Time Flies

I guess being a student these days isn’t too exciting, lots of assignments and lots of papers but with a four-day long weekend ahead, that’s something exciting! Today, in terms of school, I had a lighting design workshop in my theatre 103 class. I was also watching a clip in philosophy which was fairly controversial, in it we examined the body language of each person in the discussion in terms of the multi-modal argument theory. It was interesting to watch them pretend to be enjoying each others’ company yet really dislike the other. After class I met with a few friends from math class to finish up our assignment due tomorrow- it has been a tricky one but with the help of wolphramalpha and our professor I think we’ll do okay!

This is a great week for me to catch up with friends, well at least after I hand in most of my assignments tomorrow. I’ll be catching up with a girl I lived with first year for coffee tomorrow and a shopping trip with my roomie. I’m hoping this weather will keep up so we can enjoy the outdoors tomorrow! I am also sending in my application for scholarships and bursaries tomorrow; they’re open to all Redeemer students and there is a fairly large list.

With Easter just ahead I can’t believe how time has flown this semester. Trust me, any first year would tell you it feels like they’ve just started second semester. Even as a second year I have no idea where the past months have gone. I guess you just get so busy that you lose track of time. Anyway, along with the mad rush of finishing up papers, assignments and class, there is also the rush to find jobs before we finish exams. I’ve been searching for a month now. My dorm mates have been very encouraging, offering to pray for me at devotions tomorrow. We do devotions every Wednesday night. It can be a great time for the dorm to connect spiritually.

I just found out my class schedule for next year, unfortunately I have yet another 8am class on Monday, Wednesday and Friday- those are the killers. Other than that, though, its not too bad, one night class (which you learn to hate or love) and the rest of my classes are fairly bunched together which will be easier as a commuter. I guess I have the commuter socials and commuter lounge to look forward to next year: free food, who can complain?

I was able to watch the recent play Rookery Nook, put on by Redeemer. It was a terrific show! I was an usher for the show, which is a great way to be able to see it free! Anyways, I'm looking forward to seeing more plays, the one coming up I believe is Betrayal.

Routines

Last Thursday I attended my first English learning community event of the semester. I have not been able to make it to very many of them, which is really quite a shame, because they can be pretty fun! This time, Redeemer's English faculty hosted a poetry reading by Tom Wayman, a Canadian poet and University professor who writes a lot about life in the work force. Wayman was a very sincere, friendly and honest speaker. His poems about monotonous factory jobs and the drudgery of a 9 - 5 work day were very clever and most importantly, very relate-able (especially since I, like many others, have suffered through some pretty boring Summer jobs).

Speaking of summer jobs -- the school year is coming to a close very soon (only a month left!) and the prospect of finding steady work is weighing on the minds of many students. I think everyone will be ready for a change of pace, but there are parts of the Redeemer student lifestyle that I'm really going to miss! I have enjoyed a lot of my classes this semester and just being able to socialize with my friends at intervals during the day for coffee and lunch dates has been a real treat. Those chairs by the mini Williams Coffee Pub have served me well. It has been an exciting and challenging year for me, and I can only hope that next year is as good.

And now, I will leave you with the first verse of a poem by Tom Wayman. Check out his website if you want to read the rest.

Hopefully his poem makes getting up tomorrow a little bit easier!

Routines
by Tom Wayman
Did I Miss Anything? Selected Poems 1973-1993. Madeira Park, B.C. : Harbour Pub., c1993.

After a while the body doesn't want to work.
When the alarm clock rings in the morning
the body refuses to get up. "You go to work if you're so keen,"
it says. "Me, I'm going back to sleep."
I have to nudge it in the ribs to get it out of bed.
If I had my way I'd just leave you here, I tell it
as it stands blinking. But I need you to carry your end of
the load.

Opportunities, Opportunities, Opportunities

This week was a short one for me. I only have class until Thursday, so I ended up going home Thursday afternoon for a long weekend. I guess I am one of those privileged people to live close enough to Redeemer that I can go home often to see my family. But don’t get me wrong – weekends at Redeemer are sweet!

Anyways, this week was short but busy. I had a test and presentation on Tuesday, both of which went fairly well I would say. Dinners were good this week – hamburgers (to celebrate the great weather we’ve been having), fettuccine alfredo (to get away from those Dutch meals for a night), and pizza casserole (just interesting!). Dinners are always a treat at Redeemer – it’s like going out for dinner every night. You never know what you’re going to have and you can be sure that it is something new and interesting most of the time. I am lucky to be a girl – I hear those boys’ dorms don’t eat as well as we do! They’re lucky that dorm dinners have been invented at Redeemer. These happen when a dorm invites another dorm over for dinner. However, there is a catch! The dorm that does the inviting is responsible for making dinner, while the dorm that is invited prepares the dessert and does the dishes after the meal is finished. Maybe I’m just prejudiced, but I think this invention came about so that the boys’ dorms could eat some good meals now and then.

