Downhill Slope

Spring has sprung.  Spring Sing is over.  The stress level has dropped drastically.  We can now try to remember what it means to have free time.

Spring Sing is a wonderful time at Harding.  Hundreds of students and faculty all come together to produce an amazing show.  It is really stressful to put in all of the hours it takes to produce something that big that quickly.  However, once it’s all over we all miss it:  not the stress, but the wonderful people we’ve met and relationships we’ve formed over the last few months.  It’s always a little weird to go from seeing a large number of people that you’ve come to love at least 5 hours a week, to just seeing them occasionally.  It’s a huge disconnect.

But this is the downhill slope for the semester.  Final papers and projects are pending.  It’s time to wrap up all things academic and make plans for the summer.  Right now, I’m planning for three weddings (one of which I’m participating in), hopefully a summer job, two mission trips, my Senior Symposium that I’ll be presenting in the fall semester, and now that I’ve been elected the Vice President of my club, I’ll also be planning for next year’s Club Week.  That’s a full summer to come after a super full semester.  The sad thing is that, for me, it has all come with a drastic decrease in academic motivation.  I don’t want to do any homework anymore.  I don’t want to write any more papers or work on any more projects.  I just want to take advantage of all of my new free time and just have fun.

In times like this, I remember that one of the most important things I’ve learned since being at Harding is the importance of balance.  My friend Mac loves the metaphor of riding a horse.  He warns that it’s important not to lean to far either direction in a saddle, or you might just fall completely off.  It’s all about finding a balance.  One of the most important “horses” that I ride is the balance between my academic and social lives.  I push myself so hard to do well in school that sometimes I forget that loving people and spending time having fun is a huge part of the college experience.  And then I remember that a little too much and have a hard time getting back to the books.  It’s a delicate balance, but an important one, especially in a time like right now when both of those things are super important.

So, I know that a lot of this has been sort of random, and I’m sorry about that.  I’m kind of all over the place these days.  I’ll try to post again sooner rather than later, since I waited so long last time.  I hope that you’re all enjoying the lovely spring weather and will remember to stay straight in the saddle!

Heart you all.

Spring Break in “Fall Rivah, Mass”

Group picture at the Cliff Walk in Newport, Rhode Island

I just returned from one of the best – and most life-changing – weeks of my life. Last week was Spring Break at Harding. Yes, I know it’s pretty early since it’s not actually springtime yet, but at Harding we plan Spring Break around Spring Sing, and those involved in that wonderful production will not hesitate to tell you how happy they are to be able to have at least 3 weeks between Spring Break and the show.

Anyway, I was blessed with the opportunity to go on one of Harding’s Spring Break campaigns to Fall River, Massachusetts with 10 of the most amazing and godly people you will ever meet. Our trip took us through a whirlwind of sleep-deprivation, community service, fellowship, self-reflection, bonding, laughter, and more love than I ever imagined. I grew more this week, both spiritually and emotionally, because of the influences of the people I traveled with and the people I met than I ever thought possible in a week spent with people I hardly knew.

I was so encouraged by the congregation in Fall River. It’s small, but thriving, in the midst of an area that is overwhelmingly Catholic or untaught. Most of its members don’t even live in Fall River but must drive considerable distances to worship and fellowship. These people are committed to Christ and to each other. They set an example for all Christians as they strive to create a solid, Christian family unit that they simply call the church. They always know where everyone is and how everyone is doing. They gather for fun and fellowship outside of church services. They cling to each other and have a bond that I have rarely seen anywhere ever before. And the love doesn’t stop there. They were so open and welcoming to us: a group of college kids, most of whom they had never met before. They met us at the airport with open arms and brought us into their homes as their children. We all grew to see them as family and know that at any point in our futures, if we find ourselves in the New England area, we will all have families and homes to go to.

My only regret is that my degree program doesn’t allow me to be able to return with the group that will be going back next spring. I’ll be student teaching in the spring and I won’t have the same early Spring Break week that Harding does. However, the biggest blessing that I received from this experience is the desire and willingness to get out and do something for the Lord’s kingdom and the new confidence in myself and my ability to seize whatever opportunities He provides me with. I am on a spiritual high in which I feel so empowered to do good in the world. I’ve been able to realize, with something that slightly resembles contentment, that my plans for my life aren’t what God had in mind. So, it’s time that I embrace His plan and trust Him to lead me to where I belong. If I hold nothing back, neither will God. As I lift my eyes to the hills of the short-term mission field, I will let you know where He leads me next. I’m hoping that it’s Honduras this summer. We’ll see.

