How to Survive Your Freshman Year: Crystal

•  Don’t Bring Too Much – All dorms have size limits, which, for most, is cut immediately in half by a roommate. You do not want to bring more than your limit can hold. My freshman year I shared a 10 X 12 ft dorm in Elizabeth Rogers. I showed up with five suitcases full of clothes and three storage bins of miscellaneous items items I thought would be absolutely necessary to my survival away from home. Needless to say, only about a third of my clothing ever got worn and two of my storage bins stayed untouched beneath my bed. Moral of the story: Bring only what you need. Remember: you’ll buy and accumulate more things throughout the year, and all of those are going to need space too.
• Get involved – Berea offers a multitude of student organizations across campus. Find one you like, attend it regularly, and let yourself have a good time. And, of course, if nothing suits your fancy, start your own! Oh, and lest I forget the regularly scheduled on-campus parties CAB (Campus Activity Board) throws each semester. The important thing is to get out, get to know your fellow students, and build those connections that are really going to get you through your time here.
• Don’t be too embarrassed to ask questions – After all, everyone has them! I spent my freshman year petrified of asking for help, be it from my TA or a professor. I was so afraid that my question was silly, or stupid, or simple and that they would judge me for not knowing the answer or figuring it out on my own. Not the case. The professors and TAs here want you to succeed—that’s why they’re here! So don’t be afraid to go to office hours or send an e-mail when you need a little guidance or help. You’d be surprised how many of your fellow students are asking the same thing.
• Go to class – Kukui, a graduating senior, has this to say: “Make sure you remember what you came to college for…to learn! Of course we need to have fun, but school definitely has to be a top priority. Class attendance is a must! Most classes only give you 3 unexcused absences after that they start deducting your grade. Make sure to use your absences accordingly.”
• Study abroad! – As a Berea College student, you can get up to 3/4ths of your study abroad trip paid for through institutional scholarships. With that kind of opportunity, can you really say no? This is one thing that I missed out on, and believe me when I say I am working my butt off to find a way to get it in during my senior year. It’s an experience Berea makes sure you are able to have, so don’t be afraid to jump into an abroad class or study on your own. You won’t regret it.

 

Work-Study: Musa

Editor: Every Berea College student is assigned a labor position for their first year. After that, they are free to find their own labor position in whichever field they choose to pursue–be it for a future career or a hobby they enjoy. If you’d like to learn more about our labor program, please visit their website.

In addition to writing for the Berea College Admissions blog, I am a teaching assistant for Professor Michelle Tooley in the Philosophy and Religion Department. This labor position comes with responsibilities, as does every labor position on campus. People depend on our performance as student workers, and therefore, we have important roles to play within the Berea College community.

Every student has multiple roles on campus—student, worker, friend, member of a student organization, resident, advisee. How well we play these roles depends on our dedication to the others in that relationship. As students, we have responsibilities towards our professors and fellow classmates. As friend, we have responsibilities towards those with whom we share our personal lives. And when it comes to being a worker, we have responsibilities not only towards our labor supervisors and coworkers, but also towards the community.

There are many labor positions on campus, and each of these goes towards the service of the campus community. Whether you work at Boone Tavern serving guests, at the greenhouse growing vegetables, in the Art Building presiding over the front desk, or in a residence hall cleaning the common areas, your performance affects others in the community, whom you may or may not know and who may or may not notice your contributions.

As a teaching assistant, my primary responsibility is towards the classes I serve. I help Professor Tooley prepare for classes, and I help students with assignments and at study sessions before exams. My performance either hinders or helps the learning environment and the educational experience. Every student is in a similar situation for his or her particular labor position, because, ultimately, we are all in service to others, simply by virtue of being part of the labor fabric of Berea College. We are all linked to each other, and we all affect each other through the quality of our work.

This is part of being in a community. We have responsibilities towards each other, and our individual decisions touch those around us. As such, Berea College students should apply ourselves with a sense of dedication to whatever labor position we hold. The stronger the individual parts of the community, the stronger the whole community. And when we do our jobs well, everybody benefits.

