Now back from Spring Break, I once again reflecting on MCPC’s Immersion Weekend. The theme was pulled from our common text, “Living Without Enemies.”

A good portion of the book details vigils organized by Marcia Owen (one of the book’s authors) of the Religious Coalition for a Nonviolent Durham. These vigils are held for victims of gun violence in the location or community in which the shooting occurred.

Friday night, the weekend started with Michael Moore’s “Bowling for Columbine,” a documentary attempting to explain the correlation between fear in the United States, guns, and gun violence. After the first hour of the film we lengthy but lively conversation about guns in the U.S. and whether or not current policies should be reformed and, if so, how. Whether or not minds were changed that night, I’m sure all of the students were challenged to think and evaluate their beliefs on gun control.

The next morning we spent some time personally investing in our community by cleaning it up.

Unfortunately, after less than an hour… it started to snow.

Saturday afternoon, Fred Kauffman, Program Coordinator from the Mennonite Central Committee in Philadelphia and Bryan Miller, Executive Director of Heeding God’s Call came to speak with us about the topic of gun violence.

They addressed the lack of policies Pennsylvania has that would prevent “straw buyers,” from purchasing multiple semi-automatic and automatic guns.

To help us better understand this, Bryan asked for volunteers to act out straw buying. Pete and his “girlfriend,” Zach then demonstrated how easy it is for someone who isn’t even allowed to buy guns to get multiple ones with little hassle by having another person sign for them.

Bryan then told us how Heeding God’s Call has acted to make straw buying more difficult by getting Pennsylvania gun shops to sign codes of conduct where it is a known problem. His group will then follow up with protests at the shops that refuse, twice a week, until change occurs. Bryan told us how we, as students, can get involved and demonstrated that big changes can be made even by those who aren’t necessarily seeking to change the law.

For me, this topic became even more real when this past week there was a couple that lived on Cecil B. Moore that suffered from gun violence. The father was murdered and the wife left in critical condition. Would this have happened if PA had stricter regulations on assault weapons? If we learn anything as MCPC students, it is that we should care for those in the city around us. They are not only our community, they are our neighbors. As Christians, I think we need to be especially aware of what’s going on in regards to gun violence. We cannot sit passively by while there are so many lives squandered as a result of gun violence. We need to find what can be actively done to protect our brothers and sisters and bring God’s will to earth as it is in heaven.

Since it is my last semester at Messiah and I have not yet completed all of my language requirements, I am taking the MCPC cross-cultural course. Part of the class requirement is to volunteer once a week in a local after school-care program. This week was my first week “in the field.” Walking into the cafeteria, our group arrived just in time for “Power Hour,” the hour during which the kids concentrate on getting the homework finished and graded. I gravitated toward the slightly older kids partly because I tend to be more comfortable with that age group… and that was the only area that had an empty seat. As I sat down, most of the kids playfully looked away and were very tight-lipped, but even the strongest person can only keep it together for so long before being completely overtaken by my incredible charm. Pretty soon kids were grinning. How you ask? What do kids enjoy talking about? Pranks. Hopefully I won’t have too many angry parents on my tail later.

I think one of my favorite moments was when I asked one little boy his name, he was probably only seven and pretty intently coloring. He didn’t answer, but a little girl across the table piped in telling me his name. Upon hearing that he quickly looked up and shouted at her “Don’t be telling her my business!!!” It was pretty hard to keep my composure after that one. I spent the rest of the time helping the kids with their homework and laughing with them. When my group was leaving, one of the little girls, Dinasia, came up to me and asked me if I had to go with the rest of the group or if I could stay just a “little longer.” If her intention was to melt my heart, she thoroughly accomplished her mission. A short while later I had 15 kids all crowded around me telling me they weren’t ticklish with that I would tickle them to be sure. When only 3 kids remained, they gathered around my necklace (which rests on my predominant chest) and asked me what it was made of. I told them it was a shell, and they asked if I found it on the beach, I shrugged and replied that somebody must have. They then examined it more closely with a magnifying glass… right by my chest.

When they became even more comfortable with me, they touched my hair and rosy cheeks asking why my hair was that way and wondering why I was wearing too much make up. The couldn’t believe I didn’t have any on. When their parents finally came, each, in turn, asked me when I was coming back. I heart breakingly told them not until next week.

