Anna’s Blog

It is with mixed feelings that I face these last few days of school. I don't head home to Michigan til May 11 because of Chorale Tour, but there's a definite sense of everything coming to an end.

This year has been a time of incredible personal growth for me, in terms of relationships with others (I've certainly made some awesome and lifelong friends) but also with Christ. It's amazing what changes can take place in your life when you're away from home, a complete step outside your comfort zone...

I'm going to miss my friends so much. This summer, I'm going to be working as a camp counselor at Camp Beechpoint in Allegan, so I won't have a lot of free time, but neither will I have the opportunity to see any of my friends from school...so far away. :(

Over the next few months, I'll be giving brief updates. Until then, I wish you all the best of times this summer!!!

Posted by Anna at 2:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

My friend Dan is incredible. I honestly don't know how he does it sometimes...he has connections everywhere. The latest display of his knowledge of people who know people was this past Friday, when he hooked us up with four tickets to the Pistons-Sixers Playoff game at the Wachovia Center in Philly. I didn't ask any questions, but all I knew is that I was going to the game and had killer seats and VIP parking for forty dollars. FORTY.

So he, my friend Jeremy and another kid and I drove out after classes on Friday to witness a playoff game. We got there a couple hours early, picked up our free stuff in the 'block party' thing that was going on out front of the Wachovia Center, and headed inside to watch the Pistons warm up. Jeremy and I are from Michigan, and are naturally Detroit fans, so it was incredible to be able to see these players so up close. I got a lot of great pictures of them warming up, and Jeremy got two players (Chauncey Billups and Rip Hamilton) to sign his ticket. Talk about awesome.

Then the game began. I'd really rather not talk about it, but to summarize the events that transpired, the Pistons never showed up...and the Sixers killed. And Philly fans are brutal. And I cried.

All things considered, though, I had a great time! It was just a little strange to be in the city of 'brotherly love' and experience such a vicious lashing at being fans of another team.

Posted by Anna at 4:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Honestly, the most stressful time in the semester is the week before finals when a million and a half papers are due and projects to be presented...such chaos. You find people not outside enjoying the brilliant weather, but indoors, studying, writing, and researching...half the population of the school is housed in the library at all hours of the day or night.

The most I had was a four page paper for Dr Toews in Pentateuch on the book of Deuteronomy and an eleven pager for Foundations of Ed (teacher observations). Now, I'm easily distracted by groups of people, so in order to complete my assignments well and in an orderly fashion, I holed myself up in the library and began pouring over books and clicking away at my laptop.

My Deuteronomy paper was nearly half-complete when who should sit in the cubicle directly next to me but my best friend Katie. Good grief. Needless to say, when we get together, not much work is ever accomplished. Much fun is had, but work? Forget about it.

I greeted her with a quote (one of our many inside jokes), and she took out some bubbles she had gotten at work in Admissions as a goofy going-away present. This could be a stretch, but I think this is the first time a student has ever blown bubbles in the library... we were so loud and obnoxious...but it was a well-earned break from the craziness that is the week before finals.

(To conclude: we finished our papers and all assignments were in on time, don't worry! ...And people didn't get *too* upset with us for disrupting their studying! People are pretty chill here!)

Posted by Anna at 2:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Yes. So, a few of us were bored one Sunday afternoon. (It happens to the best of us sometimes.) Katie, in a stroke of brilliance, decided what should fill our time (that otherwise would have been spent reading Deuteronomy or working on Mathematical Thinking write-ups or other such nonsense)...let's all DYE MY HAIR!

Now, I consider myself a blonde anyway, but during the winter and other seasons that are not spent outside, exposed to the bleaching power of the sun, my hair turns a sort of dark blonde that some might call...greyish. I prefer silver. At any rate, it is NOT brown. Never have I been nor will I ever be (yeah right, as if anyone could ever say that) a brunette. So we made our way to Redner's to purchase only the best in the realm of haircare, etc: Herbal Essences Fearless Colour!

Back in Katie's room, I had changed into a throwaway t-shirt and sweatpants and read through the directions. Katie is an experienced dyer, and she made an easy job of smothering my hair in the white-ish goop. When the dye was fully covering ever hair on my head (not my eyebrows or eyelashes, duh, but on my scalp), she twirled it all into a knot on the top of my head. And then we waited. I read through almost half of Deuteronomy by the time it was ready to rinse. I ran back to my room forty-five minutes later, jumped in the shower, and proceeded to rinse out the awful smelling chemical stuff from my hair. Keeping the door firmly locked, I dried and straightened my naturally wavy hair (for the best result, you know how it is). Then, I unveiled my new 'do.

To tell you the truth, it's not much different than how my hair looks anyway during the summer. However, I was sick of waiting for the natural highlights...so I cheated a bit. ;) It might seem a little more strawberry blonde than I'm used to, but I like it. It's summery. It's spontaneous. It's happy.

...And it was three hours well spent with friends...goofing off and procrastinating. Ah the life of a college student.

Posted by Anna at 4:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Once a year, we have a grand excuse to get all dolled up to party the night away! ...If by 'party' you mean 'not dance, but have a fun time at the Sheraton Hotel at a beautiful banquet anyway' that is the absolute truth!

A bunch of us went as a group, with quasi-couples amongst ourselves. My word, it was so much fun. Kind of like prom, but...not. :)

Once at the Sheraton, we sat at our table, themed "Under the Sea" - complete with a fish as a centerpiece! The entertainment was this guy that played songs on water glasses, and I'm pretty sure I had no idea water could sound like that. He played everything from the Star Wars theme to Bach.