 

Convocations: Musa

Editor: Convocations are educational and cultural events that occur every Thursday at 3 pm with a few night performances each semester at 8 pm. Each convocation features a different speaker or performer and are often funded by various departments on campus. Students are required to go to 7 convocations each semester, which would be a bother if they weren’t so interesting! We’ve had several great speakers over the years and each one brings an unique experience to the attendees. If you’d like to get an idea of what convocations are all about, check out the 2011-2012 convocation schedule.

The wood floor creaks as newcomers walk along the aisles to find their seats. The student ushers hand out programs of the event to the hundreds of people pouring into Phelps-Stokes Chapel. The air is a living jungle of conversations.

I prefer to sit in the front rows in the center, on the lower level of the auditorium, directly in front of the stage and the podium. Some people may prefer the upper balcony level, where they can see the entire hall. A few minutes before the lights dim, the spacious chapel is vibrant with the voices and laughter of the students, professors, staff members, and people from the community who have convened for the occasion. Then, the lights above the wide, semicircular stage fade off and on in signal, inspiring an expectant lull in the conversations—the convocation is about to begin.

For over a century, Berea College has upheld the tradition of the Convocations Program. On most Thursdays of every semester, the college invites an array of thinkers, activists, and performers to share with us their contributions to the world, and to bring that world to our midst. Throughout my time at Berea College, I have enjoyed the honor of hearing numerous distinguished speakers and artists—trailblazing scientists, farsighted economists, daring peace activists, innovative entrepreneurs, and talented musicians from around the world.

The first convocation that I attended as a freshman still lingers in my memory. I received my program from one of the student ushers and found a seat not far from the stage. Reading over the program, I had a sense of what a great privilege it was to be present at that event. The speaker was a renowned author and journalist whose writings had covered some of the most devastating conflicts in the recent memory of humanity, as well as the efforts of the international community to bring peace to war-torn lands. That day was a rare opportunity to hear about the world in the words of a woman who was recording its history even as it was unfolding.

Soon, I will have attended my last convocation. Graduating seniors are not required to attend convocations during their final semester at Berea College, but nevertheless, I know that I would be impoverishing myself if I were to miss my last opportunities to experience these events.

On the inside of the bubble, it is often possible to forget about the vast and dynamic world outside that is constantly churning out the pages of the history that is shaping tomorrow, but we at Berea College are fortunate to have a tradition that brings the world into our side of the bubble. The convocations enrich our educational experience and remind us of the complex planet of which we are members. I am glad to have been present at these convocations, and maybe someday, I will have the chance to visit Berea College and enjoy a few more.

 

Guest Blog – Enriching World Visions: Raymond

As I signed up for EDS 355 Extended Field Experience: Enriching World Visions, I did not fully understand the purpose of the class or what I should expect from it. I was just excited that the class would give me the opportunity to visit a school for ten days. Little did I know that those ten days would change my mindset about how I should relate to people and accept them for who they are as humans and as citizens of the world.

The experience I had at Lexington Universal Academy was amazing. Students at LAU were from all over the world, and though the majority of them had been born in America, I could tell that they admired where they were from, knew a lot about their countries, and were proud of their origins. Even simply asking the students where they were from would bring excitement to their eyes. Like a domino effect, one student would explain to you what country he or she was from, and then other students would come and share with you their own countries of origin.

Being amongst this diverse group of students taught me that, as teachers, we have to think of ways that would relate to everyone, something that I am still discovering how to do. Teaching at LUA, a Muslim school, I noticed how religion played a part in every aspect of their life. I cannot do that in a public school, and as a teacher, I will be introduced each year to a variety of students from different backgrounds.

Berea College has taught us the importance of building a classroom community, and I have my own personal ways about how I want to create that atmosphere. At LUA, I experienced the school’s philosophy of building community. I saw not only a classroom community, but also a school community, where everyone knew everyone else and where everyone encouraged each other. The school community itself is referred to as the “Ummah,” which means the Muslim community. The school community has its students as leaders, especially the eighth grade students, who are the leaders of the younger grades. These students help out with the younger students to encourage them to behave in school and to practice their religion. I also saw how the community worked out for the teachers. Because each grade had only one class, the teachers knew which students they would have in the next school year.

