tag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/brynathyn/ChristopherBarber//234 2008-04-08T21:13:55Z Movable Type 3.34 tag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/brynathyn/ChristopherBarber//234.5889 2008-04-08T20:54:11Z 2008-04-08T21:13:55Z

Hi everybody! This past weekend, I helped host a Speakeasy Party! It was set up like the old speakeasies during the prohibition of the 20's. Only difference was, No alcohol......

Christopher Augustus Barber Hi everybody! This past weekend, I helped host a Speakeasy Party! It was set up like the old speakeasies during the prohibition of the 20's. Only difference was, No alcohol... We had lots of sparkling ciders, root beers, birch beers, ginger ales, and other awesome drinks and snacks. People were in high spirits. Everyone there had an amazing time. There were also swing dancing, card games, gangster films and a password to get in. "Chicken Lips." Check out some of the attached pictures. So, all is well here on campus. I learned that I will be an RA next year in Childs Hall, so I'm pretty stoked. I'm still trying to get a job and place to stay for the summer, but I'm sure something will work out. Well, in a rush. Hope all is well! Chris tag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/brynathyn/ChristopherBarber//234.5479 2008-03-20T21:34:24Z 2008-03-20T21:46:06Z

...and I'm indoors. It's okay though, because I am working and making money. I'm really excited for easter to come around for a few reasons. One of them being that Easter is one of those confirmations that Spring really is...

Christopher Augustus Barber ...and I'm indoors. It's okay though, because I am working and making money. I'm really excited for easter to come around for a few reasons. One of them being that Easter is one of those confirmations that Spring really is here. Though this year, it may not really be that way, because I can recall a few Marches and Aprils when there was indeed snow, and in some years, the worst snow actually came in those months. I have really grown terribly weary of this winter. It was just a huuge dissapointment. We had a little bit of snow, and it was during exam week, but it's okay. I can forgive mother nature this time around, but next year I might not be as forgiving. So, big things are happening on campus, as they have been all year. There are some trees marked up by Pen Hall and the Library. Pink tags and green tags have been put on different ones. Trees tagged with pink are going to be moved to another location, and the trees tagged with green are staying put. Of course this is all in preparation for the new entryway, admissions pavilion, dining hall, and science buildings. It's going to be awesome. Recently, Dean Lindsay revealed a 3-D presentation showing what it will all look like when it's finished, and it's amazing. I tried to upload it to my website yesterday, but I suppose the file was too big and it made my computer unhappy. Trust me, it's going to be awesome!! They are breaking ground during Alumni weekend in May. I'm so stoked! Well, I'm going to get back to work. Happy Easter everyone!!! Chris tag:blogs.targetx.com,2008:/brynathyn/ChristopherBarber//234.5481 2008-01-03T15:36:28Z 2008-03-20T21:50:48Z

Yay, the new year is here! Though it will take at least a month for me to remember that when I put a header on my papers. I find that annualy, the year shifts one month. Each year begins in...

Christopher Augustus Barber Yay, the new year is here! Though it will take at least a month for me to remember that when I put a header on my papers. I find that annualy, the year shifts one month. Each year begins in February and ends in January. I love Christmas time because I get to see lots of people and get and give some cool stuff. I got an awesome book this year that I asked my mother for. It is called, "The Policemans Beard is Half Constructed." It is a book of prose and poetry written by a computer program named RACTER. It is the first of its kind, programmed by Will Chamberlain. It is quite the book. One of his poems reads: "More than iron, more than lead, more than gold I need electricity. I need it more than I need lamb or pork or lettuce or cucumber. I need it for my dreams" It's quite impressive for a computer program. I first heard of RACTER when I was listening to the audio from a robotics conference in Germany this past december. There was a presentation given by a programmer entitled "Programming Computers to Write Literature So Humans Don't Have To." It was really quite fascinating. He Examined different methods of programming computers to write literature, and touched on the theory of templates, such as Mad-Libbing. RACTER is a program that sometimes does this, and sometimes does not. It is quite impressive, and I highly recommend that you check it out. So, this Christmas was lovely, and I got to see lots of family. This Holiday had the most family over ever, and it was great! Now I am in Georgia. It is nice down here, however, it is not paradise like I was told it would be. It is 31 degrees down here, I was told it would be hotter here than at home. But its not cold, it's just not warm. I can't wait to get back to school. There should have been more work done on campus, which is exciting. Overnight these things seem to spring up. We have new benches and light fixtures! They decorated the campus for Christmas which was just a huge surprise. I was sick on the first day they came up, but I was so pleased to see them. On our last wednesday, we had a big Christmas Luncheon. It was great! We had lots of community members, faculty, and students in the Cathedral. It was a shame that I had so much Greek studying to do because I'm sure I would have enjoyed socializing. Oh well, it is now lunchtime. I must go. I hope your Christmas was exciting, eventful, prosperous, and joyful. Chris Barber tag:blogs.targetx.com,2007:/brynathyn/ChristopherBarber//234.4107 2007-12-02T14:36:35Z 2007-12-02T14:47:58Z

