Tearing Down Barriers

One morning in February, during my public high school career, there was a celebration of Black History Month in a student assembly. All throughout this past month of February, I pondered the question of whether Grace would implement the necessity of Black History as my high school had the past four years. I departed chapel on Tuesday with this question answered. The theme of Chapel, "Tearing Down Barriers," along with the passage Ephesians 2:14, showcased the necessity to rise above racial boundaries that separate us from uniting in the body of Christ. That day, lunch at Alpha Dining had even embraced this theme by serving "soul food" consisting of fried chicken, collard greens, mashed potatoes, and even root beer floats. Chapel on Wednesday and Thursday continued to incorporate the necessity of taking action against racial tension and discrimination and treasuring diversity within our college, community, and world. Needless to say, I was pleased that the Black History celebration I had once witnessed in high school was alive on Grace College campus.

DoDgE BaLL

Ready, Set, DODGEBALL! Saturday night was dodge ball for the campus students. Teams of 5 or more came out to the Gordon Rec. Center to show off their skills and creative outfits. There were teams with names as creative as the Easter Eggs and The Hillbillies. I guess in order to be good at dodge ball you must be dressed in ridiculous outfits. The Easter Eggs' outfits were flamboyant colored wind pants and clashing colored, way too tight vests. The Hillbillies' outfits, well you can probably guess what they were wearing.
Teams took the courts and played their bests, hoping to come out on top. After bruises were forming from the sting of the ball and shoulders were so sore you couldn’t shake hands with your opponents, a champion was crowned. The champs were none other than the Easter Eggs, ugly outfits and all.

Congratulations PSC-ers!

Today was quite an eventful day for prospective students, parents, faculty members, ambassadors, admissions staff, and all others who were involved in the Presidential Scholarship Competition. Despite the busy morning of essays and interviews, all of the students persevered while making new friends and experiencing the campus.
I cannot believe that an entire year has elapsed since I sat in the very same essay room in Mount Memorial, staring at the blue book while I wondered what to write about. Also, today while I played "Apples to Apples" with an outgoing group of Michigan students in the game room, I could picture myself in their place; the same class-room awaiting my interview. What excites me most about helping with PSC this year is that many of the friendly faces I met and talked to will be attending Grace in the fall. Also, it was a blessing to hear from so many students' mouths how God is leading them to Grace and that they could really see themselves striving academically and spiritually in the Grace atmosphere. As a result of the 2008 Presidential Scholarship Contest, I decided to attend Grace. Although, this may not be the same case for all of the prospective students this weekend, all students deserve congratulations for enduring the somewhat stressful competition and encouragement to seek the Lord's will for their lives no matter what college they attend.

Kondo

Yesterday in chapel Kondo Simfukue, a local worship pastor at Christ's Covenant Church and one of Grace's favorite speakers, came and spoke to us. And what he had to say was extremely moving. He spoke to us on how the world tempts us with its possessions, by waving them in our face. Satan's ultimate purpose in life is to draw us away from the Lord, but the fact of the matter is: he is smart! He doesn't place one person in a casino, when their struggle is alcohol but rather places them into situations that have the temptation of alcohol readily available. The scary truth is that Satan knows us and knows our specific weaknesses and that's why we have to rely whole-heartedly on our Savior. Our fight is not just against Satan, but rather against all evil and it is not an easy fight. But thank the Lord that we have Christ on our side for the victory is sure. Kondo managed to stir up within me a desire to keep fighting the good fight, because in the end we are the ones with the Almighty Redeemer!

-jMO: The Face of Grace

   Last week in chapel our president, Dr. Manahan, announced the price increase for the coming school year. For the upperclassmen, a price increase announcement is nothing new. Colleges all around increase their prices yearly.  This year we were surprised by the amount. It's increasing by less than a thousand dollars which is amazing! There was actually applause after we heard about it. I know it may still seem like a lot, but compared to what others schools are expected to increase by, Grace has done an amazing job!

   I really admire our administration and how hard they work to keep prices down for us. It can't be easy. I had the opportunity to talk with some our top administrators about the increase for an article I was writing for the school newspaper. It was evident that they really do care about us students and keep us in mind throughout the process. It's a great feeling to know that even the administrators keep us in mind and look out for us. 

The PSC

This weekend will be a busy weekend for Grace College. Starting Fri. the 20th is the Presidential Scholarship Competition for high school students who have qualified to win scholarship money. This is my second year working as an ambassador at the event. Working in admissions has been great over the past two years and the competition is one of the highlights. Over 150 students come from all over the globe to participate in an interview and essay. I remember meeting a girl last year from Israel. She was really fun to get to know and I see her around campus now which is very cool.
At the banquet on Friday, everyone is joined together in the OCC and served dinner. The food is amazing and it is great sitting at a table of strangers and slowly getting to know everything about each other. High school students can stay with Grace Students overnight to get a feel for the dorm and can even attend Grace Got Talent, the talent show fundraiser for the girls’ soccer team. I’m excited to see what this weekend will bring.

Change

Well what a surprise I received to come on the website for the first time back blogging this semester and find the layout so pleasantly changed! :) It made me smile.