I am very privileged to have had the opportunity to do my alternative experience at LUA. It had its ups and downs, but I do believe it has encouraged me to open up my eyes to the world beyond what I can see. I learned a lot about myself, and I have also gained a deeper understanding of diversity. I learned that I am a work in progress; I have to always be willing to open up my mind to learn more. I also understand the importance of accepting people. By taking this course, I have learned that teaching diversity helps prepare children to live and work successfully and to interact in a diverse society.

It has helped me realize that my philosophy of diversity will change as part of an ongoing process as I continue to learn and to educate myself about the people who I share this earth with. It has also taught me that I have my own biases that I need to conquer, and as I teacher, I believe that if I maintain my thinking of encouraging my students to change the world to an equal society, it will one day come true.

Editor – What other classes would you be interested in learning about at Berea College? Let us know, and we’ll get you a blog post about it!

 

Crazy Kentucky Weather: Musa

Out of curiosity, I wonder if there are meteorologists among squirrels. I would imagine that here in Berea, it would be quite useful for the squirrel population to dedicate a few of its members to accurately predicting the weather conditions, so that the squirrels can plan their scampering accordingly. But considering the unlikelihood that any of the squirrels here have followed that exact profession, surely they must have some other means by which to cope with the unpredictable weather of Berea.

It is not unusual to go to sleep at night with the night sky outside of your window awash with stars, gleaming with the light of the sickle moon, but to awaken to the zealous drumming of rain and the tumbling murmur of thunder. Nor is it unlikely that by lunchtime, the rain will have ceased, the thunder will have receded, and the clouds will have disbanded to make way for brilliant sunlight.

For the squirrels, with their supposed lack of meteorologists, it must indeed be fairly easy to navigate the vagaries of Berea weather. I do not imagine that they spend much time deliberating as to whether they ought to grab their umbrella or their jacket before heading out of the tree. When the rain starts to fall on an otherwise deceptively sunny day, the squirrels can easily scramble into their trees and seek shelter. The average Berea College student, however, does not have this luxury. If you happen to find yourself without an umbrella, walking through the middle of the quadrangle with a backpack full of vulnerable books when it starts to rain, you may have to look forward to reading through soggy pages when you sit down to study that night. Or, if the temperature suddenly drops on a day that started off with the promise of mild weather, you may find yourself regretting that you didn’t grab your jacket before stepping out of your door in the morning.

Despite the somewhat unpredictable nature of weather in Berea, however, there is an inherent beauty in it, for it encourages us to enjoy those starry nights while they last, to glance up at the lucid moon while there are no clouds between its face and ours. It invites us to walk as slowly through the sunlit quadrangle as our schedule will allow, bathing leisurely in the warmth and birdsong of a young spring day. And it inspires us to tread bravely through those spans of rain, for it comforts us with the assurance that the sunshine is not all too far off in the future.

Perhaps the squirrels realized this long ago.

Editor: We’ve been having some crazy weather here in Berea lately, but Berea College students don’t let a little rain get them down. Check out these photos we’ve gotten from some of our avid puddle hoppers around campus. Remember to click on the images to enlarge them!

“So, when the rain was pouring down, I realized it was time to start a mud fight! I created a facebook event at about 2:30 and then just started texting my other friends to tell them it was on. I invited everyone on my facebook that was from Berea and told them to invite whoever. When 7 rolled around people started coming down to Alumni Fields and the fight took place. Mud was flying around, people were doing belly slides, and smiles and laughter could be heard throughout. We then got a soccer ball and started a game of soccer with our hands, boys vs girls. It was such a reliever and so much fun! People from all over campus came out and it was a blast! I would say about 30 people were there.” –Katie Downey

Jory Hutchens, Russell Hammond, and Devin Gunkler clean up in Danforth’s P Suite.