This week was also fun because I started a new group project with some girls that I don’t really know. Everyone is excited about the project because it’s something we’re all interested in – Autism. I, as well as another girl in my group have worked with autistic children before and are very passionate about the subject. The other two are just as pumped as we are, even having never experienced it before! I have a feeling this is going to be a fun project to work on, which is definitely needed at this time of the school year. It’s nice to meet some new people as well.

You’d think that because Redeemer doesn’t have a mass amount of people like other universities do, that you would know everyone walking down the hallways. This is definitely not the case! I find myself meeting new people all the time and it’s more fun as I progress through my years at Redeemer, because I am getting to know more and more people in my own program. It’s unique, I think, because you continue to meet new people and you continue to learn that everyone has something different to offer. Everyone has something that they struggle with, something that they’re good at, or something that they’re trying to learn themselves. This provides an opportunity to reach out, help, learn, teach, and make friends that may last a lifetime.

Three Thrilling Things I did this week

Wow! This past week was a real busy one for me. I’m just looking at my calendar and wondering how I was ever able to fit in all of that in just 7 days. There was a lot of homework, club meetings, and coffee dates with friends, but I’m going to tell you about the three exciting events that I was able to be a part of.

First was coffee house on Thursday night. It was hilarious and probably my favourite coffee house of the year. Matt and Travis were the hosts and told some funny jokes in between acts. The acts showcased a wide range of Redeemer’s talents from Jordon’s impacting and powerful song about his brother, to Tyler’s sarcastically entertaining song about a man’s life. Other than songs there was an impromptu skit crew where they did a scene and from the audience suggested how to tweak it to make it better. Peter led a stand up comedy act that tickled our funny bone. But my highlight of the evening was some forth years, Brent and Matt, giving us younglings some of their wisdom in the skit called, “the Couch Move.” For those of you who are unfamiliar of this manoeuvre, it is the skill of sitting beside a girl that you like on a couch. This perfectly leads into the next event that I attended, the annual spring banquet.

Although this evening was far from sitting on the couch with a girl you like, there was still an informative skit on how to properly slow dance with the girl you like – on opposite sides of the room. The dance was called Soirée du Soleil and themed like cirque du soleil with colourful decorations and acrobats for entertainment. We played a huge game of rock paper scissors, where the rep from my table lost to President Cooper! We danced to our hearts content and then got to show off our style in the large dance-off, congrats to Julia for winning! All in all that night was a blast!!!

The next day was Saturday, but not your typical Saturday, this day was the Cross Culture outreach even. Cross Culture is a gathering of youth groups from across Hamilton and Redeemerites volunteering together at different inner city Hamilton sites. Some of these include: renovation of Philpot church, and helping at a shelter for people suffering with mental illness. My group went to SISO the Globe, which is an organization sponsored by the government of Canada for immigrant and refugee youth to come and get help on school work and transition into Canadian culture. It was a really exciting place to work, even though our job wasn’t very glamorous. We cleaned out a storage closet and helped them prepare for a volunteer appreciation dinner. All the employees and youth that were very thankful for our work and were excited to talk with us. We had such a great time at Cross Culture learning how worship and service are connected. Everything we do is a spiritual act of worship, including our volunteering.

This weekend was really busy, but it was great to attend school events with the Redeemer community and to get to then volunteer in the Hamilton community.

My Days Start with Chocolate Cereal

Bonjour les amis! It’s been another great week in Paris! I’m happy to say that I am almost fully accustomed to the rhythms of Parisian life, and even without the use of one leg. My day typically involves waking up around 7:30am or so (that’s about 1:30 in the morning for you!) and eating a big breakfast of chocolate cereal. It has become my staple food here; very common, very good, and very full of caffeine-rich dark chocolate. After my breakfast, I usually rush off to catch a bus just down the street. Although I live in the far western corner of the city, the bus that I take actually goes direct from my road all the way to the Panthéon, which is right next to my classes.

Every morning I take two hours of grammar class with the most diverse group of young people I’ve ever encountered. In my small class alone there are students from Turkey, Austria, China, Brazil, Norway, U.S.A., Spain, Korea, Germany, Greece, Columbia, and of course Canada:). It’s been such an experience to interact with these people and to learn more about their respective cultures. And the interesting part is that amongst all the variation in language and culture, the unifying factor between us all is...French! The simple fact that we have all come to improve our French makes it easy to meet and speak to people that I may not otherwise have had had the chance to meet because of language barriers.