I’m sure that you can tell what my feelings about Harding’s Spring Break Mission programs are, and that I probably don’t need to give any of you any further encouragement, because after reading about a week like mine, who wouldn’t be jumping at the chance to go, right? Well, if you’re not quite that easily convinced, I really do encourage you to check out the program. There are many different trips that take place every year all over the country and around the globe. I’m pretty biased to the New England area, but I have friends who have been many other places, and I know that anywhere you go in an effort to use your talents for the Lord will be a blessing to your life and the others you come in contact with. May God bless your lives and your ministries.

Heart you all.

My Host Family in Fall River

Our Day in Boston: Singing at the Old North Church

Our Day in Boston: After lunch at Cheers

Our Day in Boston: The Site of the Boston Massacre

Spring Break Missions

I know that I haven’t posted anything in a while, and that’s only because I’ve been so busy, which is nothing but a lousy excuse, and I apologize.  Next week is Spring Break, and I’ll be participating in one of the University’s Spring Break Mission trips to Fall River, Massachusetts.  We’re going to be doing some community service and working with the youth.  We’ll get to spend a day in historic Boston and have a grand time getting to know each other.  I’m really excited and also really nervous.  This is something brand new for me.  I don’t know many of my team members very well, I’ve never flown in an airplane, and I’ve never been to this part of the country.  But I know that God is going to take care of us, and it’s going to be a blast.

This week has been really hectic with all of the last-minute preparations for the trip and the final wrappings of class assignments before the break.  I will be sure to write all about my trip when we get back, and I’ll post as many pictures as I can.  Please pray for the 11 of us, our safety, and that we will be open and allow God to use us as He sees fit.

Heart you all.

Adventures in Baking

I was so excited last fall when I first moved into my new dorm room.  I wanted so badly to have a living room and a kitchen, a place that would make me feel like I was a real, self-sufficient adult.  I was anxious to be able to cook and bake and eat food that wasn’t just from the caf or a can all the time.  Our kitchen is really tiny, but it still has all of the things you might need: refrigerator, stove and oven, sink, microwave, cabinets.  I’ve done a decent amount of cooking this year, nearly always with some kind of crisis.  I once made a dessert for a party that had a sugar cookie crust.  I didn’t anticipate the expansion of the cookie dough inside my tiny little oven and it grew to overflow its pan and dropped down into the bottom of the oven, catching on fire.  It was ok though, it was just a tiny flame that put itself out when I opened the door and I opened the windows to let out the smoke and haze in the air.  It didn’t even set off the smoke alarm.  And even after all of my stress, it ended up looking pretty and tasting wonderful.

Most recently, I got a starter for Amish Friendship Bread from a friend at church.  Here’s how it works:  You get a “starter,” which is a bit of batter in a Ziploc bag, from a friend, along with a list of instructions.  For the first few days, you just mush the batter around inside the bag and let all the air out of it occasionally.  On day 6, you add milk, sugar, and flour and then continue mushing for the next few days.  On day 10, you add some more ingredients and then divide the batter out into 4 Ziploc bags to share with friends, so that the cycle continues.  Then you use the remaining batter, plus a list of more ingredients to add, to make a sweet, dessert bread.  The Amish created this bread and this idea of passing it around.  It is actually wonderful.  If you keep a starter for yourself each time, you’ll be baking every 10 days.  The bread is really good, and those in my suite have enjoyed it thoroughly so far.  I will adjust the temperature and baking time for the next cycle so that the bread isn’t quite so crunchy on the outside, but overall it has been a fun experience.
Feeling like I can do things on my own, and trying to find my way in a semi-grown-up world, is really important to me.  Cooking for myself and my friends and then being able to pass it along has been very enjoyable.  This is just one way that I am learning to become more self-sufficient and to feel more confident about my ability to do so.  College life is hard sometimes, and it comes with a whole lot of stress at the same time as a crucial growing-up period in one’s life.  Finding small things that can both bring you joy and increase your self-confidence is a wonderfully beautiful thing.  I hope that I can find more things that kill both of those birds with one stone.  I encourage all of you to look for things that can bring you the same satisfaction.
Heart you all.

