Falcon Footnotes

Every spring, that same time rolls around – time to start looking for summer work! While the majority of students go home, there are plenty that stay on campus and work here for 14 of the 16 weeks of summer. There are lots of options for on-campus jobs, most including free room and board! Last summer I worked in the Admissions Office, while my roommate worked for Campus Events. The jobs range from working in Financial Aid, to working in Lottie (the dining hall on campus), to cleaning dorm rooms or academic buildings, to being a lifeguard at the pool, and many, many more! Anyone who is a student at Messiah is eligible to work over the summer, and it’s as simple as finding the job you’d like to do, and applying! It’s a great way to stay local if you’re an international student or live farther away, or to have a guaranteed 40 hour a week job if that’s what youre looking for. It is definitely one of the most fun experiences I’ve had here as a student!

I’ve taken classes in biology, chemistry, advanced psychology, social research, and much more, but the most terrifying of all? The art class. Because Messiah is a Liberal Arts school, we have classes that we take for our general education, and art is one of them. Never before have I taken an art class (I was more of a music person in high school) and the idea of having to take art was terrifying. I’m not a creative person, and I have absolutely no artistic talent! While taking music or theatre was an option, I knew that it was finally time to take an art class. I decided on ceramics (pottery) because it is something that I’ve always been fascinated with, and I figured that I would be able to learn the technical side of it even if I didnt have a whole lot of talent. Well, three weeks into classes and I can already say: I LOVE IT! I wish I’d taken art before this year, because it is AMAZING! While it does take up a considerable amount of time, I definitely enjoy it more than I ever imagined I would. I am so glad that I go to a school that encourages exploring other areas of study outside your own major. Our second project is due today, and I can’t wait to start on our third – a tea set, including a tea pot and 4 matching tea cups. This is going to be the best semester yet!

So while many students spent their J-terms at school taking a class, or at home having an extended Winter Break, I spent mine in… you guessed it… ISRAEL! Messiah’s Study Abroad office has a program with our Language department, so instead of taking three semesters of a foreign language, you can take two and go on a three-week Cross-Cultural trip. Since foreign language isn’t really my thing, I took full advantage of this program and decided to spend January in Israel.

I had an amazing time seeing all of the historical sites, and some of the newer things too. We spent a few days in the Negev (the desert in southern Israel) where we did some hiking and saw a lot of ancient ruins. We went to the Sea of Galilee, the Dead Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea where we sailed and swam and saw the same beautiful places that Jesus saw. And of course, we spent a lot of time in Jerusalem, exploring the Old City and visiting many ornate, awe-inspiring churches.

My favorite part of the trip, however, was going to the West Bank (or Palestine, or one of the Occupied Territories, depending on your political persuasion). We met so many wonderful and hospitable people that I was absolutely blown away. Spending time on both sides of the wall definitely gave me a new perspective on the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict that I’ve heard about so many times in classes here at Messiah. This trip was without a doubt the highlight of my year so far; I saw so much, learned so much, and to top it all off, got a pretty nice tan!