Falcon Footnotes

I now understand why Phileas Fog, from Around the World in 80 Days, wanted to see if he could travel around the world.  He didn’t do it for a bet or even to run away from an investigation.  He wanted to see the world!  Now, my journey was not as action-packed as Mr. Fog’s or even filled with as many stops.  However, my May term cross-cultural to Nepal was about as close as anyone could get.

Messiah offers one of the nation’s top 12 study abroad programs.  They offer semester long programs as well as three week trips.  I was unable to spend an entire semester in a country because of my major/minor requirements but I did have the time to spend the three weeks after school finished traveling on a short term trip.

I chose Nepal because I have had previous experiences in India and I wanted to learn more about that area of the world…and boy did I.  The professor that took us on our trip was born and raised in India and spent many years teaching in Nepal.  He knew everything about the culture first hand.  He started our experience by having read a few books about the country.  We had three meetings and discussed the cultures, traditions, and history of the nation.  This helped us to have background knowledge so that we could be prepared for our time in the culture.

Once we traveled to Nepal (which is located on the other side of the world…where Mt. Everest is located), we spent our days studying the culture.  We would have a Nepali class in the morning so that we could learn the language (since the trip fulfills one of your language requirements).  Then, we would spend the rest of the morning learning about the religions, traditions, and cultures of the people…from the Nepali people themselves.  After we learned the knowledge, we got to go into the streets of Nepal and experience it.  What a great way to learn!

We got to visit the royal palace, a Hindu temple, a Buddhist stupa, many schools, and a Nepali home for a home stay.  We also were able to volunteer our time to paint a needy school and help at a field day.  What a life changing experience!  In my opinion, studying abroad at Messiah College goes above and beyond anything that Phileas Fog ever could have dreamed!

Is it a parasite that grabs hold of you and never lets go?  Is it an alien that has come to change all that we know?  Or, is it the three week term in January that students are allowed to participate in?  Actually, it is a little of both…just kidding:) It is a “semester” in January during which you take one or two classes for 15 days.  Sounds easy right? Well, it is.  For the entire month you take one class for three hours each day…simple.  Some of the classes are poetry, animal form and function, or guitar.

This J-term I am taking guitar.  I am learning about music history, guitar technique, and how to play.  I have never played a guitar before and it has been interesting to learn.  Since that is the only class that I am taking this month, I am able to find time to refine my guitar playing skills and have plenty of time to do my homework.  The class is only in the afternoon so I get to sleep in and then get to do fun things with my friends at night.

Oh, that’s right.  J-term is about more than just the class.  It is also a time when you can hang out and do fun things with your friends.  Since we have more time, we can do a lot together, such as go skiing, go to the local farm show, and have a dinner/movie night.  It is so fun and a good time to reconnect after Christmas break.

J-term, although not exactly an alien, is a month of differences and a time to focus and just have fun!

One of the questions that I hear asked the most from students who want to come to Messiah is…How do I get off campus to do things?  How do I get groceries?  Can I have a car?  Well, I am here to tell you that transportation should not be something to worry about.  Messiah does a great job of making sure that all of us are taken care of.  I am currently a senior and I just got my first car.  I have gone through three years away from home without the need for my own wheels.  How did I do it?  Well…

1. How did I get home?  I live four hours away but Messiah has a program called ride share that hooks students with cars up with students who don’t have one.  I have met so many different people this way.

2. How did I get to the store?  Well, there are always friends who have cars.  They gave me rides to the store.  Messiah also has a bus that goes to Walmart or Target once a week.  You can sign up to go and it is free.  There is also a store on campus where you can buy your basic needs.

3. How did I do anything fun if I couldn’t leave campus?  Who said you had to leave campus to have fun?  However, when I did want to leave campus, there were always people here to give me a ride.

So, it is possible to come to college without a car.  In fact, freshmen are not even allowed to have cars their first year (unless they live a certain distance away).  It is all about creativity and using the resources around you.  Through this, you can go any place you desire…

Church away from home…

by Megan A.

When I came to college, I was concerned about finding a church.  At home, church was my family.  That was where I found many more grandparents, siblings, and friends.  I was involved with Awana, Sunday School, Youth Group, and Nursery.  Nothing inside of me wanted to have to find another church.  However, since I live in NY, the four hour commute to church on Sunday was not really a possibility.  Therefore, when I came to college I knew that I would have to take a large step out and find a new church where I could feel at home. (more…)

Fall is coming…well closer at least.  The first day of fall was the other day and although it surprisingly was around 90 degrees outside, the feeling of the season blew into Messiah.  The feeling of fall on Messiah’s campus is very strong.  People get excited about “sweater” weather…although three months from now they will be longing for shorts and t-shirts:).  The jackets come out and sweatshirts become normal attire.  However, the best part of Messiah in the fall is the colors.  God likes to show off, with his red, yellows, and oranges, here on campus.  The numerous different trees display their changes in different ways, each trying to outdo the other.  The students at Messiah also know that once they are finished with they brilliant display, the fun will begin.  All over campus, piles of leaves can be seen…and you know what that means.  Yes, we may be in college but that doesn’t mean that we can’t de-stress by flinging our bodies into mounds of color.  The crunch, the laughter, and the piles are all over campus.  Fall at Messiah is more than just a season, it is a change, not just of weather and conditions but of the campus as a whole.  How exciting!