So, the first week of a new term has passed, and I have managed to survive....

Christopher Augustus Barber So, the first week of a new term has passed, and I have managed to survive. Last term didnt go as well as I had hoped it would, but It wasn't so bad. I passed everything, which means I am now through with English courses. Latin went well. I got an 89 on my translation final - so I'm pleased with that. And all of my other classes went well as well. So. It snowed last night! It's great! The first snow - I thought it wouldn't snow this year because of el nino - don't ask me, it's not my theory. Last night a group of us decorated a random Christmas tree on campus. We have only seen it at night, hopefully it looks as nice during the day as it does at night. Oh! And it has snow on it now! How exciting. So, Christmas is fast approaching and I have yet to do any Christmas gifting. I am in charge of Secret Santa this year, so I have to organize that. It could be fun - it could be a disaster, we shall see. Christmas to me means seeing people you like in snowy paradise. It means sharing love and giving gifts and having a great time. It means putting your differences aside and taking part in the season. But most uniquely to Christmastime is the Messiah! Handel's Messiah. I have done it every year for the past 5 years, and I love it, and look forward to it every year. However, this year, The Messiah will not be part of my Christmas season. The Cathedral this year has decided to not do it and instead do a piece by Bach. And the place up in CT where I have sung for years is not doing Messiah this year. I don't know why - but I'm pretty upset about it. But this year, it seems I have something better. My girlfriend. If someone - some all powerful being - told me that if I gave her up, I could have all of the Messiahs to my heart's content - I would have to turn him down. I am so pleased with life right now because of her, and I couldnt trade her for the world. Anyway. It's Sunday, and I must prepare for church. Merry Christmas! I'll upload pictures of our random Christmas tree on campus this week. Chris tag:blogs.targetx.com,2007:/brynathyn/ChristopherBarber//234.3749 2007-11-09T05:11:36Z 2007-11-09T05:34:15Z

So, it's the end of term, and I am going insane!...

Christopher Augustus Barber So, it's the end of term, and I am going insane! There is just over a week left to this term, and I have so much stuff to do. Projects, papers, quizzes to make up, and translations to hand in. I have been studying pretty intensely over the past week or so, and it's just a bit draining. But there is a lot more stuff happening that is awesome and keeps me from actually losing it. Next week, my girlfriend and I are hosting the second annual Paper Hat and Hand Turkey party! It's going to be exciting. Last year I thought a great way to relieve end of term stress would be to make crafts and color in pictures of pilgrims and turkeys. I was right! A lot of people showed up to play and make crafts, and I had so much fun. I still have my hat from last year hanging on the wall of my room. Today, I visited our new coffee shop - College Grounds. It was awesome! I had no idea I would enjoy it as much as I did. There were so many people there sitting around and talking. I love congregations of people - what can I say, I am a social being. I ordered a frozen chai thing. It was really good. That is the only Starbucks drink I have ever had. Every time I go to Starbucks, I get the frozen chai drink. I love it. While we were all around talking and drinking our drinks, I determined that it would be a great idea to write a show called College Grounds, based on our coffee shop. How awesome would that be? I mean, we have some pretty funny people here, and just recording some of the conversations would be entertainment enough. I envision a Cheers-like show. You just watch and enjoy. I really like the idea, and would love to actually make a weekly show called College Grounds. But that will never happen, especially as I am so busy with school. Well, I must be off. I have to get up tomorrow and get to the library to study some more Latin. Take care! ~Chris tag:blogs.targetx.com,2007:/brynathyn/ChristopherBarber//234.3596 2007-11-01T05:03:41Z 2007-11-01T12:36:47Z

Ahoy there! Today was Halloween, one of the coolest holidays of the year. In the past week we have had a few events to celebrate the holiday and show off our costumes. Let me tell you about them!...