Cabin Fever

This week has been pretty hectic.  We’ve all been watching the news and checking our fancy cellular devices to try and have as much information as possible about what is going to happen with the weather.  My roommate makes fun of me all the time for always knowing exactly what the weather is supposed to be like at any given time.  I get that from my daddy.  He’s worse than I am.  When I was a little girl, he taught me all these tricks about how to watch things like frogs and cows and the moon to make predictions about the weather.  There’s even a old adage claiming that the weather for the first 12 days of the year is supposed to be indicative of the general weather pattern for each of the 12 months of that year, respectively.  I have never paid enough attention to track this and see if it’s true, but Daddy always says that it is.

So, when I was home on Sunday, and he told me that a bad ice storm was coming, and I shouldn’t drive on Tuesday, I listened.  I planned for just that, and as usual, he was right.  The temperature has been colder than normal for most of the year so far, and the past few weeks  have been dreadful.  The sky is gray, and the sun hasn’t shown his face for weeks.

Those of you who don’t know about winter in the south, particularly in Arkansas, should know that we don’t get delightful things like snow here.  We get ice. You can’t drive on ice.  It damages houses, cars, trees, power lines.  It’s just a big mess. Last year, when it actually snowed, it was in March.  On Harding’s Spring Break.  Yeah, tell me about it.

Anyway, so there came the dreadful ice storm on Monday night, and everything was frozen over, and it wasn’t safe to drive, and everything on campus that wasn’t close enough to the ground to still be warm was covered in a sheet of solid ice.  Needless to say, I didn’t drive anywhere on Tuesday.

The weather reporters on TV kept saying that it was going to hit again on Tuesday night, except it would be much worse.  But, as usual, they couldn’t even stick to what they thought the temperature was going to be, and it wasn’t nearly as bad on Wednesday.  A lot of other places in the state, especially farther North, got a lot more damage than we did here in Searcy.  But, we scraped by by the skin of our teeth, and the last couple of days have been rather enjoyable.

It’s still cold out, but the middle of the day gets much warmer (in the 40s), and it’s comfortable in the sunshine.  I predict that as soon as it gets up into the 50s, (sometime next week, according to weather.com) students will begin crawling out of the woodwork.  We’re so tired of being cooped up inside all the time because of the unbearable cold.  Soon, there will be blankets and frisbies on the front lawn, and spirits will be rising.  We’ll all have much more energy, and it will be easier to just enjoy life.  We only have to wait on the sun to show his face and warm our little bubble from above.

I hope that wherever you are, the sun is shining on you and warming your heart.

Heart you all.

Busy-ness

Well, we’ve all made it through the hustle and bustle of the holiday rush, complete with lots of fun, family, and food.  Now it’s time to get back into the swing of things and tackle yet another semester near the foothills of the Ozarks.  This semester is going to be probably the busiest for me so far.  I’m taking 17 hours,working out bright and early every morning before class, serving as secretary of my wonderful club, participating in Spring Sing, preparing for and going on a Spring Break Mission, helping a friend plan her wedding (complete with miscellaneous bridesmaid duties), and attending three other weddings, all while still trying to maintain some kind of enjoyable social life.  It’s a super hectic time.  I’m always, always going to or coming from somewhere.  I get really excited about things like 6 hours of sleep a night or a twenty minute nap in the afternoon.

Now, don’t hear me complaining too much.  It’s a lot to do, but I’m putting myself through all of this because all of those things I listed are important to me.  I love them, and I’m so happy to have them be parts of my life.  I’m so excited to get to do so many things for the first time this semester.  I’m meeting new people and getting to know others so much better.  I’m learning how to manage my time better and to be more responsible for lots of different things.  It’s really all a blessing.  At least, that’s the way I try to look at it when I’ve had enough sleep to see things clearly.

A friend of mine was on campus, just today, attending class and meeting people in an effort to make the weighty decision of choosing a college.  While I was thinking about what kinds of things we should be telling her about so that she can make the most informed decision, the biggest reason I could think of to come to school here was because of the people.  There are so many opportunities to form relationships with so many different people.  There are options for every person, with every interest and personality, and the friends that we’re making here really will last a lifetime.  I know that if you’ve heard anyone talk about Harding for very long before, you’ve probably heard that phrase.  I know that cliche phrases tend to come with a negative connotation, and I’m definitely a fan of finding a new and fresh way to say what I want to say.  However, I also think that it’s important to remind people sometimes that cliches are cliches for a reason.  They all begin with some kernel of truth and deserve an appropriate dose of attention.  Don’t overuse them, but try to get over the monotony of these ideas and give them the credit they deserve.  You really can make friends and form relationships that will stand the test of time.  Bonds made here, with Christ at their core, will span decades and time zones, if you just make the tiniest mustard seed of an effort.