I don’t think it’s really fair to say I was doing a “service project,” if the kids blessed me more than I ever could them.

Having visited many cities, including Philadelphia, but never having lived in them, my time at MCPC has been a new experience. I feel that for those that have not grown up in an urban environment sometimes perceptions that all city dwellers are cold, and unfriendly arise. It is easy to see where these ideas might stem from. Americans are busier than ever and with technology from the Internet to cell phones, isolation within a crowd is becoming easier than ever. The visitors that have negative views of Philadelphians might be dealing with more self-projection issues that attitude from others. I’m not saying that every street in Philadelphia is like Sesame Street, but like with most places I’ve traveled, you come to know a place by talking to the people that inhabit it. Philadelphia is not just home to the Liberty Bell, Love Park, and Phillies… it is also home to Stan and CJ, in fact, presently it’s the only one they have.

Yesterday to celebrate Valentine’s Day early, some MCPCers and I took a trip to Love Park to take some pictures. I typically lag behind, so I got the opportunity to talk to Stan. Stan recently lost his home to back taxes. His navy blue suitcase that wheels through the streets is deceiving because he is neither coming nor going. In his mind, he tells me he feels like he’s been reduced to an animal which explains the shock when I look him in the eyes while we talk and not only ask him his name but tell him mine. We didn’t talk long, but we talked.

Stan was watching our group intently as our group rotated in and out of Indiana’s “Love” sculpture taking pictures from every angles. I drop back to talk to him and found out that he was originally from Miami, but moved up to Philly to bury his mother. Now homeless, he makes some change by taking tourists’ pictures in front of the sculpture. His eyes light up as he passionately talks to me about his interest in photography. As my group is getting ready to go, I shake CJ’s hand and watch as he jumps up from his newspapers to take a picture for a couple of girls standing by the statue. I can’t help but think to myself that those are all he has to keep him warm tonight. Unlike other homeless, he has nothing with him except for the clothes he is wearing and the stack of newspaper on which he was sitting. I fumble the keys and bus token in my pocket wishing I had something I could give him, but I don’t.

Philadelphia may be a city, but it is a city of individuals. The apostle Peter did not have silver or gold to give the beggar, but he could help him walk. The older I get, the more I realize that I can’t save the world, but I can stop for the one. I may not have money, but I can talk to someone and more importantly, listen. I can be with them. I can learn what they need before I offer prayer, I can give an extra blanket even if I don’t have an extra dollar.

It is fitting that in the City of Brotherly Love, Jesus keeps reminding me who my brothers are and that whatever I do for them, I do for Him.

“We become not a melting pot but a beautiful mosaic. Different people, different beliefs, different yearnings, different hopes, different dreams.” – Jimmy Carter

Looking out my window, the rolling green hills of Grantham have been replaced by the brown brick of my new home overlooking a bustling Broad Street with students and motorists competing for the right of way. There is no dead of night here. Though New York is the city that never sleeps, Philadelphia’s night life, full of music, laughter, shouts, and sirens continues through the morning (though you’ll have to catch the subway before midnight). Philadelphia is full of new and exciting experiences to be had, whether it be…

basketball games

hula dancing,

exotic food,

or new classes,

but for me it is not the art museums, restaurants, festivals, or clubs that give a city its character; it is its people.

Having earlier found and slipped on the only patch of ice in Philadelphia, I decided to gracefully bow out of ice skating for the afternoon, but I’m glad I did. It led to one of my most memorable experiences at MCPC I have had so far- my conversation with Chona. I will now do my best to regale you with how it went.

At first I am a little hesitant to strike up a conversation, the facts being, I am a foreigner to Philadelphia, at least 30 years her junior, and am very white. No, I mean it. I don’t like spicy foods, my family came over on the Mayflower, I don’t mind the occasional country song, and my dancing at best is so-so. But, I love people and I love Jesus, and Jesus loves people, so I decide to strike up a conversation. What is the worst that could happen?

