magnolia Avenue became a party with my roommate Jon wanting a trim, too. We were both veterans behind the handlebars with many trips down to the mall and around during our freshman year. It’s definitely been a while since our last adventure. This would be a restart.

There was only one thing I look for in a barber shop: reasonably priced cuts. As long as my wallet feels safe and supplied, the shop could literally be a hole in the wall, and I’d be happy. I’m glad I set that standard, because that’s about what we settled on. I googled “barber shop” and found one just three miles up Magnolia Avenue. We biked through a surprisingly vicious wind and found the shop on the corner just before Central Avenue. To our surprise, there were actually three barber shops lined up one after the other, each one sharing a wall with other. We couldn’t decide on any one place, so I employed what I like to call Goldilocks logic. With three porridges to choose from, you just have to try each one.

The first shop had dirty windows and an unclear indication for the front door, which was eventually stumbled upon. The shop itself was tiny, just big enough for a few waiting chairs and the cutting station. There was a TV tuned to college basketball and a nice old man speaking quietly to a regular customer as he aggressively buzzed his head. I like having a little something on top after trims and the $15 starting price wasn’t hitting me right. That was a good start, but I faked a phone call, and we walked out before he could ask who was going first. The second shop was larger and packed to the brim. Even with three barbers at work, the line seemed endless and neither of us felt like waiting for a cut. We didn’t even try walking in. The last place on the corner combined the best of both shops. There were three young guys giving trims in a spacious room with a cop movie and pool table in the waiting area. This one seemed just right, and for $10 I had to say yes. Who knew a children’s story about a little girl who steals oatmeal from woodland creatures would actually help me later in life?

Conveniently, Dairy Queen was just down the street, and Oreo Blizzards were in order. The sun was out, my head felt free, and I was eating ice cream with my roommate. If I had a car, I would have gone by myself earlier in the week and would not be enjoying that moment. We rode back to campus feeling good, even though I still had to swing by CVS. I still had to awkwardly pedal with a large pack of toilet paper, but it was all good.

As a student who is graduating in May, there are a lot of unknowns and steps that need to be taken for the future. In the last few months, I have taken three big steps to moving on toward the future.

First, I turned in my graduation application. A post ago, I mentioned that I had picked up the application and filled it out.  Well, I turned that sucker in. Now all I have to do is wait for the approval, which I think is the worst part, because now all I do is worry that I will have missed a class or somehow not have enough credits to graduate. Yeah, waiting is definitely the worst part. I just want to receive that e-mail of approval!

Second, I filled out a graduate school application. You see, I am going to school to teach. To become a teacher, I have to get my teaching credential, and for that, I must apply for grad school. So, you might be wondering if graduate school is required to teach. The answer to that is no–to teach in California you must have a credential. Here’s the confusing part, to get into the credential program you must apply for grad school first and then be placed into a credential program (not a grad school program). At CBU, there are a few options for getting your credential. You can either get just your credential or you can get your credential and master’s degree at the same time. It is possible to be able to teach without a master’s degree, but it is not possible to teach without a credential, at least in California. Now I have to give out references, finish essays and sign up for interviews with the education department. It’s definitely a process that will take a little time, but starting the process is a big, daunting step that has already been taken.

Third, I signed up for my first subset for the CSET, the California Subject Examination for Teachers. What is the CSET? The CSET is one of the tests that I have to take in order to be a teacher. The CSET can be taken in three subtests. The first subtest is Language Arts and History. The second subtest is Mathematics and Science. The final subtest is Physical Education, Human Development, Visual Arts and Performing Arts. Basically, this test covers everything I have learned in my years of education. Every section has multiple choice and essay questions. I’m pretty sure the essay questions are going to be the worst part. I mean, how are you supposed to write an essay about a math question? I don’t know, but that’s why I’m gearing up for some crazy study questions.

As a graduating senior, the inevitable question is, “So, what are you doing after graduation?” Seriously, if I had a quarter for every time I heard that question, or some version of that question, I would have a lot of quarters. It is probably my least favorite question to hear. Not because I do not know what I’m going to do, but because it reminds me that I will not be at CBU much longer.