“I never thought of myself as the type of person who jumps headlong into a field of mud and has a transformative experience. But, there was something about all that splashing, tackling, and the following walk home covered in mud that brought me closer to my friends and really renewed us all. In these weeks of mid-term stress and academia, it was nice not to “act our age” for the night.” –Sam Gleaves

Jordan Engel poses for a close up.

 

 

Exceeding Your Crunk Expectations at Carter G: La’Tierra

This past weekend, the Admissions office hosted it’s annual Carter G. Woodson celebration. This event is designed for minority students currently enrolled in high school to experience college life by visiting and staying with a current Berea College Student for two days. I actually hosted my freshman year and I loved it, but this year I didn’t get to because I had a full e-mail inbox to take care of. This year, there were many activities for the students to partake in such as meeting their host, watching a comedian and attending the Unity Banquet–which celebrates current student’s achievements. One of the events that I had been anticipating–and practicing for–was the Rep Your City showcase. This event features severeal Berea College dance teams such as the Danish Gymnastics Team, Modern Dance Troupe, African Dance Team, Berea Middle Eastern Dancers and EYCE step team. This year I had the opportunity of performing in the show with the E.Y.C.E step team. “E.Y.C. E” means “Exceeding Your Crunk Expectations”. Rep Your City was an E.Y.C.E sponsored event. The high school students also had the chance to come to the stage and show their own dance skills. Every team did an awesome job, especially in the finale where all the teams danced together. I must say that this year’s Carter G. Woodson weekend was pretty incredible. I attended many events and I had a wonderful time watching and performing at the Rep Your City Showcase of 2012. I can’t wait to do it all again next February!

 

Dressing Out for Tai Chi: Musa

If you had been present in the Seabury Gym at ten o’clock in the morning during the first few weeks of the semester, you might have seen a certain Berea College student enter the locker room as a blogger in regular street clothes and exit as a Tai Chi student in gym attire. If you were to be there nowadays, you might find the transformation somewhat less apparent—from a blogger in street clothes to a Tai Chi student in street clothes.

Coach Beagle and her teaching assistants welcome the class

So, what happened to the gym clothes?

After a few weeks of attending PED 205, Coach Martha Beagle’s Tai Chi class, I have come to believe that a blogger need not undergo a change of clothes, but rather, a change in the state of mind—rather, the union of the mind and the body—to achieve inner tranquility and outer harmony. But certainly in many activities, and not only in Tai Chi, the proper state of mind and the proper performance require the proper conditions. A learner of Tai Chi should wear gym clothes. A writer should have a steaming cup of coffee nearby. A student should find a quiet environment in which to study.

Students begin their "40 Forms" routine

True, it may be ideal to achieve all these proper conditions, whenever possible, but suppose it happens to be impossible? Suppose that the practitioner of Tai Chi has forgotten about the load of laundry in the closet and lacks clean gym clothes, or that the writer’s coffee machine has decided to take the day off in a smug sputter and a puff of smoke, or that the student’s rather boisterous friends have joined in on the studying but are more inclined to chat with one another than to study.

Such situations call for a certain degree of resilience, the ability to perform to your utmost even in the absence of perfect conditions. There are certainly many possible distractions for the learner of Tai Chi—being aware of the others around you, feeling nervous about the opinion of the instructor, wringing your nerves about an upcoming assignment for another class. In the face of these distractions, what you’re wearing is only a drop in the raging river.

Students performing the "Waving Hands" technique

Sometimes performing Tai Chi means transcending these distractions. Sometimes creating a masterful work of writing means persevering without the coffee. Sometimes studying for a tough exam means putting up with uninvited background noise. Sometimes we are called to do our best, even when our surroundings tempt us to do worse.

Coach Beagle helps a student sharpen his "Brush Knee"

In these few weeks of Tai Chi class, I’ve discovered that performing Tai Chi doesn’t always require a change of clothes. Rather, it requires the ability to succeed even when your surroundings offer you excuses to fail. This steadfast state of mind enables the Tai Chi student to flow through the forms seamlessly, the writer to compose a stunning masterpiece, and the student to engage confidently with the material. So, even when the conditions around us are imperfect, we have it within ourselves to strive for perfection.

