Community

Something I learned a lot about this past semester was the concept of community, specifically in the dorm I live in. Community is a word that gets tossed about a lot in our society today. I think there are many uses for it, not all of them merited. I myself have a lot to learn about what true community is. But I think I learned a lot this past year...

I've always had the privilege of having an amazing group of friends ever since I started attending Hillsdale. Freshman year I learned the importance of building a strong community of people that would be your support base- especially during the college years and especially at a challenging school like Hillsdale. This group of friends became my community and my family during my freshman year. We did most everything together. Whether it was movies (theater or on campus), studying, cooking and eating, or whatever else happen to came up, I spent a lot of time with the same group of friends. I am so thankful I had them to go back to at the beginning of this year and look forward to growing with them throughout the remaining years of college.

This year another community grew within my life that was not necessarily expected. Within my dorm- the one with the reputation for being quiet with the doors closed- grew into an amazing community of Christian guys that I hope to continue developing great relationships with. Community became a part of my life to the extent that I enjoyed working in my room and just hanging out with whoever was around. Whether it was talking about nothing until 3am, making random MacDonalds runs, or reading countless English papers, community was something I desired and sought after...
And it is well worth the effort. Although community cannot be forced, I realized that sometimes one must make an effort to foster community. I do not think things happen by chance... I am grateful for this past year and look forward to what next semester brings...

Meanwhile I will continue to ponder the concept of community...

Niedfeldter's minus one...

The roommates!


David...



Most of the guys for a picture with David. Apparently David is not coming back next semester. So yeah... this post is for David... for the awesome semester... and the great memories...

Late Nights/Distractions/Finals Week

Lots of random stuff here tonight. So much of my life is structured. Class time. Time outside class. Paper writing. Debate speeches (HA!). Okay maybe not a *lot* of my time is structured, but too much of it is. As least for my liking. Therefore you get a random and unstructured post tonight.

First... hmm... I really like staying up late. Pretty much everyone who knows me understands my late night habits. For some reason I can think clearly at night. My thoughts understand what I am reading. They can focus better than any other time of the day. In all honesty, I am never tired. I am tired mornings and afternoons and evenings. But I wake up completely past midnight.

Distractions are amazing. I don't think I've ever had a bad one. At least this semester. People have distracted me from my work. Which hasn't been bad because I haven't had a ton of work comparatively. Next year might be different. But for now I enjoy every chance I get for conversation. Every opportunity to learn something about someone's personality that never struck me before. Such things are worth it, and I am blessed....

The end of the semester brings many emotions for me. I am going to miss being gone from my friends, and from my home here at school for the entire four week break we get. I am trying not to think about how soon it will come. The goal of course is, to enjoy this week as much as possible.

I simply hope that I am understood... that what people see in me is what they truly get...

.... Random ...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving. I guess that's all I have to say now... Yes I know... I am lame...

Charity Ball!

Pictures from the Charity Ball. These are here for the primary benefit of my mother. But enjoy whoever else happens to be reading this.

Sam and I...

Josiah and Andrew

J-Brew, Betsy, Katie, and I

Andrew and I in deep thought...

... I hate midterms...

The 'Feldt

So this year is definitely different than last college year. My dorm is actually a great place to live. I really enjoy the community in Niedfeldt this year. The fact that there were more girls in my room tonight than there were all of last year. Maybe I'm just nicer. But I think its partly because the 'Feldt is so inviting this year with all the awesome freshman who have moved in and adjusted well. I really don't prefer to leave during the evenings. Maybe this will change. But I kind of hope not. I think I am going to go to bed now...

Hillsdale- 3rd Semester

Here I am again back in Hillsdale and starting to transition into my new schedule. Yet I made such a transition difficult in part because of my involvement with a seminar on Revolutions conducted by a 93 year old don at Oxford University. James, Stephen, and I agreed to work on various revolutions in the Middle Eastern nations of Iran, Iraq, and Turkey. It should definitely be a fascinating experience although it only lasts the first three weeks of the semester. In the meantime, my Mondays and Wednesdays are swamped with classes going from 9am to 9pm.

I am also continuing my career in college debate which is also proving to be a greater obligation with the arrival of a new debate coach. I have a new job this year, in the admissions office giving tours of the campus to prospective students. So with all of this in mind, the new school year is proving to be just as exciting as the first year. But I am oh so glad to not be a freshman anymore...

Classes are really good thus far. I almost feel kind of overwhelmed by taking both an upper level history and english course. I hope to devote enough time to my semester long 15 page research paper on the topic of American non-interventionism in the 1920's.

Since I am in a rambling mood, I must also confess that my stomach continues to hate me for eating the food around this place. Although that might be a slight over exaggeration, I continue to wonder how I made it through an entire year eating around this place...

Niedfeldt continues to be the place I call home this year. I am so glad I came back for another year here. The freshman appear to be really nice and there is so much more involvement and community here than last year. My procrastination from Spanish homework (which is from El Diablo himself) led me to waste a good half hour of my time sitting out in the lobby with 5-10 other freshman and upperclassmen talking about the most random of subjects. My college experience is now complete as I now better understand the idea of true community in a dorm.

Hope anyone who happened to read this managed to stay awake... time to get back to that Spanish homework...