So, stay busy, find lots of people to love and spend time with.  They will be there when you need them the most, and the effort you’ve put into those friendships will pay off during times when you’re so busy and stressed that you don’t know how you’ll ever get it all done.  Take it from someone who is in the middle of this level of stress right now:  If I didn’t have my friends to remind me to relax and have a good time, to love me even when I’m grouchy and hateful, and to encourage me to keep going because they believe in me, I wouldn’t even have made it past the first week.

Heart you all.

‘Tis the Season to be Busy

The Christmas season is special for so many reasons. Everyone is in a loving and giving mood as we all get excited about Christmas Day. This time of year at Harding is special in its own ways. First, there are all of the beautiful lights adorning the front lawn. Pictures of the lights never turn out very well, but they are absolutely magnificent in all their glory. It’s like a winter wonderland in the middle of campus. There is always a special lighting ceremony for the first time they turn them all on and then a night with horse and carriage rides with hot cocoa and cider. Lots of students also really enjoy going to Berryhill, one of the parks in Searcy, which is always wildly decorated with elaborate lighting displays. It is also pretty impressive. Secondly, there are all the Christmas functions for clubs. I know that most of my posts have been about clubs, so I’m just going to touch on this one, but Christmas functions are always so much fun. There’s dressing up like Christmas characters and good Christmas food, and gifts. It’s wonderful.

However, we must remember that this is a University, and, after all, school is what we’re all really here for. Christmas season also brings the end of a semester and a restful vacation that all of us are desperately looking forward to. But before we can ever get to the rest, we have to finish the semester, which means lots of papers, summative projects, and finals. Intensely studying during a time when you’d rather just stay in bed or go home for the holidays, might be the hardest thing some of us have ever done. It’s very difficult to regain your motivation and determination to finish strong once you return after Thanksgiving break. Just three weeks til Christmas, but those three weeks are packed full of activity and study.

In the middle of these three weeks comes the week ironically dubbed “Dead Week.” For some, especially freshmen, this term might sound relieving. It seems to mean that everything calms down a bit and you’ll be able to gain your composure and rest a little as you spend your time preparing for finals. In some ways, that really is true. By this week, all club and intramural sports are over, and no other activities are supposed to take place during this week. Apparently no one told the professors. I’ve actually been pretty lucky this semester, but every other semester since I’ve been at Harding I have had an exam in nearly every class during dead week. It was a good time for teachers to wrap up the things they were behind on so that they can be sure to get everything in before finals. So you have a test in every class one week and then the final for every class the next week. This brings a whole new meaning to the term “Dead Week.”

At any rate, I am very excited to be finishing this semester and going home for a while. I’m really ready for Christmas and rest. I know that my spring semester is going to be packed full of school and other activities and I’m going to need to get some good rest to prepare for that. I hope that all of you have a wonderful Christmas holiday and I will see you next year!!

Heart you all.

PS Here’s a link to the Christmas pictures on the Harding webpage. They’re a lot better than any of the ones I was able to take. Enjoy!

 

 

http://www.harding.edu/photos/Christmas/gallery.swf

The Spices of Life

Thanksgiving break is just a week away.  Wal-mart is already playing Christmas music and Harding’s campus is beginning to look rather Winter Wonderland-ish with all of the lights and wreaths they’re hanging.  The holiday season is upon us, unfortunately bringing with it the season of finals, term papers, and other various wrappings of the semester.  And, in the midst of all this, some students are beginning to plan for Spring Break!  I know, it seems crazy, but when it’s a Spring Break Mission trip you’re coordinating, it’s imperative to get started really early.  This is the first time I’ve been on a SBM since I’ve been here.  This trip will come with a plethora of firsts for me:  first time flying, first time in New England, first time on a long, extended trip away from home without people I’ve known my entire life.  But I’m so super excited.  We had our first couple of meetings this week: one with all the teams, just talking about general info, and one just with my team, to get to know each other and fill out some paper work.  There are 11 of us going to Fall River, Massachusetts in March and I can’t wait.  I only just met most of the team this week but we’re already getting along really well and have a great time just hanging out together.  Two of the guys going with us are in Greece this semester but I’m sure they’ll be ready and excited to go as soon as they get home.  We’re going to be putting on a youth rally, doing some VBS-type lessons with the young people and doing some community service and outreach for the church in Fall River.  I’m sure that this won’t be the last post about the campaign: I’ll update you as things move along.  I’m both excited and a little nervous at this point, but I’m sure that all the planning and getting to know my team better will calm my nerves considerably.  I ask that you all keep us and all the other SBM teams in your prayers as the Springtime approaches.  I hope that you all have a wonderful holiday season and travel safely! 

