I lost my umbrella over the weekend. It was a very sad moment, stepping off the subway, the doors closing behind me and realizing it was still sitting on my seat. I turned back, wondering if it was possible to get back on, but subways have a schedule and the doors rarely stay open for more than a few seconds. I watched it ride away, and I like to think that some poor old woman found it and was able to stay dry in the rain.

On the way back to MCPC, I boarded the subway once again and was surprised to see a bag underneath the seat I chose to sit in. I picked it up and peaked inside. All I saw were some papers and a cell phone charger along with a pair of glasses in their case. Relating to the bag owner because of my recent umbrella loss, I took the bag with me when I exited and carried it back to MCPC. I looked through some of the papers, trying to find a name or phone number. There were multiple addresses, probably a work address and home address, some bank information including a check book, a pay stub (from a production company, which I particularly noticed being a film major myself) and finally a phone number. I called him, explained that I had found his bag. He was so surprised, and said he would be on Broad Street in 20 minutes to pick it up. Apparently his car had been broken into earlier that day outside of work, and that bag was one of the items stolen! I guess the robber left the bag on the subway once he realized there wasn’t much to sell inside. Still, the man was very thankful I had contacted him and also seemed extremely surprised that he had his bag back. I made a new contact at a production company in Philadelphia and will hopefully ask him sometime about life after college in the film industry. It’s funny what opportunities you can find to meet new people and make connections in the city!

Hello, I am Krista, a new MCPC blogger. I am a senior Communication/Film major and this is my first semester at the Philly campus. I’ve had really interesting experiences since arriving last week. Growing up in a safe suburban neighborhood, I was led to believe that cities were dirty, scary places. That if you lived in a city, you had to be on the lookout at all times to avoid being mugged or shot. Imagine my shock when I discovered how comfortable I am in this city after only living here a few days. It has been easy to find my classes at Temple, since the campus is much simpler to navigate than I previously thought. Instead of an intricate weaving of subway tunnels, I found that there are only two subway routes to choose from: north and south on Broad Street or east and west on Market Street. Could living in a city be this easy? I had prepared myself for the worst in vain.
Have you ever heard a song that you hate at first, but the more you listen to it, the more you like it? Eventually it becomes a song of comfort because it is so familiar. Well it has been the same experience with the Philly campus. Freshman year I visited for a weekend with my Intro to Film class since all film majors are required to spend one semester here. At the time I was not officially a film major, so I was happy that I did not have to live here. It seemed so unfamiliar since I’ve had very limited experiences with cities in general. As the weekend went on, I decided that it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world to have to take classes here, but I still didn’t want to do it myself. There have been several visits to the City of Brotherly Love since that first impression and each time I grew to like it more and more. Now, here I am thinking about the possibility of living in or around Philadelphia after graduation. I guess you never know how much you’ll like something until you give it a try.
Krista

April is coming to a close, and it is getting colder in the city!
Things are pretty complacent around here, everyone’s finishing up some final papers, getting ready for finals week, solidifying summer plans etc. It seems as though there is no reason to look forward to the summer this year, so I have not been acknowledging the fact that I must move away in about two weeks. This semester in Philadelphia has been wonderful, and leaving just as the trees begin to bloom while days grow longer is quite a tease.
May I stay?

(This entry is SO LIVEJOURNAL2006)

When I saw signs for the Spring Fling at Temple, I assumed it alluded to the event of the same name that takes place at Messiah every year.
I was wrong.
Spring Fling was held yesterday afternoon, giving every fraternaty, sorority and campus organization the opportunity to host a table on the streets of campus. I didn’t realize why no one was in class that day, until I left and saw what was happening.
It felt like an episode of MTV’s Spring Break, without the beach (there definately were swimsuits walking around.) It was a nice time to note overheard conversations, however inappropriate to pen in this blog. (think alcohol and promiscuity)
A real college experience ; )

The date is October 31, Halloween of 2007. It is brisk and chilly outside, as it has been for the last couple of weeks. I expect to see many strange characters walking the streets today (some in costume and some not), and one can only hope that there will be candy corn at Temple’s cafeteria.

Halloween is one of those holidays that Christians just do not know what to think about. Some say it is a harmless autumn funfest while others see it as synonymic with Satan’s birthday. For myself personally, I was never allowed to trick or treat past the age of three. Halloween was not really Halloween; it was October 31, and that meant going roller skating with the church youth group. I never felt deprived of classic childhood memories, which astonishes those who do cherish their trick or treating experiences throughout the years.

Now that I am twenty years old, however, it is appropriate to decide for myself what I think of the holiday. The excuse that my parents will not allow me to attend a Halloween dance does not fly anymore. My personal opinion of the holiday, then, is this: There are many fun things about it–the candy, the dressing up, the beautiful time of year. But there is also a dark side to Halloween, though it surely does not apply to everyone’s celebration of it. Dealing with scary demons and ghosts is not always harmless, and it makes me wonder whether the holiday is just another way Satan is making us trivialize the fact that there truly is spiritual warfare going on around us.

This may seem like an uptight, negative view of a beloved holiday that is supposed to be for children’s amusement. But history shows that this was not always the purpose of the holiday. It has been celebrated since 5 BC, but in very different ways by various cultures. To some, it was a pagan celebration of the dead, but to Episcopalian Christians and Catholics it was a day to “hallow” the memory of the saints. There was also the celebration of the holiday as simply the end of one season and the beginning of another, when harvest was over and winter was about to begin. One of the classic traditions of the holiday that has stayed in America is the saying “trick or treat,” which is not always as harmless as it seems. After all, the true meaning of the saying is “give me candy or I will prank you or harm you in some way,” and is that really what we should be teaching our kids?