After grammar class ends at noon I head out into the busy streets of Paris to grab lunch at one of the nearby boulangeries or patisseries. Sandwiches and baguettes are both cheap and practical. You can easily purchase a fresh, full-sized baguette for under a Euro ($1.50). In Paris, and especially in the student quarter, a lot of people eat their lunch “à emporter”: meaning that they eat it either walking or sitting on a nice park bench near a fountain. Luckily I have both those options available to me and I don’t always have to rush. Depending on which week it is, after grammar class I will either find myself in a phonetics lab speaking French with a professor or in the International Student Library finishing that day’s homework.

Three days a week I also attend conferences or lectures that are held in one big hall; usually with more than 200 other international students. The three that I chose are: French Art, the History of Paris, and “la Sorbonne dans la ville”. In my opinion, the greatest advantage to studying in Paris has been being able to see the art, architecture, and museums that we hear about in our classes. Just this week, while studying the works of Eugène Delacroix with a friend, I was able to actually go to the Louvre and see his most famous paintings in the original. What struck me, even more than the detail and the vivid colours of Delacroix’s work, was the overwhelming size and scope of each of the paintings. Many of this 19^th century artist’s masterpieces covered entire walls bigger than the glass front of the Peter Turkstra Library. Seeing this sort of thing in person is an amazing experience and I hope to able to return to Louvre in the near future. It is the sort of place where you could spend days exploring at length and still have things to see. A bientôt!

A Rainy Day

Today was just another rainy day at Redeemer, but I happened to have a midterm which I finished fairly quickly and my only other class was cancelled today! (what are the chances!?) It was really nice because I have lots of homework but also because a lot of the girls in my dorm were also at the dorm today so we got a chance to hang out. I had my hair braided, we had neighbours come over and hang out and we talked about whether we would prefer burial or cremation- yes random I know! It ended up that I am the only one who would like to be cremated… don’t worry it was a very funny conversation which left us all laughing and not doing any homework!

The year is wrapping up with only 3 more weeks left of class and 2 weeks of exams. Everyone is getting pretty excited for the summer ahead although the search for summer jobs is becoming stressful. Tonight there is an undefined worship service; It happens about once every few months and it’s an opportunity for those who worship God in a different way to share that with the student body. At the last one there was a prayer labyrinth, paint and walls covered with paper all the while having people come up and share their worship through dance, pictures, song, etc. I am very disappointed that I will be missing it because of work but I’m sure it will be a blast- it always has a great turnout.

I cannot wait for the tennis nets to go up on the courts outside; playing tennis is one of my favourite activities to do on campus and with a bit of sun and those tennis nets I will hopefully be out there soon. There is actually quite a few tennis players at Redeemer; last year we tried to have a tournament, but it was too close to final exams. I guess we should have the tournament in the fall if we’d like to get a good amount of people out there!

I just signed up to usher for the upcoming play “Rookery Nook.” I’m taking my art core, which is Theatre 103, and it requires that we get involved in the play in some way so I’m ushering and I’ll get to watch the show for free as well. I remember last year’s play, "The Fiddler on the Roof," was absolutely amazing so I’m looking forward to this one as well. Tickets to these productions are also a great gift idea for family (and they aren’t expensive).

A Visit to the AGO

Last Wednesday my Art History class had the pleasure of taking a visit to the AGO (Art Gallery of Ontario). Believe it or not, this was only the second time in my life (I think) that I have been to the AGO. I would recommend this destination to anyone and everyone who has some sort of interest in the visual arts or in History. (I didn’t manage to see the King Tut exhibit, but I hear it is quite something!) The AGO is home to 79,000 works of art -- spanning from 100 A.D. to the present. Some of the most treasured European masterpieces cover the walls of this building, including Anthony van Dyck, Thomas Gainsborough, Auguste Rodin, Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Paul Cézanne, Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso and René Magritte.

The AGO also has a solid collection of modern art. While most of us are immediately impressed by the meticulous brushwork, hyper realism, and incredible detail of many classical paintings, we are sometimes unsure of how to approach the more modern, experimental pieces. I think this is my favourite part about the AGO (and most art galleries).

In one room you will find a Claude Monet or Rembrandt, and in the other, a conceptual piece, made up of a pile of rocks and Cheezies. That’s right, rocks and Cheezies! While it might be tempting for some to simply view the more bizarre, conceptual pieces as nonsensical or pretentious, we must remember that many of these modern works are not designed to simply shock or confuse us. The artist is usually setting out to do much more. A lot of the time, the artist is asking the viewer to consider the rigorous process that went into making the sculpture or the painting, or pushing us to consider what the piece is saying about the culture we live in and the society that we conform to or resist. One example of this was the pile of rocks and Cheezies.