Heart you all.

Sched-yule-ing

So, I’ve been frantically trying to arrange my course schedule for the spring.  It’s a frustrating process every semester, especially now that I’m done with Gen. Ed.s.  Most of the classes required for my major that aren’t just survey courses (ones that everyone takes) are only offered in one section, which means that I am forced to plan my schedule around them.  Then comes deciding when to have lunch.  And that isn’t even the beginning of it.  Being sure that none of the time slots conflict, letting required classes dictate which chapel I attend, and making sure that I have the best teachers:  all of these are factors to be considered.  One of the first things I learned when I got to Harding is to be sure to ask older students and alumni which teachers to take.  I’m sure that all of the professors employed by Harding are wonderfully delightful people who are incredibly intelligent.  However, I’m sure that we all know that those attributes are not always communicated in a classroom setting.  So after I begin to narrow down my choices for electives, especially bible classes, I am sure to ask someone I trust for advice about professors.  It has been wonderfully helpful thus far, and the only time that I have been disappointed with my instructor choice has been during the semesters when I didn’t ask advice but simply picked the only class that fit into the convenience of my schedule.  And from that experience, seriously, take my advice:  It’s much better to have an inconvenient schedule than to sit in a class that you hate for a whole semester, knowing that you could have chosen something else.  It’s also important to make use of your advisor.  You probably won’t need him/her as much as Harding will try to tell you that you do, but don’t forget that he/she is there to help you and can save you a whole lot of heartache if you will let him/her in on your plans. 

On the bright side of things, I am almost finished arranging my schedule for the spring and I’m fully satisfied with it.  I’ve got professors that I know I love and friends that share my major and course load.  It’s going to be a great semester! 

Too bad I have to come back to reality and remember that I still have to get through this semester before I can start a new one.  I’ve got lots of papers to write.  Majoring in English and Education will do that to you!!  But it’s wonderful and I thoroughly enjoy it all, at some point or another.  Remember to ask people for help.  Don’t do the scheduling thing, or really anything at all in life, all by yourself. 

Heart you all.

Club Week from A to Z

My Pledge Class: 2006!!

A is for All Club Devos.One of the biggest parts of Club Week is the nightly (except for Wednesday night, when all of the clubs are responsible for their individual devos) gathering of all the clubs in the GAC for some singing, a short devo, and ROLL CALL. Each club is called out and does some kind of cheer, chant, etc. to declare their presence. They’re always something to remember. Some clubs have the traditional cheers that they do every year and become known for. I’m sure that just about anyone on campus who has ever been present at an All Club Devo could tell you all about the Delta Gamma Rho train, the Kojies’ ladybug march and JuGoJu’s “Big Purple Bows!” By the end of the week, everyone’s voice is scratchy, members are passing out cough drops, and the new pledges have officially learned how to represent their new clubs.

B is for Brothers and Beaux.

One of the most important parts of my club’s pledge process is unity with our brother club. Chi Sigma Alpha and Regina have been brother/sister clubs since 1973. Most of our beaux (guys we choose to wear our jersey and love and support us in everything we do) are Chi Sigs and we love getting to spend time with these God-fearing, fun-loving guys.

C is for Cold.

Club week is usually scheduled for a week toward the end of October and is often freezing cold, especially when we have to spend lots of time outside, late at night. This year, however, it warmed up considerably around Wednesday, and much fewer layers were required for Thursday and Friday nights. We were also super excited and relieved that it didn’t rain at all!

D is for Dresses.

Pledges are often required to do is to dress a certain way all week. Some have wear the club colors from head to toe, or some guys have to dress in suits all week. The pledges of Regina are required to dress in what we call “Regal attire” all week long. They have to wear nice dress slacks, dresses or skirts all week long. The girls this year were super lucky that it didn’t rain all week. When I pledged I wore my rain boots with my skirts two days in a row. Fortunately, it was club week so I didn’t look anymore ridiculous than anyone else.