A good question to ask yourself is whether Halloween brings out the best or the worst in you, or better yet, does it bring out the best or the worst in your relationship with Christ. And to that, each man his own.

It seems to have very suddenly turned to fall here in Philadelphia. Not too much more than a week ago it was so hot and humid that all you could stand to have on you was shorts and a tank top. And today, a hoodie sweatshirt and jeans are the proper attire. With the fans finally turned off in my room, I hear a lot more of the city sounds at night, especially the bird-like chiming of the crosswalk. I love the fall weather–it always feels so crisp and clean. I am looking forward to fall in the city, but I wonder if it will be as pretty as the country in the fall.

This new cooler weather made another day in Center City very enjoyable on Saturday. We showed friends from Grantham all the hot spots, and did some shopping as well. As for the story of the hat, it has a happy ending. I yet again got to the GAP fifteen minutes after it had closed and so had decided that the fates just did not want me to buy that hat. But upon arriving back to campus, my boyfriend presented me with an early birthday present. It was in a GAP box. Autumn love in the city.

This is my first time blogging and I’m not really sure what I am doing. In fact, I am not sure if I will even post this successfully. But I guess everyone has to join this modern age of the internet at some point.

I have been in Philadelphia for about 3 weeks now and I, a country Maine girl, feel like I am already falling in love with the culture of the city. My class schedule is FINALLY straightened out (I know a lot of students experienced a lot of scheduling stress) and I am happy to be getting used to once again seeing my boyfriend and friends everyday (when you live in the boonies of Maine all summer, it’s easy to feel like home life and college life are two completely different worlds).

There is so much to do in the city. There are no good excuses for being bored. In fact, I wonder what my friends and I ever did in Grantham to amuse ourselves (this coming from a girl who lived an hour away from the mall and movie theater all her life). The other night, for instance, a few friends and I took a subway to Center City with no particular plans in mind, just wishing to get out and explore the city. We ended up finding solace from the heat in the air conditioning of GAP, where I stumbled upon the most beautiful hat I have ever seen. It called to mind Ingrid Bergman in Casablanca, a black wool hat that if tipped jauntily at just the right angle, looks classy but not you’re-trying-too-hard-to-be-chic. For sixteen dollars and fifty cents it could have been mine, but I was reluctant to spend the unnecessary money (I was in the I’m-a-poor-college-student frame of mind). During a delicious dinner at Cosi’s (I think that’s what it was called), a Panera Bread-ish restaurant, I decided that I should buy the hat and count it as a birthday present from my parents, as my birthday is a couple of weeks away. But alas, by the time we got out of the restaurant the GAP was closed and I could only gaze longingly through the window at the beautiful hat. The store had closed by 8 o’clock–why does the GAP in central Maine stay open later than a Philadelphia GAP on a Saturday night?

I am here in my little but cute office for the summer, my second week working as assistant to both Kate and Ryan. I’ve been doing some administrative prep work for the fall semester, when more than 75 students will begin at the Philly Campus– most of whom will be new MCPC attendees.

Speaking of new students, yesterday 29 Messiah students moved into MCPC housing for May term. Their course will focus on Latino culture in Philly, and they will all participate in some community service on a regular basis. Last night, they split into three groups and went out in the city to enjoy dinner at Mexican, Puerto Rican, or Columbian restaurants. I tagged along with the group that went to Plaza Garibaldi for Mexican food. We took the subway all the way to the Ellsworth-Federal stop in South Philly. My quesadilla was delicious; I just finished the leftovers about an hour ago for lunch. I enjoyed getting to know some of the May term people a little bit. They seem energetic about the next three weeks that they get to spend experiencing Philly while getting that cross-cultural credit.

Although this semester’s Common-Text Immersion Weekend began with being slammed by a snowy nor’easter, it turned out to be successful nonetheless. Students were able to engage themselves in the ideas of Shane Claiborne, as well as interaction with the author himself.

Friday night took the hardest hit of the snow storm, as icy/rainy/snowy conditions were had. MCPC students were still able to sit in on a talk presented by Shane Claiborne, though, in the MCPC chapel. Outings were scheduled throughout the city, but did not take place due to the conditions. Students found their own fun, however. Some even played in the snow on Broad Street!

Saturday’s scheduled Community Service also did not take place due to inclement weather, but students are encouraged to go back to Ray of Hope this Saturday instead, if possible. Focus groups with Shane Claiborne went from 2 pm - 5:15 pm. During these 45 minute sessions, Shane presented his ideas of simple living and New Monasticism at a more in-depth level. College students from other institutions such as Eastern University, Albright, and Wingate also joined in on the talks. Questions and comments were addressed, and much was elaborated on regarding Shane’s viewpoints as well as his book, The Irresistible Revolution.

Sunday was less driven by the Common Text and focused more on having a good time with fellow MCPC students, as a 76ers game was enjoyed at the Wachovia Center after a morning of Sunday worship at various city churches. Although the 76ers lost horribly, everyone had a good time.

Monday night’s usual community activities brought this semester’s 2nd Immersion Weekend to an appropriate close, as small group sessions helped individuals express their opinions regarding Shane’s ideas. Questions were addressed that encouraged analysis, growth, and reflection regarding simple living and “extreme revolutionary” ideas. It became obvious that each and every student benefited from the Common Text in one way or another. So take that, snowstorm!

Students enjoy the snow on Friday outside of MCPC.

Some venture into the city despite conditions.

Enjoying the game, despite a sad scoreboard.