I later learned that this sculpture was commenting on the way our modern society tries to hide or cover up the way we have abused the natural world and turned it into a consumerist urban jungle without a solid foundation. The pile of rocks could not conceal the bright orange Cheezies peeking through, suggesting that we can’t cover up what the way have abused, polluted and commercialized our environment. You don’t have to love modern art, but I do think everyone should take a few minutes (if given the chance) to at least think about what the more peculiar pieces are trying to say.The Cheezie sculpture was a great example of this. Some definite food for thought to be found! And now I’m hungry for Cheezies...not sure if that was what the artist intended.

In conclusion: take advantage of field trips like these! You get to ride a yellow school bus and everything! Also, the price is often affordable, and the experience will likely be well worth every penny!

Redeemer: Need I Say More?

Flip flops and tank tops, basketballs and volleyballs, the bright sun shining, laughter and smiles, rollerblading and biking, running and walking, sun-tanning, and of course, a few classes here and there. These are just a few of the activities that I have seen occurring numerous times over the past week on Redeemer campus.

Once spring hits, you can be sure that more on-campus students will be outside than inside. The beautiful weather this week really provided a good break in the midst of a crazy semester. Only one month of classes to go! Feelings of pressure to do well in classes and tensions regarding summer jobs are high, and in some cases, the emotional rollercoaster has reached top speed. Of course, it is times like these that God uses to open up the door for new experiences, for pressures to be relieved, and for tensions to be calmed. For me, and for a lot of other people I’m sure, the bright and shining sun this week provided both intense relaxation and an opportunity to revel in God’s wonder and majesty in the middle of a hectic day, week, and month.

I also attended Coffee House this Thursday night. Whenever I attend one of these, I am amazed at the different acts that Redeemer students perform. A little Avril Lavigne, a skit regarding Campus Visit Days at Redeemer, some comedy here and there, a video competition, and of course, some more comedy. What also struck me this time was the openness of one particular student. One student shared a song that he had written for his older brother who passed away suddenly in December. His song spoke of hope, renewal, and truth. As he sang, tears were flowing freely from many people’s eyes, and hearts were being opened to the power of God. One student, who has experienced heart-wrenching pain at the loss of his brother, has taken all that he has learned and used it to bless his fellow students.

That is what is so unique about both Coffee House and Redeemer in general. We have so much opportunity here. We have so much freedom to share our experiences, to talk with others about hard situations we are facing or burdens we are carrying. We have been blessed in that our community has grown closer and closer over the years, and I am positive that God’s love is evident in our school, on our campus, and in the hearts of the students, staff and faculty that attend or work at Redeemer. There is no doubt in my mind that Redeemer is a powerful place and that God truly is at work here.

Friends at Redeemer

Last night my friends and I went to Kelsey’s to celebrate my 20th birthday. It was so much fun to have a bunch of girls together and to catch up with everyone. I’m pretty sure that at one point we were all talking at once and were getting fairly loud! Almost everyone goes to Meadowlands to get off-campus, so Kelsey’s wasn’t exactly original, but it’s close and cheaper than other places- as students we always appreciate that!

Some ladies were over at our dorm last night; they were here for one of the campus visit days where you stay overnight to get the real experience. They were checking out our house and I had a chance to chat with them. I just remember when I visited Redeemer for the first time: I thought it was the smallest school considering my high school was bigger and I remember being surprised at how many guys there were. But my favourite part was how friendly people were; especially compared to the high school I was at where girls glared at you as you walked down the hallways. I find when I walk down the halls at Redeemer that it is just a different atmosphere, a more inviting one where people are more likely to smile.

Now, I would say my favourite part about Redeemer is the friends that I’ve made. I’ve never been able to talk about God so easily with friends; He just pops into our conversations. We are all in a different place in our walk with God so it’s such a great support system. Devotions are a great time for us to get together and talk about God, but it is in the moments when we are just hanging out that we have the best discussions about our faith and convictions.

As for homework, I told the girls visiting for the campus visit day that it can build up quickly and is different compared to high school, although not everyone’s marks go down and not everyone freaks out during the first midterm season. Speaking of midterms, I have another math midterm this Friday which I’ve started studying for; a lot of the content is on the study of primes and also counting techniques (This is a course that computer science students also take). I will be picking courses for next year in the upcoming week. I’m almost done my core courses and I’m very excited to be taking my first education course in the fall! Only about 6 weeks to go until school is done, everyone is counting down since the weather outside reminds us of the long summer ahead!

