My first order of business is talking about sophomore year.
1) The Room Situation: There's been quite a bit of talk about whom is rooming with whom next year, and there was actually quite a bit of drama with other people because of this (not me, don't worry. I don't do drama) and so there was a lot of work to do there, but now we have a plan, and everything seems to be running smoothly, so all the stress in the room situation is finally gone and everything is figured out. The end result is this: First semester, I'll be rooming with my good friend Christine in the quad, which is a larger room meant for three people. (Don't ask me why it's called a quad when only three people normally live there because I have no idea.) So first semester will be really nice, since it'll be just the two of us in a big room with lots of space. Then during Interim (our January semester), (unless someone ends up going abroad for that month) and second semester, Lea, who had been studying abroad in France will join us, and it'll be the the three of us. So it's really really perfect and I'm really excited for next year because it will be super fun. All we have to do now is find some time for all three of us to talk to the RD (which is hard because we're all busy at different times and 2/3 of us are engineers), and we're golden.
2) CLC (Community Life Council) (Or, dorm leadership): This one kind of intertwines with the whole taking risks and breaking comfort zones thing, but it also goes along with sophomore year changes. A while back, there was a meeting about leadership for next year, and I didn't think I would be a part of that, and so I didn't attend. I was really set on not being part of leadership because that isn't something that I've ever really done. But then I really thought about it, and now I'm feeling pulled to do some kind of leadership position, which is really weird, because that's not me. I've always been a follower, and not a leader, so for me to want to be a leader is a really weird feeling. So I've been feeling that pull the past couple days, and so I looked into the leadership positions that would really suit me, and I found it. I talked to one of my friends who is also applying to a leadership position about this and how I was unsure if I should, but she said to go for it, and now I'm going to.
So each dorm and even each floor has quite a few leadership positions available. RA, RHET, Barnabas, SET, CD, MAC, CPC, and SC, most of which I didn't know anything about when I started school. And here it is. I announced it yesterday on my twitter, so if you follow me you already know, and if you aren't following me, you can follow my twitter here. > TWITTER: Sophie__Leigh
I want to be a CD, which stands for Cultural Discerner. Cultural Discernment has a lot to do with intertwining a Christian perspective on popular culture, which I find really interesting. It's about analyzing lyrics and songs of artists both secular and Christian, and analyzing and digging deep into movies and of other popular culture and discussing those, finding the good and the holy even in the less good and less holy. I love music and movies, and of course I want to grow in faith as well, so why not combine both of them?
I want to be a CD, which stands for Cultural Discerner. Cultural Discernment has a lot to do with intertwining a Christian perspective on popular culture, which I find really interesting. It's about analyzing lyrics and songs of artists both secular and Christian, and analyzing and digging deep into movies and of other popular culture and discussing those, finding the good and the holy even in the less good and less holy. I love music and movies, and of course I want to grow in faith as well, so why not combine both of them?
While this is scary; a leadership position isn't something I would normally consider, I think this will be very good for me. Especially as an English major, I need to be able to analyze things that interest me, and I'm going to be a sophomore next year. I'll be in the older half of the dorm, and I need to grow and be a model to the incoming freshman since I'll have had that experience already, and I think this is one of the best ways for me to do so. So there you go. I'm totally stepping out of my comfort zone this year, but that's okay. That's what college is all about. New things and breaking your previous safe boundaries. Sometime in the next few days, I'm going to apply to be BB's Cultural Discerner and set up an interview. I'm just praying that this is the right decision and that everything goes well. Fingers crossed. :)
And while we're talking about stepping outside of comfort zones....
1) Service learning: For my sociology class, we're required to do service learning, and that's another thing that is outside of my comfort zone. I've gone twice already, and I'm getting more used to it and it's a little less scary every day. I'm going to the place that my dorm has set up because it's a lot more convenient and it somehow works with my schedule. We go to Cook Library Center, which is a place in Grand Rapids where kids can go after school to work on their homework. It's in a Hispanic side of town, so one of my worries was that there would be a language barrier that would really halt the connections and communication, but the kids that I've worked with so far are very bilingual, so there was really nothing to worry about. I'll talk more about my experiences with that later on once I've done more with it.
2) Testimonies: This is a really really big one that I'm still thinking and praying about because it's huge. So far we've had three students give their testimonies to the dorm during dorm worship on Wednesday nights, and each time I've been feeling pulled to talk, but the sign that I should hasn't arrived, and I'm imagining that it'll be awhile until I strike up the nerve to even ask about it. Because I do have a testimony. I have things that I've been itching to tell that I've never ever told anybody before, and keeping it inside, even though it's things that I've worked past and healed from, is eating me alive. Long story short: it's about hating high school, and transferring schools, and how that has actually saved my life. That's all I'm going to say on the subject because I'm still working through everything in my mind and it's still a big jumble even months after the event.
So that's definitely been a thing on my mind. We'll see how everything goes. I'm just waiting for my sign.