Time flies by as Chona and I share stories from our lives with each other. If you only know one thing on your road to becoming a people person, know that people enjoy talking about themselves! Chona tells me about meeting her husband in the Philippines and her subsequent life as a military wife filled with adventures in faraway lands and the struggles of raising her daughters on army bases. She shares restaurant suggestions with me and even some family recipes. Her face lights up as she proudly points out her daughter who is showcasing Polynesian dancing with her company. My jaw drops when I find out that her daughter is 40 and Chona is 86! I tease her and say she doesn’t look a day over 30, and in actuality, I am only slightly stretching the truth. I tell her about my life and explain why I am at MCPC. Messiah College serves as a nice faith segway, so we start talking about the deeper things in life and who God is to us. Chona is a devout Catholic and jumps at the opportunity to pray. She thanks me and says that she was blessed to meet me, but I assure her that it was I who was really blessed.

Philadelphia is home to a world of opportunities, life changing experiences, and most importantly, new relationships, for those who look for them.

Will you look?

We’re in the midst of Holiday Season, and while I’m excited (and enjoyed) celebrating with my personal family, there’s nothing like the Holidays with an MCPC family. This semester I had the ability to make friends with some wonderful people, and I’m sad to say I won’t be living with some of them again before I graduate. Some are staying at MCPC (I don’t blame them) while I head back to Grantham for my last semester, others are staying at Temple, and one in particular is studying abroad in wonderful Thailand.

I’m a little disappointed that I have to move into the next stage of my life and leave college, and more specifically MCPC behind. What I have, though, are wonderful memories and friends that I’ll never forget. This past weekend we all took times out of our busy end-of-the-year schedules to have some Christmas-themed fun, give back a little, and eat and fellowship with each other. I believe pictures can sometimes show better than words can say, so I’ll close my last blog with some pictures of our celebration together this past weekend.

Thanks for all the love MCPC, Elizabeth

I’m sure every can relate with me, but last week was just one of those weeks. Two exams, a paper, and a ton of reading to do. Alas, I made it through. I am alive and well, with a great weekend behind me.

I saw Temple’s spectacular production of Urinetown, which two of our lovely MCPC residents, Nancy Markloff and Sara Leidich, helped with. They did a great job and so did everyone else involved. If you’re not familiar with the story of Urinetown, well, it’s a satirical comedy where peeing is a privilege. It really has to be seen to understand, and even then, it’s still possible not to understand it.

I was up at 4:30 a.m. Saturday to catch a bus to Washington D.C. to visit my folks. I spent the entire day catching up on the family news and looking at Smithsonian exhibits. A few are worth quickly noting:

The Hope Diamond is in a new setting. This may not mean much to you, but my family watched several documentaries on the likelihood that the Hope Diamond is the same diamond as the famed French Blue (which it is, most are convinced). Again, probably means little to most others. It’s also Warhol on the Mall this fall. I got to see his Shadows piece, which is a little different from his more popular pop culture artwork. Check out a picture here, but a trip to the Hirshhorn is well worth it. My parents’ favorite was the Ronald Reagan exhibit at the American Portrait Gallery. While I could definitely appreciate the exhibit, I wasn’t as emotionally impacted by the experience for an obvious reason-my age. Quite honestly, I saw enough art on Saturday to last me for the rest of the year.

On Sunday, the last day of the weekend unfortunately, I caught up on my sleep that I skipped out on all week and got scared with a great group of MCPCers in the Terror Behind the Walls at Eastern State Penitentiary. We got there around 9:15 p.m. and didn’t get back until, let’s say, 1:15 a.m., but it was well worth the wait and $7 (thanks, PSAB!). Intricate theatrical costumes and make-up lurked around every corner, and well, some scares too.

It was just another week at TempleU and another weekend in Philly and a little bit (okay, a lot) of D.C. It’s all good.

-Elizabeth

I’m glad I’m here for another semester in Philadelphia. If I didn’t return this semester, I would have left with memories of Philly as nothing more than semi-challenging classes, irritating photo assignments, and monotonous routine. This semester is my second chance to feel at home. Sure, I learned a lot about Philly and got to know the city directionally the first time around, but that’s not enough for me to feel at home. I’m not sure that’s really enough for anyone to feel at home.