Great is Thy Faithfulness

This morning in my devotions, I was reading from Joshua 24 – when Joshua, as a final act of his leadership of the Israelites, renews God’s covenant with them and reminds them of God’s faithfulness in the past. This kind of reminds me of what happened in Chapel this past week.

President Cooper gave a testimony of God’s faithfulness to Redeemer University College during his time as our president. As a first year who didn’t know much about Redeemer’s history I was amazed to hear of how God’s hand has guided this school right from its founding in 1982, to its breakthrough in 1998, to now. Actually the “breakthrough” story was really inspiring to me. Prior to 1998, Redeemer was only able to offer a Bachelor degree of Christian Studies. We had the program in place for the Bachelor of Arts and Science, but it was not recognized. So one day, Pres. Cooper went to a meeting ready to fight for our right to offer these degrees. But when he got there, he found that no one was opposed as all knew Redeemer alumni and knew that they were just as good as any other undergraduates. It’s like God went before us and already won the battle for us. Pres. Cooper is quoted in The Crown on this topic saying, “That really was the moment in Redeemer’s development when it felt like the heavens opened and God smiled on us. If you know the inner workings of how that came to be, then you know how God’s fingerprints were all over that.”

I know many students are sad to see Pres. Cooper leave after so many years of great service to our school and being our leader through so much growth. Since that 1998 breakthrough, our school has more than doubled and has expanded to include 52 denominations – not just Dutch CRC kids. (lol) But as we look at the past and reflect on how God has lead us through so much, we also look to the future and realize that God will continue to guide us through our next president Dr. Krygsman.

Dr. Krygsman also gave a testimony at chapel about how he was called to be our new president and shared with us a bible verse. In Philippians 3 we are encouraged to run the race, pressing on towards the goal to win the price for which God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus. I know that God will continue to cultivate growth in Redeemer through Dr. Krygsman and I am excited to be a witness to that in my next couple of years here. We concluded our chapel with singing Great is Thy Faithfulness. God will continue to be faithful to us and we are blessed to be witnesses and recipients of his great faithfulness!

I am also excited because of the Campus Visit Days that have been happening this week as all high school students are off on March Break. These prospective students are the future of Redeemer and are currently just getting a glimpse of Redeemer’s wonderful community and education, but just wait until next year. Then they will be fully immersed in the great riches of a Christian education that is more than just studying but a better understanding of our life as God’s servants. It’s amazing!

I can also look back on my year at Redeemer – last year this time I was just another student getting lost in the halls on a Campus Visit Day. And I can see God’s faithfulness to me as he led me through the application process, finishing Gr. 12 exams, paying for university, finding me an awesome dorm, and making me grow so much spiritually and academically. God is so great and everyone here at Redeemer has their own testimony to God’s faithfulness. It is my hope that all the prospective students this week will get to become a part of Redeemer’s testimony to God’s faithfulness.

Wow! This has been quite an eventful few weeks in Paris. Classes are fully underway at the Cours de civilisation française and that started to create a rather dependable routine for me, that is until something came along to jostle that consistency.

This past weekend I was invited to go on a trip to Disneyland Paris with my student residence here in France, and in the process of trying to catch a train I was late for... I ran a little too fast and jumped a few too many steps. Luckily, the fall didn’t result in a broken ankle but I will be relegated to walking with crutches for the next few weeks. The irony of it all is that Paris is a city renowned for walking and cycling as the primary modes of transit. This is both an ironic and humbling experience for me. I know God has many lessons for His people on the other end of such self-inflicted accidents. The great part of the day was that, in the end, I was still able to see most of Disneyland Paris (although mostly by sitting down) and to really enjoy another different experience.

France so far has been anything but predictable. My time could be well described with these words: incredibly exciting and incredibly diverse. The weekend before Disneyland I had a chance to get to know better some of the young adults from our church “L’Église Évangélique Baptiste de Paris-centre” or as most people call it “Rue de Sèvres.” The people at this church have been incredibly inviting and have extended so much grace to us visiting Canadians. It is really exciting to see a group of Christians in this country who are so involved in loving and welcoming new people.

Our outing with some of the young adults a few weeks back was hiking and rock climbing in an area just outside of Paris called Fontainebleau. It is a beautiful spot that really takes you out of the noise and the business of the city and brings you to a place that could easily be mistaken for Northern Ontario. The landscape was gorgeous and the rocks were climb-able! We spent our day climbing, hiking, talking and eating packed lunches and snacks all outside under the warm sun. It was a great day to remember and I can’t wait to do it again!