E is for the Elderly.

One of the activities XEA and Regina do on Wednesday of club week is a service project at Harding Place, an assisted living place for the elderly that Harding owns. We regularly go and sing to the residents, especially around Christmas time. This Wednesday we cleaned windows, vacuumed and dusted residents rooms, and then sang hymns. Service is a wonderful opportunity for all of us to bond.

 

F is for FOOD!!

If college kids are gathered, food must be involved. It’s not often that we get really good food and so when we have an opportunity to use club money to have a cookout and a Luau, and our sponsors volunteer to make wonderful desserts for all of us, we don’t pass it up.

G is for Ghost Stories.

This year at the end of “Rough Night,” we had a sleepover where we stayed up and played games, watched old Spring Sing shows, and ate a ridiculous about of cookies and sweets. Eventually, when we were all beginning to fall asleep, some of our girls decided to tell ghost stories. Most of them were super scary and we kept thinking we heard stuff downstairs. We completely freaked ourselves out, but we had such a good time getting to bond together after the stresses of club week were finally over.

H is for History.

Regina Social Club celebrated her 60^th Anniversary last year, so obviously we have a lot of history behind us. On Monday night of club week, our girls get all dressed up and have a real-live Tea. We drink tea, and sometimes cake, while we let the pledges in on 6 decades of Regina pride. It’s an extra-special way to instill some pride through heritage in our new sisters so that they can begin to see they’re a part of something bigger and longer-lasting than just themselves.

I is for “In-between classes…”

Stress is something that affects everyone involved in club week, members, pledges and sponsors alike. Time management is one of the most intense stressors as we all try to juggle club activities with class, jobs and other daily responsibilities. Just finding time in-between classes to hang out in the Student Center and get your book finished can be overwhelming.

J is for “Jumping through Hoops.”

Even more stress can often come from the crazy and ridiculous things that pledges are often required to do. They spend all week long jumping through hoops: filling out their books, getting signatures, dressing ridiculously, stepping outside their comfort zones, all on a minimum amount of sleep.

K is for Kappa Gamma Epsilon.

It was so super sad last year when Kappa Gamma Epsilon, a girl’s club whose membership was dwindling, was forced to disband. I had a lot of friends that had been part of that club and knowing how much I adore mine, I cannot imagine having to lose that. The good news, though, is that Harding has decided to charter two new girl’s clubs this semester to give female students more options to choose from. It’s pretty exciting to be around when new sisterhoods are forming.

 

 

L is for Luau.

On Thursday night, XEA and Regina have what we call a “Luau” where we eat taco salad and mingle. Then all the members are split into stations with club specific questions and the pledges are paired off, each Cadet with a Princess. There is always some kind of activity, culminating all of the learning and studying they’ve done all week long, where the pledges answer questions and get an object or puzzle piece to collect and put together. It is a good way for all of us to be able to see how much the new pledges know about the clubs.

M is for Major and Minor Dates.

The pledge process has many things that make it somewhat humiliating for those trying to complete all the requirements. Included in almost every pledge book, regardless of club, are major and minor dates. Minor dates are the easy ones: pledges simply introduce themselves to members of the opposite sex – anywhere from 25-100 – and gets their signature, major, hometown, etc. The major dates, however, are a bit more involved. You have to spend a little more time with each guy/girl and make up some kind of story about where you went on the date, answer a few questions and get their signatures. There are usually anywhere from 10-25 of these.

N is for “Now I’m excited about Spring Sing!”

Regina’s rough night is divided into different stations complete with singing, praying, answering questions while intimidated, and the newer Spring Sing station. I was privileged enough to get to be in the Spring Sing room this year. We taught each group of girls an 8-count of choreography and then they had to choreograph their own 8-count to go along with it. Now only did we get to have a lot of fun while encouraging the girls to be a part of our show, it also got me really super excited about Spring Sing. I love it so much and just a couple of hours of learning and doing choreography and talking about Spring Sing 2009 made me ready to start practicing now. I’m sure that there will be many extended blogs when that special time finally rolls around. J

O is for Orange.