Last weekend proved to be a big one for many of us. Of course, there was the Super Bowl which, to be perfectly honest, I only ever watch for the food and commercials. This year I had a valid excuse for missing it, as did a slew of others participating in International Service Project this summer. We all continued our training and investment in a strong group dynamic at Intensive Training Weekend.

I’ll be honest and say that I had absolutely no idea what to expect from ITW. We had been given various hints about what to bring and what to expect, but these preparations failed to fully alleviate many apprehensions. The weekend seemed like it would be an edifying and informative experience, and in many ways, it was. We all gathered as a group an hour before to prepare for a full weekend of little to no sleep, limited food and intensive simulations of circumstances one might encounter in a closed country. By the end of the weekend, we all walked away with more than what we entered with.

The main influence that ITW had on me was the reminder of the goodness of our God and our freedom that we have because of Him. This was seen so clearly through the simulations and long stretches of time that we got to spend further getting to know our leaders and team members.

We were given uninterrupted time to just be and adapt to various circumstances, and through this it became abundantly clear that the Creator is constant throughout different cultures and circumstances. Several of the simulations included placing ourselves in the situations of the less fortunate, recognizing that schedules may change quickly, and we will have to do whatever is required to keep each other safe and share the love of Christ through each and every action.

We were also given a huge amount of time that could be used to simply worship, pray and meditate on whatever crossed our minds, and this was beyond refreshing. I became so thankful for the opportunity to forget about my homework and meetings for the whole weekend and just spend time catching up with the One who made me. I had the chance to express my joy freely through music worship and focus on the blessing that it is to be here and study as I spent time prayerwalking with my team members. These became such beautiful expressions of worship that were unhindered by any outside factor, and that was such a wonderful opportunity. Doing these things after going through simulations of circumstances found in a closed country made us more aware of the privilege that it is to practice our faith so freely. Many do not have this honor and knowing this made it all the more exceptional to do so over the entire weekend.

I won’t lie and say that the weekend did not exhaust me – it most certainly did. But this only came from the fullness of time spent. Throughout ITW, I found myself exactly where I wanted to be, doing things with those I have come to care deeply for, and I would not have it any other way. The biggest blessings came through the unexpected turns, the exhaustion, and the stepping out of what we know to practice bringing love and hope where it is not yet found. This, if nothing else, makes me excited to take in each breath and step in line with wherever God wants to take me. I’ll say once again: we are so richly blessed so that we can richly bless others. Let’s honor our Maker in that. Friends, I will find you here next time.

A couple of weeks ago, a family friend asked me how my schooling was going. When I responded with a big smile and enthusiastic “Great!” he asked, “What’s your major again?”

After reminding him that I am a graphic design major, he asked if I was planning to work toward my master’s degree, since that’s becoming so important for getting a job these days. When I said “No, probably not, because I don’t think a master’s degree is really needed for a job in graphic design,” he smirked a little and said “Probably don’t need a degree at all in your field, huh?”

Taken aback, my instinctively polite response was, “I guess not.”

While I know he didn’t mean it this way, I took some offense to the comment. Was he implying that I am wasting time and money on an expensive Christian education that is only a luxury?

For the next few days, I mulled this brief conversation over in my head, again and again, trying to ignore the tiny voice that kept nagging in my ear, “he could be right.”

Even before this conversation, because a private education is very expensive and a huge time commitment, I’ve been working this semester on a 3 ½ year plan, so that I can wrap up my degree a semester early. It won’t be hard to do, given that I’m a single major with plenty of extra units under my belt from high school.

But this last week, as I was glancing over my plans, I realized something important: CBU requires that every undergraduate student have 124 units completed by the time of graduation, and only 48 of those units have anything to do with my graphic design major. That means more than half of my college education will be consumed by general education requirements, such as science, math, Christian studies, English, history, communications, et cetera… as well as a social work certificate that I’m working toward to earn more credibility for the Rose Again Foundation.

In discovering this, I decided that he was right: to get a job as a graphic designer, I probably don’t need a degree of any kind. I could easily hop online, pay a few expensive fees for Adobe products and tutorials and maybe attend a seminar or two… but in the end, I wouldn’t be a well rounded, educated young woman. I would never have learned how to give a proper tribute speech, or how to use APA formatting (in case I ever need to know that, for some bizarre reason). I seriously doubt that I’d ever take the time to learn the details regarding the writings of each New Testament book, which in truth is fascinating; and, given how much I paid attention to history in high school, I would probably still think that Pocahontas fell in love with John Smith.