On a much much lighter note, I've been doing dance guild again, and I adore everything about it. I'm doing three dances because I'm insane: guild lyrical, advanced lyrical, and guild jazz. The I am so in love with both of my lyrical dances and I don't know how I would get through my week without them. Jazz is iffy. I like it, and I'm doing it with one of my really close friends which makes it a lot better, but I'm not in love with it. It isn't what I expected when I picture jazz. Maybe it's the choreographer, maybe it's just her mediocre song choice, but I don't think I'll be doing guild jazz again. If advanced is an option next time, maybe.
But lyrical. I love it. Sure, I've received some pretty nasty bruises on my shoulder (be glad you can't see it. It's disgusting and discoloured and I cringe every time I look at it.) and my tailbone and pretty much everywhere else that bruises are possible, but I still love it. I get to do some marvelous floorwork (the reason for bruises) and it's gorgeous and I can't wait for the performance even though we're only the third week in. I'm so excited for the dances to come all together, and I can't wait to see all the other dances all put together, especially since one of my friends is doing flag and another one is doing pointe, so I'm super excited to see them doing things that are so them. So that's kind of my life right now.
Okay. Lots of words. Time for some photos.
The never-ending playlist
Cups- Pitch Perfect
Dare You to Move, Meant to Live, This is Your Life- Switchfoot (Instrumental). Just listen to this and try and tell me that it's not beautiful. I dare you. .....see what I did there? :)
Afraid to Know, Gravity Happens, Beg You to Fall- Kate Voegele
Push, Unwell, If You're Gone- Matchbox Twenty
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber on Fleet Street
I Dreamed A Dream, On my Own- Les Miserables
Goodbye- Ke$ha (the one song of hers that I enjoy. It's acoustic and gorgeous, so don't judge.)
Demons- Imagine Dragons
Jar Of Hearts- Christina Perri
I'll leave you with some Switchfoot lyrics that I really like and that I'm trying to live my life by:
Maybe redemption has stories to tellMaybe forgiveness is right where you fellWhere can you run to escape from yourself?Where you gonna go? Where you gonna go?Salvation is here
~Sophie Leigh
2) Testimonies: This is a really really big one that I'm still thinking and praying about because it's huge. So far we've had three students give their testimonies to the dorm during dorm worship on Wednesday nights, and each time I've been feeling pulled to talk, but the sign that I should hasn't arrived, and I'm imagining that it'll be awhile until I strike up the nerve to even ask about it. Because I do have a testimony. I have things that I've been itching to tell that I've never ever told anybody before, and keeping it inside, even though it's things that I've worked past and healed from, is eating me alive. Long story short: it's about hating high school, and transferring schools, and how that has actually saved my life. That's all I'm going to say on the subject because I'm still working through everything in my mind and it's still a big jumble even months after the event.
So that's definitely been a thing on my mind. We'll see how everything goes. I'm just waiting for my sign.
On a much much lighter note, I've been doing dance guild again, and I adore everything about it. I'm doing three dances because I'm insane: guild lyrical, advanced lyrical, and guild jazz. The I am so in love with both of my lyrical dances and I don't know how I would get through my week without them. Jazz is iffy. I like it, and I'm doing it with one of my really close friends which makes it a lot better, but I'm not in love with it. It isn't what I expected when I picture jazz. Maybe it's the choreographer, maybe it's just her mediocre song choice, but I don't think I'll be doing guild jazz again. If advanced is an option next time, maybe.
But lyrical. I love it. Sure, I've received some pretty nasty bruises on my shoulder (be glad you can't see it. It's disgusting and discoloured and I cringe every time I look at it.) and my tailbone and pretty much everywhere else that bruises are possible, but I still love it. I get to do some marvelous floorwork (the reason for bruises) and it's gorgeous and I can't wait for the performance even though we're only the third week in. I'm so excited for the dances to come all together, and I can't wait to see all the other dances all put together, especially since one of my friends is doing flag and another one is doing pointe, so I'm super excited to see them doing things that are so them. So that's kind of my life right now.
Okay. Lots of words. Time for some photos.
We had a winter photoshoot that was fun and numbed my hands. And we made a fort, which was the most rad thing ever and made us feel super cool since because of our fort, we made it onto Overheard At Calvin; a facebook page filled with notable overheard and overseen conversations and sights.
The never-ending playlist
Cups- Pitch Perfect
Dare You to Move, Meant to Live, This is Your Life- Switchfoot (Instrumental). Just listen to this and try and tell me that it's not beautiful. I dare you. .....see what I did there? :)
Afraid to Know, Gravity Happens, Beg You to Fall- Kate Voegele
Push, Unwell, If You're Gone- Matchbox Twenty
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber on Fleet Street
I Dreamed A Dream, On my Own- Les Miserables
Goodbye- Ke$ha (the one song of hers that I enjoy. It's acoustic and gorgeous, so don't judge.)
Demons- Imagine Dragons
Jar Of Hearts- Christina Perri
I'll leave you with some Switchfoot lyrics that I really like and that I'm trying to live my life by:
Maybe redemption has stories to tellMaybe forgiveness is right where you fellWhere can you run to escape from yourself?Where you gonna go? Where you gonna go?Salvation is here
This is your life, are you who you want to be?
~Sophie Leigh