I’m having the other Redeemer students over for dinner tonight at my residence so I better go start making dinner. It’s tacos tonight!

Value Village : A Successful Event for a Worthy Cause

Well, it’s been an eventful couple of days at here at Redeemer University College. Last Thursday I had the pleasure of perusing the Value Village Rummage sale that took place in the school’s board room. Many students may have noticed the posters advertising the event or spotted the friendly reminders in the Time Out a few weeks prior to the rummage sale. I must say, I was quite impressed by the amount of goods that were up for grabs. T-shirts, sweaters, jeans, belts, bags, dresses, shoes, scarves! And all of this for under five dollars. What a steal!

I myself came away with a yellow garden -- a purchase that I was quite delighted with. I wore it the next day and felt a bit strange when I realized that I probably passed the cardigan’s former owner at least once in the hallway. At first I was a bit hesitant about wearing it for that very reason, which is ridiculous really – especially since the old owner donated that garment in hopes of selling it to another student. Well old owner I have one word for you: thanks! I now have a bright springy addition to my otherwise very wintry wardrobe. But enough about me and more about the cause.

All of the Value Village proceeds went to an organization called Invisible Children. By all means, I would encourage everybody to look into this organization. The work they do is incredible! In short, Invisible Children is a grassroots movement that aims to spread awareness about the war affected youth in Northern Uganda. It also seeks to raise money, to rebuild war-torn schools and to provide scholarships to African youth. Most importantly, it is a movement that strives to stop the conflict in Uganda and end the abduction of children for use as child soldiers. The Value Village Sale was a concrete and practical way to support the efforts of this campaign. I was really impressed by the initiative that the organizers (Catriona L. McHardy an Candace Lagerwerf) took to help the cause. For anyone else who was involved – thank you for the time and energy that you put in!

Well I’m off to start a few English papers. As third year nears completion, the ominous tidal wave of big assignments come rolling in. I have a feeling that many of my future blog entries will include my growing disbelief in how fast time flies! For now, I think I’ll make a conscious effort to enjoy all of the little things that come with being a third year student! Bye for now!

Another ‘Job Well Done’ for Redeemer

When it comes to the act of giving, Redeemer doesn’t only meet expectations, it surpasses them.

This past week, from March 8 – 12, Redeemer students, staff and faculty took part in a clothing drive. Participants were asked to bring in clothes (old clothes or clothes that they no longer wore, but were still in good condition) from Monday – Wednesday, and to come and purchase new clothes for their wardrobe on Thursday – Friday. This endeavor was referred to as Value Village: Redeemer Style, and far surpassed any expectations that were made before the week began.

After two days of an intense search for the “good stuff”, Redeemer raised exactly $500.00 through the sale to be sent to Invisible Children, and are sending more than half of the clothes received by donation to a local charity in Hamilton (yet to be decided). Well done, Redeemer! You can be proud of your efforts and contributions!

This aspect of Redeemer is one that cannot be overlooked. I have come to understand that Redeemer’s capacity to “give back” goes beyond anything that I have ever experienced. Over the last year, functions and events have been held to raise money and resources for those in the world that are desperately in need. There have been book-drives, spaghetti dinners, concerts, clothing drives, and many more events. Redeemer has proven to be exceptionally generous, always willing to lend a hand and to step up to the plate when there is a need. When I consider the Haitian earthquake that occurred back in January, I am amazed at Redeemer’s efforts to get involved. Within days, we had a plan of action. There were functions planned, discussions regarding the devastating event, prayer circles set up, and plans to hold events to raise funds necessary for the rebuilding of Haiti. I am in awe by Redeemer’s willingness to help and to give back, after we have been so richly blessed.

Redeemer may not be extremely large, but we have the hearts to make incredible change in the world. And I think that Redeemer is doing just that – we are not hiding within its walls, but we are stepping out, stepping up to the plate, and stepping up in ways that seem impossible for a school our size. We can be proud of the school that Redeemer is and thank God for all He has blessed us with, so that we might be able to give back. Whether a part of Redeemer’s Social Justice Team, or simply by tossing an old book, shirt, or five dollar bill in a basket, Redeemer students, staff and faculty have and will continue in their efforts to show Christ’s love in a hurting world.

To this I say, well done, Redeemer. You continue to amaze me!

Dollarama Sunglasses

There is an interesting side effect that comes with being a university student: not only do you learn new things, but you learn new ways to think.