Christopher Augustus Barber Ahoy there! Today was Halloween, one of the coolest holidays of the year. In the past week we have had a few events to celebrate the holiday and show off our costumes. Let me tell you about them! View image I was Sir Gregory Yolen, a 17th century author, poet, and "Homme du monde" (man of the world). He called Wells, England his home when he was away. He traveled all over, and kept a detailed journal of his activities. The only works he ever published were his poems. He was in fact knighted by William the Third, upon his wife’s request as she was so moved by his poems. Had the Queen of Scots known that she would one day take the throne, she would have done it herself. Gregory Yolen died in 1713 on one fateful February night. A fire consumed his house, his family, and most tragically, his autobiography. However, some groups believe that Jonathan Swift's book Gulliver's Travels was based on the life of Gregory Yolen, and an attempt at a reconstruction of what his autobiography might have said. But Swift, these groups say, realized that he got carried away with his writing, and decided to publish his book as a fiction tale, rather than a biography. People do note, however, that a small tribute is made to Yolen in the name of one of the ships Gulliver takes on his travels. "The Antelope" is named after Yolen's favorite animal. He himself once said, "If my wife would not object, which surely she would, the antelope would be my choice pet, though I would scarce be able to tame it - my wife that is." And of course, the ship represents the many travels he embarked on in his life. As Yolen's journal was destroyed, all we really know of him comes from lore, and because his poems were directly addressed to the queen (with whom some suspect extramarital affairs) we only have a few small snippets of his poetry. Yolen is slowly but surely becoming lost in the quagmire of history. So I don't know why I won worst costume, but hey - I got a 10 dollar gift certificate to Starbucks, so I'm not complaining. Well, I'll have to talk about the Social Center another time, as it is late, and I am exhausted. So goodnight, and be sure to check out the other blogs for more info on what’s going on on campus! ~CAB ]]> tag:blogs.targetx.com,2007:/brynathyn/ChristopherBarber//234.3384 2007-10-21T14:45:03Z 2007-11-01T12:36:47Z

Hey there! Welcome to my blog. I am running off to church shortly, but I wanted to pop on and say hello and tell you a bit about myself....

Christopher Augustus Barber Hey there! Welcome to my blog. I am running off to church shortly, but I wanted to pop on and say hello and tell you a bit about myself. I'm a sophomore Religion major from Woodbury, New Jersey. I am actually a Woodbury fanatic, and have done work at our historical society since I was 13. At the time, I was the youngest member in the hundred-year history of the society. I still hold the record for being the youngest member. Here at Bryn Athyn, I participate in many things, from clubs in the college to events in the community, and love being active in planning and running events. After church today, actually, we are heading to Kempton PA for a bit to partake in their autumn celebration. I'm pretty excited. In the past I have organized trips to Six Flags Great Adventure, camping, rafting, and to the opera, to name a few. (The opera was a miserable failure - I'll have to tell you about that another time. But people claim to have had fun and wouldn’t trade that day's experience for another. I still think they're trying to make me feel better) Just recently, I gave a speech at the Charter Day Banquet. It was truly an honor to be up there where loads of more learned and respected people had once stood and spoke. My speech, they say, was a great success - even having one tell me that it was possibly the most important Charter Day speech he's ever heard. For those of you who don't know what Charter Day is, it is essentially Bryn Athyn's homecoming. It is the time when we celebrate the granting of the school's Charter - the declaration which 130 years ago gave the school the power to grant degrees. If you are interested at all in my speech, which some say was so moving it made them tear (wow, right?) it will be posted somewhere on the internet sometime soon. Keep an eye out, as I will post the link on here. Okay! Well, I must go. Have a good day!