 

Why is there a wire person in Food Service?

This week, students across the Berea College campus have been shocked and thrilled to encounter various pieces of “Installation Art,” meaning three-dimensional art pieces that are site-specific. Each of the projects was created by students under the instruction of professor Sarah Gross. The exhibits have been the topic of conversation ever since their appearance early in the week–even during classes! Everyone from professors to students to staff are talking about their own experiences in encountering the pieces and how much life they have brought back to campus during this grey winter weather. As such, we here at Life in the Bubble felt it was only right to share the excitement with our readers. So pull up a chair, grab a cup of hot chocolate, and scroll down to enjoy the latest campus thrill.

Remember, each picture can be enlarged simply by clicking on it.

Students Bug Richardson, Jamie Brown, and Chase Miles-Harris cut up a collection of Walmart bags into approximately 10,000 blossoms to create the illusion of a blooming tree in the middle of February.

This explosion of thoughts was created by Silvia Calderon-Laiton, Danielle Owens, and Rhiannon Fields and installed on the second floor of the Alumni Building.

This garden of wishes and secrets was created by Hans Lambert, Cassidy Franklin, and Hodari-Sadiki James and is located in one of two gardens behind Draper.

Wire people were crafted by Podleski, Rebecca Shaw, and Ericia Beasley. Five statues were created and placed in The Learning Center, Phelps-Stokes, Hutchins Library, the Seabury Gazebo (not pictured), and Food Service (not pictured).

This project, incorporating cans into an environment around the staircase between the Traylor Building and Hutchins Library was crafted by Peter Stamps.

This origami piece located in the rotunda of Draper was created by Sean Ware, and Sophia Reihemann.

 

Where We’re Living: Ashley

What does a room tell about someone? We surround ourselves that remind us of place we hold most dear, home. You walk into any dorm and you will get a glimpse of someone’s home. However a room may tell of someone’s past but it can also be a window to someone’s future hopes and dreams. Our dorms are almost like eggs, we the yolks surrounded by comfy walls.

I surround myself with color, without color the world would be a dull and melancholy place. Back home I can remember it raining quite a bit, but after the storm there usually a rainbow.  I can also remember those storms tossing my mother’s garden to and fro and watching red and purple tomatoes roll away. I was always surrounded by color at home so naturally I love color! My dorm is almost like being wrapped up in rainbow.

My favorite poster is a print of Van Gogh’s Almond Branches in Bloom that hangs above my bed. I love nature and I’m intrigued by plants. So the poster is my way of bringing nature into my room without having to take care of a house plant. Also this poster reminds me faraway places and adventure. I think the post impressionist work gives it a misty look that jogs my brain into thinking about my dreams. Also I have never seen an almond tree so it makes it that more mysterious.

Well I hope you enjoyed my room and good luck on making your future dorm your own little egg!

 

Where We’re Living: Faith

Hello! Welcome to my room! I currently live in James, which is an upperclassman women’s hall.

This is my bed. As you can tell my favorite color is pink. My bed is where I study, eat, nap, well pretty much everything I do I’m usually in my bed. I love my bed because it is comfortable and close to the window just in case it gets too hot. With my bed I have extra pillows and covers because most of the time I am really cold and because I don’t want to make up my bed every morning!

One of the things I brought to Berea from home was my baby book. Since I rarely get to go home because I live so far away, my baby book gives me a sense of happiness. Whenever I’m homesick I sit and look through it. I remember when my mother and I put it together. I was about six years old and since my mom homeschooled me at the time, one of my projects was to make a baby book and from then I have been adding bits and pieces of my life. This book means so much to me; it shows where I’ve come from, where I’ve been, and serves as encouragement to continue to move forward.

This heart means a lot to me. My mom gave it to me my freshman year of college. She told me even though it is not much this is something that will remind me that she, as well as my little brother and father will always be with me, it may not be physically, but spiritually. I am now going into my third year at Berea, and this is something that I won’t lose or let go of.

Do you have any items that mean a lot to you?