We are back at college, with the classes, the homework, and the teachers.  However, it also means that we are back with friends, fun, and good times.  After going one whole summer without these friends, it is good to be back.  It is interesting how after four years you can be come such close friends with people that you had not known until you got to college.  I never would have known.  I know that when I leave this school, I will not be leaving without a support system.  I have a strong group of friends that I have gotten close to over the years.  Messiah has helped me to build a strong community of peers and brothers/sisters in Christ.  I can’t wait to see what will happen after I leave college but I know that my friends will be there…whether in my memories or in my life.

I danced for 10 years growing up.  Now I wasn’t very good but I still enjoyed it.  When I came to college, I thought that my dancing days would have to be left behind me and I would have to move on.  Until, I found that Messiah had it’s own dance program.  Acclamation is a student run organization that provides students with an opportunity to dance.  Whether you have danced your whole life or you just want to get your feet wet, Acclamation has a class for you.  They offer ballet, tap, jazz, modern, and African.  All of the classes except African have three levels, from level one (beginner) to level three (experienced).  The best part is that is only costs about $5 a semester to be in it (no matter how many classes you take).  If you don’t know much about lesson prices, that is a really good deal!  The classes are taught by student who have a lot of experience in the class dance type.  Each class meets once a week and then at the end of the year, as well as at Christmas time, there is a recital where all of the classes perform.  This is a weekend of dress rehearsals, make-up, costumes, and shoes.  This year I am taking Tap 1.  I did ballet my first year and loved it but I wanted to try something new.  The recital is this weekend and the excitement is building.  It will be a good performance.  However, on top of all of  it, the recital will also be a way for all of us to worship.  Acclamation is not only an avenue for us to use our skills, it is a way for us to worship God with our bodies.  That is the true reason that we have the time to dance…we are dancing for Him.

What if I said that one Thursday out of the school year everyone on campus gets the day off?  Sounds nice right?  It sounds like a day to sleep in, relax, get some homework done, and hang out with friends.  What would you think if I told you that a majority of Messiah’s students got up at 7:00 to go and spend the day with children who have special needs?  That would blow your mind right?  Every year Messiah holds a service day where students are encouraged (not required) to take part in a service project.  One of the larger projects is held here on campus.  The Special Olympics involves hundreds of students of various ages (preschool to adult) with special needs from the local community.  These students come and compete against their peers in various events.  The Messiah students play the roles of organizers, buddies (students who follow one athlete for the day…each athlete has their own buddy), and officials.  The students compete for ribbons and prizes.  This event is a big deal for these students.  For many of them, they have been training for weeks.  For me, I love having a buddy to walk around with and take to events.  This year we also went to the Olympic village where we made crafts, played games, and danced with the clowns.  It is a fun way to help make these students feel special and also to show us as college students that there is more to life than just what society tells us.  Just because these students have special needs, doesn’t mean that they are unable to have fun, be “just like everyone else”, and succeed.  All of us as human beings deserve to be treated this way.  Messiah does a great job of providing these opportunities!

Group projects…the name itself can either send shivers up your spine or excitement in your heart.  Working with a group of your peers brings with it many questions such as, will I have to do all of the work?  why are we doing this?  couldn’t I just do this by myself?  how are we going to coordinate all of our schedules so that we can meet?  Messiah’s mission is community and one way that this is accomplished is through group work.  I just got done working with a very large group of education majors (see right) .  Together we created a classroom setting with a bulletin board, classroom library, and wall text.  The entire room was connected to the theme of Leo Leonni, the author.  As a group, we were able to do so much more than just one of us could.  We were given the chance to use our own creative juices and contribute our own ideas to create a cohesive and influential whole project to hand in.  By integrating group work into our classes, our professors give us a chance to interact with new people, look at projects from different angles, and share the load through cooperation.  There is so much more that can be done and learned from working with a group.

Apartment or dorm room?  Will my lava lamp fit on the window sill?  Can I bring my bear skin rug?  Messiah guarantees students housing while they are here studying.  However, the hard and exciting aspect of that is choosing where you want to live.  Freshman year, students have to live in a freshman dorm (Hess, Naugle, or Witmer).  The next year, you get to live in an upperclassman dorm (these are typically bigger and nicer rooms).  You can choose to stay in these dorms for the rest of your college experience.  However, there is another choice.  Messiah has four apartment buildings on campus for students.  At the end of sophomore year, students get together in groups of 3 or 5 to choose an apartment.  One night that spring, apartments are opened in all of the buildings so that students can go and see what apartment they might want (they can also see if their lava lamp will fit…very important!)  The groups of students who have the highest number of credits get to choose their apartments first.  In order to choose, you go to the gym and they call out your credit number and you get to go an choose from all of the apartments available.  Since the highest number of credits get the best apartments, it is a good idea to take a lot of credits (classes) throughout college and build up this number.  Once you have an apartment, you get it for a whole year (living room, bathroom and kitchen!).  So much fun…and even a place to lay out on your bear skin rug!