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My six classes have been keeping me busy. Because I still haven’t declared a major, most of my classes are general education. While I fight to keep my eyes open in some classes, my two theater classes, Fundamentals of Stagecraft and Advanced Design: Lighting, remain my favorite.

 In general, I enjoy both the homework assigned in these classes and the small class size.

 Fundamentals of Stagecraft is a very hands-on course. It’s a nice change from sitting behind a table and taking notes. In Fundamentals of Stagecraft, we’ve learned a little about the history of theater and the spaces within the theater. We have also learned about theater safety and workshop. However, my favorite part about the class is painting. We’ve learned and used several painting techniques for a project. Each of us painted a brick wall that looks 3-D. This was a bit of a challenge for me since I’m not artistic, but I think that I did a pretty good job. I’m proud that I got the project done.

 My other favorite class is Lighting Design. The class teaches us how to think like a lighting designer, which is what I want to be. We’re learning and studying some really interesting topics like electricity. We’re learning how to identify the types of lights used and where the light is coming from. This Oct. 2, we got to help set up for “Forever Plaid”, the first of the two productions the theatre program is putting on this semester.

Lee Lyons, professor of theatre, teaches both of my courses. He’s really nice and knows a lot about theatre. Lyons has lots of experience teaching and in his field of work. However, while he has worked in Hollywood, he remains very humble about it. He often draws from his experience. When he shares his experience, it helps the other students and myself get an idea of what it is like in the business and how what we are learning can be used practically. His classes never prove to be boring.

 Overall, the theater department does a good job of making sure their graduates are well rounded. I think that is important, especially in the realm of entertainment. It helps to get jobs and form connections, but it also helps to foster appreciation of what the other people in the business do. It will be interesting when I start taking more “artsy” classes like performance courses.

Until next time!

Prayer:

This week, pray for the leaders of Syria and Turkey.

Hello Lancers! Welcome to my blog.

My name is Daniel. It’s my second year at California Baptist University. I decided to come to CBU because of the slogan “live your purpose.” Currently, I haven’t declared a major, but I’m interested in theatre tech. I also like playing Ultimate (Frisbee).

It’s been an exciting couple of weeks for me. A few of my friends from high school are now attending California Baptist University, so it’s been nice having them around. I went to a relatively small high school in Taiwan, so having friends from across the world decide to come here is pretty exciting. Technically, I guess that makes me an international student, but I’m really just a kid who grew up overseas who is an American citizen. I enjoy spending time with international students—in fact two of my apartment mates are international students.

So many events have already happened this semester on CBU’s campus. I’ve been playing volleyball pretty much every night. It’s a good way to meet people and make new friends. I’ve been to the Smith Olympics, March of the Lancers, Taste the Nations, Christian Challenge, the Core, Renew, and an event for my housing area. All of them were great experiences. I lived on 3B in Smith Hall last year, so I supported them at the Smith Olympics. Congrats to 3D on winning! I’m also glad that I got to be part of a first time tradition—the March of the Lancers. (For some reason, most people stood the entire first set.) Cheering and supporting the Lancers who were on the court was fun.

I learned a lot at Taste the Nations and enjoyed all the ethnic foods and drinks. It is easy to get wrapped up in a bubble and forget about the rest of the world. Staying globally minded is important to me. I want to make sure that I am aware of different world views and belief systems and what is going on around the world. Some of that comes from living in all the places I’ve lived, but I think it’s what God wants us to do, too. He cares for all people and wants everyone to know Him.

Speaking of that—if you haven’t applied for International Service Projects or United States Service Projects, I encourage you to consider it, because ISPs and USPs can change your life. My summer started off with a USP to Minot, North Dakota, where I served with a disaster relief team doing basic construction work and working with victims of a flood. ISP and USP aren’t just trips—they are (a) an opportunity to serve, (b) learning experiences, and (c) life changing and mind-altering opportunities. If you don’t think that you can afford an ISP or USP, go to the Office of Mobilization on the second floor of Lancer Arms and talk to someone or email mob@calbaptist.edu. You might be surprised at what you can work out.

I really appreciate the opportunities to learn and grow spiritually at CBU. Christian Challenge and the Core are two weekly events that I enjoy. Christian Challenge is organized by the Office of Spiritual Life and includes hearing from new speakers each Thursday. The Core focuses on learning and practicing simple ministry strategies in making disciples and is held on Monday mornings. College is a time to start good habits, and one of my goals for the semester is to complete 30 for 30, where you read the Bible every day for 30 days. I know it’s important to spend time with God every day.

I want to end my blog posts each week with thoughts or something to pray for. This week pray for the people in the dozens of countries where anti-Western protests are going on. Pray that local believers will take advantage of the opportunities to share the Good News.

Welcome to Lancer Diaries! Follow four CBU students through their journey as they share their daily experiences. This is your opportunity to see what life is like on a real college campus and to get a personal glimpse of what a to expect at CBU. Thanks so much for stopping by. We hope you can walk away with a better understanding of life at CBU!