Every discipline that you specialize in shapes how you view the world. For example, I’m in microeconomics this semester – learning about demand and supply, efficiency, productivity, and stuff like that – and now I can’t view anything without putting on the glasses of economics and viewing the world through these lenses. We watched a youtube clip of “How it’s Made” in class and not only saw how a skateboard was made, but also how productive the assembly line was by combining technology with human labour. So maybe economics isn’t your thing, but I know my friends who are psychology majors analyse every situation through a psych-lens. Or another friend of mine who is a bio major told me that he couldn’t watch Avator without his mind racing through all the biology in it, while I saw it with a business mindset. It’s just sooo cool to be able to look at the world in a different light.

And the great thing about Redeemer is that it’s a liberal arts school, so we have the opportunity to try on different lenses from different disciplines of the core courses – biology, history, theatre, physical education, etc. – to get a taste of what the world is like when we see it through that mindset. University really opens your eyes up to the world around you.

But Redeemer takes it one step further. If you take just one class at Redeemer, you’ll hear this one buzzword: “worldview.” It’s kind of like those big goofy Dollarama sunglasses that you can put on where the lenses are bigger than your face. These glasses are so great because you can put them on overtop of any corrective-lens glasses that you may already wear and still look stylin’! But in all seriousness, Redeemer gives you a perspective of the world like these Dollarama sunglasses; Redeemer shows every class through the lens of faith. Christianity is our worldview because God made us and all of creation and everywhere we look – whether it’s business class, science, art, whatever discipline you’re studying – we can see God. It’s so great because we all get to wear these big Christian worldview glasses and be unified in the sense that we all see God everywhere, even though we also look through our respective discipline lenses. God is the one we worship and learn about, and the one you unites us all together in our communal effort to develop the world to enable others to honour Him.

God is just so cool! And because I came here, and because of how my classes are taught through this worldview, I can now see the world from this perspective. Everywhere I look on campus I can see God at work. It is in obvious things like Wednesday Chapel where we can all come together to get our Dollarstore glasses polished and worship God as a community of believers. Or in coffee house where we showcase our God-given talents and exercise our ability to make others laugh. Or even in more hidden ways, like Student Senate (as general senator position elections were held this week) where we work as one body with the like-mind of serving the student body through the love that God gives us to love our neighbour. God is everywhere; we just need to open our eyes to see it.

A Month in Paris

To most Canadians, the thought of living in Paris seems fanciful and extraordinary. Narrow cobblestone roads, high heels and scarves, and restaurants serving luxurious meals. This is Paris right? Well, so far, over the month that I have been here in Paris it’s been that, but it’s also been much more. As part of one of Redeemer’s semester abroad programs (“Redeemer in France”) I have been privileged to be able to visit one of the most remarkable cities in the world. Paris offers so much to see and the other three students on the program here can attest to the fact that after more than a month of sight-seeing and travelling in between classes, we still haven’t been able to see it all...or the half of it for that matter! Our program, known as “Les cours de civilisation française”, runs from February to May with a normal course load of classes ranging from Art History to French Phonetics.

During the first and second weeks we have been here, the four of us Redeemer students visited the Champs-Élysées, the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower, the Latin Quarter, the Sorbonne, the Jardin des Tuilleries, etc. etc. Having our French professor Dr. Rusthoven around for the first week was really a blessing, since she knows her way around the city quite well. Apparently she has been organizing the Redeemer in France program for 19 yrs now.

Here in Paris, we've also been connected with a great local church called Rue de Sèvres (Baptist evangelical) named simply after the street it’s on. It's a really amazing place, the people there have been the most welcoming to us out of anyone yet that I've met here in Paris. They've really taken us in with open arms. It's a small community by numerical standards back home; there are maybe 150 people or so in the parish. But in France most Protestant or evangelical church communities are very small. In fact Rue de Sèvres is one of the bigger ones in Paris! On Tuesdays I usually go to their young adult’s night and on Sundays they have two worship services that are great as well. I've already made quite a few friends in the church and some outside of it as well! Paris has been great so far, and classes are zipping by. It’s true, the students who went last year told us before we left to enjoy our time in Paris because it will go by fast! Now, off to do just that...

Burgers & Nachos

Today was actually the most beautiful day of the year yet! It was so nice to be outside. It was great to see everyone getting out their lawn chairs and sitting on their porches, either to socialize or read in the sun. I was able to enjoy the weather especially today because my friend and I were going door-to-door letting people know about the clothing drive for Invisible Children that’s going on this week. Everyone seems so supportive of things like that and its great to see the support of Redeemer to so many important things. Last year I remember someone shaving their head to raise money for War Child. When people take initiative around here they are definitely backed by the Redeemer community!