The orange of Shantih and Pi Theta Phi during club week is, as I said many times last week, “incredibly pervasive.” They tend to dress all in orange all week and it’s not orange like the fruit. It’s the bright, blinding kind of orange that you see on construction workers. It often made my eyes burn a little, especially when I encountered them in large groups.

P is for Puzzle.

Remember back on letter L, when I talked about the collecting objects activities? Well this year’s activity was a giant puzzle. Each pair answered questions in exchange for puzzle pieces. They used all 20 of their pieces to make one puzzle which, along with all 20 other puzzles, went together to make a giant puzzle pictured with the crests of both clubs. It took a while, but it was really cool to see the pictures at the end.

 

Q is for Queens.

Regina is the Latin word for “queen.” Our members look to model themselves after Queen Esther and thus call ourselves queens. Our new pledges are called princesses all week, until they get their jerseys on Friday night and finally take on the title of “Queen.”

R is for Roses.

Another emblem of Regina is the rose. Our princesses are required to carry around roses with their pledge books all week long. They are also the only red things allowed on their blue and white books.

S is for Signatures.

I think this is pretty self-explanatory by now, but all week long everyone is seeking signatures. “Will you please sign my book? Will you please sign my book?” Eventually you get really tired of signing your name.

T is for T-shirts.

Harding is a haven for T-shirts. Students order t-shirts for everything. Last fall I got 5 club t-shirts in one semester! It was crazy. But everyone always gets t-shirts, either for Bid Day or for Club Week. Each club has its own tradition about when they get them andwhen they wear them. This year we used our Club Week t-shirts as a unity project where both Regina and Chi Sigs had white t-shirts and every member of both clubs signed every other members’ shirts. It was kind of cool, except that I’m a bit worried about all the signatures coming off when I wash it. I hope they don’t.

U is for “Up all night.”

This is also pretty self-explanatory. Club week is definitely one of the times when the most people get the least sleep. Juggling school and work and all of your normal daily activities with club responsibilities leaves little time for rejuvenation. Many of my girls spent almost all day on Saturday catching up on all the sleep they lost during the week.

V is for V.P.s.

The Vice Presidents of each club are in charge of club week activities. They’re the ones that organize everything, get activities approved by the administration, schedule times and venues, let everyone know what’s going on and tell all of the pledges what to do. They work super hard and plan months in advance. I’m super proud of mine and of XEA’s V.P.s this past week.

W is for Wars, Messy.

On Wednesday night, Regina has her Messy Wars with another girls club. Usually it’s OEGE and this year we added Omega Lambda Chi to the mix. We play silly gross games and then at the end we all take our “weapons of choice.” and have what is essentially a giant food fight. Pudding, ketchup, mustard, syrup, honey: all of these are typically found all over every girl involved. We have a great time but at the end I always smell like vomit and have to rush back and get in the shower. But it’s worth it. J

X is (obviously) for XEA.

As I said before, Chi Sigma Alpha has been Regina’s brother club since the 1970s and we love them dearly. We’re so proud of how wonderfully God-fearing and generous they are. They hold a special place in all of our hearts and I can’t wait until they sing to us again at the XEA/Regina Thanksgiving dinner in a couple of weeks!

Y is for Yellin’.

If you asked a student who isn’t part of a club to tell you about club week, one of the first things they would mention is all of the yelling and chanting and chaos that goes on. Learning and doing cheers to show pride in the club you’re representing is a key factor in becoming a new member. The Student Center, the Front Lawn, Harding Park, the GAC, pretty much any place is fair game for loudness. Even our president, Dr. David B. Burks, complained in chapel that he didn’t get his Sunday afternoon nap because of the yelling. It may seem crazy and chaotic and pointless, but it really is important in a way that can’t be explained. You really can’t understand it until you’re part of it.

Z is for Zugs.

Each club has a different term for their pledges: Regina princesses, Delta Gamma Rho’s links, XEA’s cadets, Iota Chi’s iotes. But the one that surpasses them all is Zeta Rho’s Zugs. I have no idea what a Zug is, but they have to call themselves that all week and incorporate it into their cheers. It’s a very interesting term. Maybe one of you will be a Zug one day and you can email me with an explanation.

Whew! We finally made it! All 26 letters of Harding’s Club Week. I’m a little worn out. I hope that it was intriguing enough to get through and not too tedious. I had a wonderful time but, just like this blog, I’m glad it’s over. J

Heart you all.

Our Newest Queens: Pledge Class 2008!