After dinner, which was excellently prepared by the Sheraton staff (not Pioneer catered, praise the Lord), my friend Katie and I went exploring around the hotel. Upstairs, we found a wedding reception going on...and the dance music we had been looking for! We stood outside the door, we didn't crash the party or anything...but we jammed outside and had our own party! When we thought people were getting weirded out, we found the pool in the basement, and a secret passageway with funny promotional pictures for the hotel. I thought I heard a noise behind us, so we ran away as fast as we could, laughing obnoxiously the entire time, until we found ourselves outside in the employee parking lot. We walked around the hotel back to the front, went in and rejoined our party.

After formal, we went bowling with our group and played in two lanes, girls against guys. I'm pretty sure I remember girls dominating, but that could be a complete lie... :) Cosmic bowling is pretty sweet!

Needless to say, it was certainly a fun night! I love my friends!

Posted by Anna at 2:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Yes, yet another post about everyone's favorite duck on campus: ALFRED! :)

My friend Katie and I were walking from Heritage Hall up to Parking Lot A to head to Wawa for a much-needed study break one evening, when we caught a glimpse of Alfred waddling around the park bench. "Aw, he's so cute!" we agreed. As we were observing him in his realm, in his element, a huge hawk came out of nowhere and attacked him! Alfred made this absurd noise and kind of awkwardly jumped/flew into the pond and to supposed safety. The hawk had shrieked, startling the rest of the occupants of the pond, and after diving at his would-be prey, shrieked again and perched himself in a nearby tree.

Katie and I watched this all in stunned silence. After a moment, we turned to each other and I said, "Alfred is like the Harry Potter of ducks. ...He is the duck who lived!" Thenceforth, we decided, the hawk (whom we still see from time to time circling the pond, haunting our steps, flying over us ominously) shall be known as The Voldemort Hawk. He is the epitome of evilness in the animal realm, and Alfred, in his innocence and awesomeness is keeping him from full control.

All in all, it was quite an awesome thing to observe and experience. How brutal the natural world. How valiant the white duck.

Posted by Anna at 1:52 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

My younger brother is on Spring Break this week, so he and my dad took that opportunity to come out to PA and visit me!

They arrived yesterday afternoon (Austin, my brother, attended my 2 o'clock with me), and spent all day with me today, and will leave shortly after chapel tomorrow. I love/miss my family so incredibly much, so it has really been awesome to see at least half of them before school lets out for the summer.

Today, we went into the city, just to see the sights. We started in Love Park, because...if you go to Philly, you've gotta see Love Park. :) Then, we headed to the Art Museum, walking along the Mall. The weather could not have been more perfect. I tried to work on my tan a bit...but I'm not sure that worked out as well as I had planned. Oh well. The museum was awesome! If you're ever in center city Philadelphia, I highly recommend visiting it!

After seeing every piece of art in the entire building (I'm pretty sure that's not an exaggeration), my dad hailed a taxi for us to take to South Street for a late lunch. I took them to Jim's: my favorite place for cheesesteaks! My dad and brother agreed they were quite delicious (although I don't think they appreciated them as much as I did...I could eat probably five or six without breaking a sweat), and then we headed back up to catch our train home. I truly gave them a Philly experience.

All in all, it was a fun day - an eventful day, even. But I would have been satisfied just chilling with my dad, and especially my brother. And I think that's what 'brotherly love' is all about.

Posted by Anna at 11:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Today was fabulous. We took a little road trip out to Jersey; the weather was gorgeous and I was in need of some fresh air and fellowship. So, a bunch of us went out to Point Pleasant for an afternoon in the sun.

As the girls sat in the sand, and the guys explored the boardwalk, I rolled up my jeans and stood near the waves. The water was bitter cold, but it was exhilarating. I got nearer and nearer the ocean crashing onto the surf. Finally, I just jumped. I splashed. I drenched myself (well, at least my lower half...I'm not THAT crazy....)

Have you ever read Kate Chopin's The Awakening? The feeling I got from soaking my jeans in the salt water of the Atlantic Ocean was reminiscent of the relief Edna got from her swims. It was glorious.

The rest of the day I spent having fun with good friends, getting some of the other girls wet (and...muddy. I 'accidently' kicked some mud on them instead of water...) and then heading to Surf Taco for dinner, and Brave New World (a surf store for some fun 'just looking' shopping) to finish out the day. Such fun. Such a necessary break from the stress of school and the pressures of life.

The only downside: having to deal with wet pants for the rest of the afternoon and evening. Meh. I can deal.

Posted by Anna at 11:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Today, a few of my friends and I took a trip into the city. However, this was not necessarily a trip for simply the fun of it. For Pentateuch (a class on the first five books of the Old Testament, which I have with Dr Toews), we were assigned to visit the UPenn Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology and view the Egypt exhibit, among others. We had to fill out a packet of questions by looking at all the different stations and reading labels and posters, etc. The questions dealt mainly with the connection of Egypt to the Israelites (who were enslaved by the Egyptians during the time much of the artifacts on exhibit were made). It was really interesting not only to see such ancient pieces of art and everyday life, but also to make the connection between what we saw and what the Israelites experienced so long ago in their captivation before their exodus to the Promised Land. Our questions called for us to read various sections of the Bible, from verses in Genesis and Exodus to even Ezekiel. Needless to say, that really put things into perspective.

Though we were in somewhat of a hurry (I had to be back at school to work at 5), I tried to spend as much time enjoying the museum as possible. Our group of five was among the few visiting the museum today, so we probably goofed off and were louder than was absolutely necessary...but that made the trip that much more enjoyable!

Posted by Anna at 11:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)