So my cooking partner and I are planning to make burgers and nachos for dinner this week to celebrate the great weather, and also just because we are craving burgers and nachos. We shop at the Market on Thursday nights for a dorm of 5 and this week our budget is a little bit tighter so hopefully we can get everything we need. This past month we were a little extravagant in our spending so this month we’re getting back on budget. It’s a great way to prepare for living off campus next year!

I’m living in Augustine Hall right now and there is a new dorm idea that Student Life has tried out. Instead of having an HA live with us (since I’m in second year) we have two “floor HAs.” I’m really enjoying it because our dorm is more responsible for things that go on in our dorm but we still have someone there to get advice and help from if we need it. We also have floor parties and activities to bring all 4 dorms together, last time we watched a movie and had cheesecake! Everyone says Augustine Hall is more secluded but I don’t think that’s true anymore.

Tonight I’m working at I.T. Help Desk. It’s a place in the library where people come if they have technical questions about the internet, their lap top or printing something off in the labs. It’s nice because after 8pm, its pretty quiet in the library and I get a chance to work on some homework- and there is always lots of that to do!

The Shadow Proves the Sunshine

The weather at Redeemer has been so beautiful this week! Someone just long-boarded by my dorm on the way to class; my neighbours were out on the porch singing worship songs and playing their guitars last night. I even saw people wearing shorts outside! (And we still have some snow on the ground.) It’s just so nice to open your windows and enjoy the fresh air and sunshine.

This weather reminds me of the Switchfoot song “The Shadow Proves the Sunshine,” because of how much we’re enjoying this lovely weather. Just last week, it was snowing and gray. Classes were cancelled one night because of bad weather, and I know some of my commuter friends missed classes because it took twice as long to drive into school. Like it was no one’s fault, it’s just because of the weather. Then there were midterms, tests, assignments, etc – just a lot of stuff that needed to be done all in one week. Like don’t get me wrong: I love the snow (snowball fights, catching snowflakes, snow forts and stuff...) It’s so cool. And I love school. I actually like learning new things and getting to write reports and midterms were you get to show your Prof all that you’ve learned from them. But the whole mid-term time frame just gets people stressed out and almost dragging through the week.

But with this sun... we’re refreshed, rejuvenated, energized, and ready to a) have fun – because these are the best years of our lives! – and b) dig into our classes with a new energy and a new light. The great thing about both of these last two weeks is that neither of them was bad-- the snowy shadow of last week, or this weeks’ bright sunshine. Neither was bad, just because one was so challenging, I really appreciated this week all the more.

Haha... My Resident Assistant (RA) is vacuuming with our dorm’s vacuum cleaner named Henry right now. She decided to do a bit extra for her chore and is cleaning our rooms too! My RAs are amazing people! When we asked why she said, “I just love the sunshine! It makes everything all the more chipper.” If sunshine gets my room cleaned without me having to do anything, then it can shine from now ‘til the end of April!

“It’s just that time of the year…”

It’s just that time of the year… what a phrase, I found myself saying it several times today and can see myself saying it throughout the rest of the semester. Between the demands of school, friends and family its tough to be a university student but I know the pay off and I’m very lucky to be a student at Redeemer. I’m looking at my agenda and this will be a busy week, between my work to prep for the clothing drive, my midterm on Friday and the readings between that, not to mention our dorm social on Wednesday night!

Today I found myself not completely there in class, not to say that Aristotle and the play The Wild Duck aren’t interesting, its just that my mind is more concerned with other things. Tomorrow my dorm will be going out for some much-needed dorm bonding, we’ve all been so busy so we decided to get off campus and chat about anything but school. Then my friend and I have this clothing drive we are planning to take place next week, it’s a lot of prep work; today at Student Life Micah helped us make 800 business cards to put in everyone’s mailbox on Thursday. We’re doing the clothing drive as a fundraiser for an organization called Invisible Children. A few months ago we had a book drive and it was pretty crazy.

I have a CEW team meeting tonight, which is part of Redeemer’s once-a-month church service called Church in the Box (CITB). We do the “random” aspect of the service: dancing, skits, visual art, etc. Tonight we should be pulling together our part of the service, I shouldn’t say what it is though, most people like the surprise element. It’ll be great though!

Tonight I plan to start studying for that lovely calculus midterm on Friday, your first test with a professor is always difficult because you’re not sure how they go about testing. At least after one test with a professor you know what to expect, so for this one I plan on knowing everything- we’ll see if that actually happens. It’s kind of like how I was going to get all my French homework done this afternoon but instead spent my time talking with my roommate. I will head to the library tonight to make sure I don’t get distracted.