There are changes happening everywhere, with the weather (HALLELUJAH!), with people, with myself, and with Grace College. But though change isn't wanted in so many cases I feel as if the changes in this semester will be so necessary for better things in the end. I know this is all a little vague but I am a huge processor. This means that after receiving news of change -- such as hearing that we only have a 3% increase in tuition next year (as opposed to the usual 8-12% most schools are instituting) because Grace wants to keep from punishing the students in this economic slump -- it takes me a while to think through it, grieve for the unwelcome changes, and appreciate the welcome ones, such as the one just mentioned. Thank you Grace, for making the very hard decisions in order to better care for your students! That's all I have to say for now...besides:

Welcome dearest warm weather, I've missed you!!! :)

Mailbox Surprise

   It's been a busy day. I spent my afternoon writing articles for the school newspaper, running errands, completing homework, and I also had a meeting. Not really anything too exciting. The meeting I was in was with Steve Carlson who is the director of Career Services here on campus. I brought my resume to him and he worked through it with me. I learned how to think of the big picture in my resume and also gave me ideas of other items to include. It was really helpful and gave me a new feeling of confidence in my resume.

    I did have something exciting happen to me yesterday. Last week I shared about my car troubles. Since then, I've found out that the car is fixable but would cost around $300. On a college budget, that's a lot of money. Anyways, last night I went and checked my mailbox. Inside was an envelope that just had my box number on it. I wasn't expecting anything so I opened it right away. Inside was a note that "car" and $60 in cash. I was so amazed and surprised that I started crying (that's funny because I almost never cry, and I never cry in public). It was such a blessing to find that and know that someone was there for me. There was no name or indicator of who sent it. That money was an answer to pray and reminded me of how good God is and how amazing this campus is. 

Swing-Dancing

So I know my blog last week was about SAB, but I always write after I've attended our meetings and it's the first thing on my mind. So Grace is offering swing-dancing at the end of the month on the 27th. It's the first time that Grace has allowed choreographed dancing on campus! We are so excited as a student body to have this opportunity. Not only are we being allowed this privilege, we are also being offered lessons twice before the big day, so we dont look like big apes out on the dance floor. The music is being conducted by our very own Jeremy E. Smith, a genuis in the music department who has headed up a group of musicians to play for us! It's just going to be a grand night, a night to relive the 20's!

FAFSA Advice

This article was written by one of our Journalism and Communication majors.
Students must file FAFSA by March 10
By Brittney Ching
March 10 is only a month away, which means one thing for college students: It’s time to file the FAFSA. FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and it is the form students file to apply for financial support from the government. The form is available online at www.fafsa.edu.gov/.
“The FAFSA is filed to enable a school to determine eligibility for federal and state aid. Without the information that is required when filing the FAFSA, schools can’t make good decisions on who needs help and who doesn’t,” said Charlette Sauders, Director of Financial Aid at Grace College.
Though students might think they are not qualified to receive governmental aid, Sauders said to still file the FAFSA. “In these uncertain times, it is best to file a FAFSA because if a family’s situation changes, then special consideration can be given and perhaps the family could get federal or more institutional aid than if a FAFSA is not filed.”
Sauders said that students looking to make filing easier can download the FAFSA on the Web worksheet. “[It is] really essential to getting all of the necessary data in one place so that filing online is a painless process. A student will need parent and student tax returns and W-2s. Also, cash, checking, savings and investment account balances.” Students can access the worksheet at www.fafsa.ed.gov/fafsaws90bw.pdf.
When filing the FAFSA, Sauders said, “Don’t leave anything blank. If the amount is zero, put in a zero. Also, if you need to file by the deadline and don’t have a tax return filed, estimate as best as possible. Blanks will cause problems and could cause your FAFSA to be rejected.”
“Also, make sure that both the student and one parent sign (via PIN number) the FAFSA. If both don’t sign, the FAFSA will be rejected,” said Sauders. Students and parents can apply for a PIN number and securely sign the FAFSA online. See www.pin.edu.gov/ to apply for a PIN number. For students looking for support other than governmental aid, “Outside scholarships can be a good alternative,” said Sauders. Fastweb.com includes a scholarship search engine that tailors results to your specific profile.
Sauders said, “Community foundations are often overlooked and have scholarships that aren’t claimed.” To search for your county, go to www.cof.org/locator.
“Other places to check out are local civic organizations such as Rotary Club, Kiwanis and Optimist Club. They usually have scholarships for local students,” said Sauders.
Another good way to earn extra support is to apply for scholarships in your home church, or see if your church will support you. “Grace will match what your church will give you up to $500 each year,” said Sauders.
If you are struggling to find scholarship or financial aid options, “There is more scholarship info on the wall outside of the financial aid office that can be accessed even when the office is closed,” said Sauders.

O brothers!!