This semester is different for me, though. I suppose it helps that we have a great group of students this semester that, I’m going to say it, actually foster this community Messiah College is always talking about. It also helps when the MCPC courses offered are so stellar, that students actually delve deeply into an enclave of urban living and reach the universal. I’m sure I’m beginning to sound like a poster child for MCPC and Messiah College alike, but you’d be surprised at just how many of us there are.

I’m taking the Urban Eco-Footprints course with our wonderful adjunct professor Brandon Hoover. It’s the reason why I’m beginning to appreciate the city more than I ever have before. I knew about Mayor Nutter’s Greenworks project, but I honestly hadn’t seen much going on. Brandon’s class, however, has brought up several examples of sustainability throughout the city: green roofs, bump-outs, an active Water Department, and urban gardens. Messiah College is all about sustainability, right? What better place to learn about it than in Philadelphia, a city striving to sustain itself and reclaim its American pride?

Around 40 students from Grantham joined our class for a Philly sustainability tour last Saturday. We visited a farm ran by Urban Tree Connection, one of their many community gardens, and a northwestern part of the Fairmount Park system. I was excited for other students to learn about efforts in Philly that many people don’t know about. Even though the students were only here for a day, I don’t think it’ll be a day easily forgotten. If Philly didn’t make an impact, I’m sure the staff of Urban Tree Connection did, and if they didn’t, well…hopefully the tour reiterates what Brandon, Dr. Erik Lindquist, and Craig Dalen are trying to teach us all.

-Elizabeth Stevens

Let me please just start this post by saying, you don’t have to be “sporty” to get your Temple football on! Here at MCPC, we have an inside joke (and I’m outing it) about a guy who lives with us. We call him “Sports Jeff” simply because his addiction to sports is astonishing and possibly a little crazy. Although we may not all be like “Sports Jeff,” I think anyone would have fun at a Temple football game regardless.

Me (left) and Anne Fosnocht (right)

In Grantham, we are all quite familiar with our Falcons, and although the Temple Owls have arguably a less intimidating name, the football games are full of life. The Temple Owls are a Division 1 football team, and the stadium is an experience in itself. They play their games at Lincoln Financial Field–home to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Fans at the Temple Owls vs. Akron Zips game on September 10

So, whether you’re an avid sports fan or a sit-at-home and contemplate the meaning of life kind of person, you should definitely check out a Temple football game. Warning: unless you are ready to give strangers high fives, exude extreme team spirit, participate in chants, or insist the ref “buy himself a new fancy pair of glasses for that call,” I suggest you don’t sit in the fan section.

-Abigail Saunders (junior, journalism major)

After a summer filled with nothing but corn fields, small towns with only one fast-food eatery, a gas station or two, and a small community bank that I call my workplace, I am ready for school again. I suppose most Messiah College students are back at a place much like where they spent their summer, but not me. I am back in the big city of Philadelphia and in my unique community of MCPC.

It’s my second semester here and I anticipate a very different one. Rather than exploring the city with my camera (i.e. photography class) leading the way, I’ll be going it my way. It is a dangerous responsibility, you know. There’s always the temptation to be lazy and stick around the MCPC buildings or Templetown.

I’ve been surprisingly pro-active, thank goodness. After my first few weeks back, I’ve squeezed in as much as I can (weather permitting) and I’ve learned a little too. Just because I’ve done a lot in Philly already doesn’t mean there isn’t more for me to explore, even if it’s in the same place.

My second weekend back, I went to a First Friday I’ll never forget. I bought a neat pair of earrings as a souvenir, since I couldn’t afford any of the art. I went to a Phillies’ game for six bucks. Of course it was standing room only, but it was totally worth it. In the bottom of the seventh inning, the fashionable group of older gentlemen sitting in the box in front of us left early and handed Paul and me their tickets. We watched the last two innings in 50 dollar seats.

I took another tour of the beautiful Magic Gardens after my first Philly cheesesteak at Jim’s Steaks. I know, I know. It’s my second semester here and it’s my first time eating a Philly cheesesteak. I kinda ate the whole thing. (The Philly Student Activities Board is doing a phenomenal job this semester.)

I could go on and on about the things I have done already being back this semester, but I’ll be filling you in all semester. Let’s just say, Philly is a new experience every semester, every weekend, every day, and I’m glad I’m here for the ride.

- Elizabeth