Not to mention, I would never have met all of my fantastic professors, some of whom now act as mentors, guiding me through my design education with the understanding that any discipline, including graphic design, can be used for God’s glory… and not only that, but encouraging me, every day, that designers can change the face of this world, for good.

With all that to say, I know I’m not wasting my time here. When I leave CBU, I will be handed a piece of paper that declares my degree in graphic design. Chances are, no client will ever ask to see it. What they’ll be interested in are my portfolio that shows various skills, my passion, and probably my reliable character – all aspects of my abilities that would be seriously underdeveloped were it not for my time spent here, filling the glass of my education to the very brim.

So at the end of it all, I’ve decided he’s right, but I’m certain I wouldn’t rather have it any other way!

I planned on attending three important events this week: residential assistant (RA) Group Process Night, International Center Lunar Festival and Intramural Doubles Ping Pong Tournament. My week’s work schedule, homework load and social obligations synced perfectly with each of these. I couldn’t believe how well it all lined up.  As a person who rarely has time to do anything, the idea of attending three separate events in a week is unheard of. I had no doubt in my mind that this week would be great. As if I couldn’t have made this any more obvious, my week took an alternate route.

By the time Tuesday night rolled around, I was psyched to start the next part of the RA application process. After turning in the student leadership application, the next phase would be the group meeting followed by a one-on-one interview next week. The event was set for 6 p.m., so I was pumped and ready to go an hour before. That’s when I started feeling pressure in my stomach.

My first thoughts went straight to last weekend. My roommate caught what we thought was food poisoning over the weekend and crashed on our couch all of Saturday and Sunday. If he ended up having the flu instead, my good health was in danger.  I drank tea, chewed on Tums and relaxed all up until the last minute before leaving. From there I planned to just take it easy and wow the residential directors with my calm but leadership-worthy word choice. No craziness tonight. If only I made it that far. I was literally walking out of the Colony when I stopped, felt it coming, turned around and threw up  right there in one the planters. I’ll save you from any graphic descriptions, but know that it was not a pretty sight. Witnesses, for there were many, can inform you if you so desire. I couldn’t believe that I would get sick on the one night that I needed to be healthy and alive. I ended up showering, recomposing myself and showing up late, but I couldn’t last more than 30 minutes before regretting that decision. I spent the rest of the night with Gatorade, soda crackers and movies on cable. Wild times.

Needless to say, that was a bit of a downer, and embarrassing, but from there my week improved. I recovered over the next two days and could even joke about my insides still plastered in the parking lot. It was Thursday night and I wouldn’t let my weak, soda cracker-filled body miss out on any more events.  The main lure of the Lunar Festival was the free boba milk teas, and I do enjoy the boba. Freshman year my friends and I would brave the two-mile journey on our boards down Magnolia just to buy a tai tea boba. If they were just going to give it away on campus, then I would have to be there. I couldn’t stay for the dragon dance or sparklers, but I still had intramural ping pong to look forward to.

I am no ping pong master, or pupil, or anything relating to good table tennis technique. I just like to play games with people. When you throw doubles into the mix, then you can bring a friend along. This time around it was Derek Kouns, and I wouldn’t have chosen anyone else. I’ve been playing ping pong with Derek since we lived in Smith Hall, and he still destroys me in each game. I finally had the opportunity to play on his side, which instantly doubled my chances for glory. Rec Sports held the tournament in the Rec Center with three ping pong tables set up on the basketball court. They brought water bottles and donuts for the competitors, so of course we were at the top of our game. Our first round we lost terribly, which brought us into the loser’s bracket, where we then lost again but at a much closer margin. Neither of us really cared since we had fun competing, as well as shouting across the gym to our other friends playing seriously.

I enjoyed that Thursday night, and it wasn’t until I bit into that Bavarian crème donut that I remembered I was even sick. I couldn’t change the fact that my Tuesday plans were ruined, but I kept my week on the positive and made it through just fine. Just have to enjoy what you get.