Friday night was my halls’ first brother/sister hall event. If you are unfamiliar with what a brother hall is let me give you a quick original definition. A brother hall is a residence hall filled with the male gender that is matched up with a female resident hall with the intent of forming friendships with our brothers in Christ. In short they are supposed to be nice to us. I just want to say that I have the best brother hall this year (shout out to Gamma Townhouse). The guys are so fun to hang out with. Last semester my favorite event was when they cooked us spaghetti dinner. With a little help from the ladies the boys turned it into a great evening.

This Friday was game night with the brothers. Some girls went over early to cook some snacks in the rarely used boys’ kitchen (I say this because we found milk from the middle of January). The tasty treats consisted of veggie pizza, brownies, and country style Choc. Chip cookies. Then it was game time. There was a variety of games such as Cranium, Settlers of Catan, Around the World ping pong, Dance Dance Revolution, and Guitar Hero. Everyone was having fun and showing off their mad skills. The highlight of my night was the Guitar Hero battle of the sexes, girls versus boys in an intense head to head battle. The first gender to win 7 games would be victorious. I would love to say the females came out on top…well… we didn’t and I almost cried. But it was still great with the adrenaline pumping and I can confidently say the ladies did hold their own. Next time we will get the WIN. I’m so thankful for our brothers and I think of them as my true brothers because I know they would do just about anything for their sisters. Thanks guys I love y’all!

Car Problems = College Experience

   I was going to share about my weekend at Grace, but I spent the weekend at home. Then I was going to write about the SAB party last night, but J-MO beat me to it.  Instead I will share with you all my adventure of getting back to Grace after the weekend. 

   I was headed back Monday night when my car overheated. I pulled and called my mom (yes, I really did call my mom first for help). She decided she would drive down and find me. I was an hour and a half south of my house, sitting on the shoulder of the highway, in the middle of nowhere! Not a fun time. While I was waiting, my car battery died which meant I had no lights, no heat, and no way for other people on the road to see me. Excellent. I spent two hours in my car on the side of the road. I'm pretty sure that is, to date, the scariest experience of my life. Did I mention the time frame? From 8 p.m.- 10 p.m., which means pitch black.

   Anyways, my mom got to me and we called a tow truck. My car was taken back to a gas station and left there. I went back home with my mom and to get my brother-in-law's car to borrow. It was a long night. 

   Since I went home again I missed classes, four to be exact. It's funny because those classes have a "no skip" attendance policy. However, my professors are all awesome and understanding and did not penalize me for missing class. I now get to play catch-up with those classes, but I am thankful to be back. I might not be traveling anywhere for a while. I have a new-found fear of car problems. It's just one more experience to fall into "the college years."

SAB (Student Activities Board)

We have this organization at Grace called SAB (Student Activities Board) and basically they organize all the fun activites that the student population does at Grace :) We head up homecoming, concerts, and fun events like Stuff-Your-Face Nights and costume bowling nights! Any student at Grace can join this club and help plan our campus' events. So tonight, we had alittle SAB-bondathon where all the members went to our apartment-style housing and played fun games and ate fondue! The girls played Catchphrase, DDR, and of course Mariokart. There were some tense moments, but in end we were all still friends! The boys enjoyed a night of male-bonding over James Bond and pizza. If Grace is the place for your face, SAB is definately a group to consider joining, full of fun-loving people that organize awesome events for the campus.

The Face of Grace,
j-MO

IPOD Winner

I rode a lion and up top is

lovely Jenn greeting students.

Here's Matt and Jenn with the winner of the IPOD touch, Ty Guyat from Columbus, OH.

Kalahari Youth Retreat

This past weekend myself and two other admission counselors, Matt and Jenn, were able to take part in the Kalahari Youth Retreat in Sandusky, OH. Kalahari is America's largest indoor water park. Although we didn't jump into the pools, we still enjoyed ourselves. (I do want to take a trip back there sometime though so I can try out the toilet bowl water slide !!) We had a great time meeting prospective students, parents of current students, visiting with alumni, giving away t-shirts, frisbees, and a IPOD touch!! It was awesome. With over 800 high schoolers attending there was lots of energy. We love getting to meet kids who are interested in Grace. Thanks to all who stopped by our table and said hi! You made the weekend very enjoyable!!

You may be wondering what a Grace student does on a weekend. Well let me tell you. Most students stay around on the weekend so they have to entertain themselves in some way. We are lucky enough to have an organization at Grace called Student Activities Board (SAB) whose members’ purpose is to plan activities for the campus. Last weekend, SAB took a fan van to Bethel College to cheer on the Lancers Boys’ Basketball team. Grace students packed the Bethel gym and had more fans than Bethel!! We even had thunder sticks which are extremely loud noise makers that give you a headache in about five minutes. We were rocking the school spirit!
This weekend, SAB planned a movie night in our dining hall. It was the classic movie, “Honey I Shrunk the Kids.” The movie was hilarious. Watching it with a bunch of friends and laughing at the cheesy parts such as the nerdy parents and the developing love relationship of the two high school kids is always a good time. Not to mention the free movie popcorn and candy provided!!
I’m excited for the next SAB event which is ice skating. I love watching people fall down. Oops that sounds mean. Of course I help them get back up though when they fall because usually I’m the one who is always falling ;)