Category Archive for ‘InterVarsity’ at Ben, ‘11

Archive for the 'InterVarsity' Category

Rockbridge

Well, summer’s here and I spent the first week at a retreat for InterVarsity called Rockbridge. I left Tuesday and returned on Sunday. It was held in Western Virginia and it was held at an amazing place. It had a giant zipline over the lake, a blob, giant slides, volleyball courts, disc golf, a high ropes course, climbing wall, and lots of other great things. Naturally, I took advantage of them all.

The awesome water slides and blob

The great lawn in front of the dining center

Playing volleyball with some friends

Playing cabbageball with friends (It’s basically softball without gloves)
Being dropped from the giant swing

I climbed this pole…

Stood on the top…

And then jumped off

Another friend doing the daredevil leap

Fellow Richmonders on the high ropes course

Having fun on the ropes course

Our group that did the ropes course together

However, the whole purpose was to train members of InterVaristy on leadership and general tracks for living a Christian life. I took a tract called Kingdom Living and we dealt with issues of multiethnicity, sexuality, social justice, the environment, and Christians in politics within our group. In addition, we studied the Sermon on the Mount and broke off into small groups where I made some good friends from the University of North Carolina. There were about 350 students there from about ten different schools in the Virginia and Carolinas region. Each night, we held a worship service and the week was a great experience overall.

A beautiful stream at the retreat where I did my Retreat of Silence

One of my favorite things about Rockbridge was the volleyball. I hadn’t been able to play in a while, so it was great to get in hours of playing, both with friends from UR and complete strangers. I spent four hours playing volleyball in the hot sun on the first day. I got a little sunburnt, but it was worth it. At the end of the week, there was a tournament between schools and, even though our team lost in the semifinals, we still had a great time. Richmond won the Spirit Award with our overwhelming fan section, school spirit, and amazing cheerleading, beating UNC, Duke, and other schools that were much larger in the process (which we took great pride in doing).

Getting serious with the facepaint

This is how we arrived to the volleyball tournament

Look at that intensity

Playing in the tournament

Some of our fantastic cheerleaders

I’m ready to battle on the volleyball courts

Cheering for the judges of the Spirit Award (which we won)

Our final pose

Along the way, I made many new friends. I am the only freshman male on leadership for the Richmond chapter, but I made a new friend from North Carolina State who is also a freshman. His school was coming the next week, but he couldn’t come with them, so we adopted him as an honorary Spider and we became fairly close. Maybe we’ll go visit him sometime. Of course, I also developed relationships with other Richmond people. I only knew some of them vaguely before the trip, but now we are much closer. As a chapter, we set some goals and also played some games, such as Catchphrase and Connection. During Connection, I was on the edge of a bench and got so excited that I fell off backwards onto the floor. It was pretty embarrassing.

Hanging out on the porch of one of the cabins

Playing Catchphrase as a chapter

Me and my fellow freshman friend. We decided to make
fun of the poses the girls were making

The guys I hung out with for the week

Our University of Richmond InterVarsity Leadership Team

CONNECTION!!!

Now that I’m back, I’m working in the Admissions Office giving tours for a week before starting my research for the summer. I’m moving between residence halls and apartments often, so I feel like a homeless person at times, wandering around with my luggage that I need for the next few days and week. Anyways, I get some quiet time and lots of free time this week and I’ll see what else life has in store for me. This blog used a lot of pictures since that’s the easiest way to show what this week was about, so I hope you liked them.

Quote of the Week: “Purity is not the absence of something bad, but rather the presence of something good” -A teacher of my tract at Rockbridge
Thought to Ponder: Why does an “X” stand for a kiss?
Shout Outs: Anyone who has ever been to Rockbridge
YouTube Video of the Week:

Some fun optical illusions for you

Published on May 13, 2008 in InterVarsity and Breaks. 0 Comments

Reflections on Second Semester

Now that my Freshman year is officially complete, I would like to take the chance to look back on everything that has happened during second semester. It gives you, the reader, a chance to catch up on what I’ve been doing and also give a concise version of everything that we have to offer here. For me, it simply gives me a chance to pause and take a collective look at what I’ve managed to accomplish in such a short period of time.

I’ll begin by taking a look at my classes since this should be the main focus of college. However, if you’ve been reading my blog, you may not have gotten that impression at times. I took Macroeconomics, Sculpture, Foundations of Leadership Studies, Calculus 2, and CORE. Even though the final grades aren’t in yet, I am confident that I did well. I really stepped up my work in CORE and I think I learned skills that will help me better manage my other classes in the future. Sculpture turned out to be a lot of fun for me. I’m not very artistic, but it was a nice break to have a class where you have complete control and make whatever you wanted. My workload was very manageable this semester. I buckled down in the library and made sure I was on top of my work. I still am somewhat unsure as to what my major and career will be (which is slowly starting to worry me) and no class has jumped out and enthralled me, but I’m continuing with the path of study that I think will be the best for me.

The library on Friday afternoons, when I got most of my work done

All of the books for my classes this semester

The musical instruments I created out of skulls and wood in Sculpture

Though I am not sure of my path of study, I am exploring several opportunities that may make my decision easier. I am interested in math, so I will be staying on-campus over the summer to do ten weeks of math research. I will be studying the tortuosity and geometric configuration of blood vessels in the brain and how that results in strokes. It pays much better than working at SUBWAY back home and I’m hoping the experience will be rewarding. I’ve heard that the campus during the summer is a pretty fun place to be.

I will also be participating in a program called Campaigns 2008 in the fall. I applied and was accepted to live in Lakeview within the program. The sixteen of us in my program will take a class on elections in America as well as travel to D.C, talk to officials close to the campaigns, create media ads for the campaigns, as well as several other projects. We’ve picked our own curriculum and I’m really excited. I’ll be living in a single most likely and be in a suite with two of my good friends.

I’ve been tracking the election closely and made sure to vote

I continued to be active in organizations during second semester. Some of my friends have said that I’m too involved. I wouldn’t necessarily disagree with them on that. I continued to serve as Class President for the men of the Class of 2011. My Cabinet and I planned events including a Super Bowl Party, March Madness Party, and Freshmen Cookout. They were all successes, especially the cookout which had over two hundred people attend.

The Cabinet’s Super Bowl Party

Some of my Cabinet members at our Freshmen Cookout

A new organization for me, this semester, was Collegiate Disaster Relief Team (CDRT). During Spring Break, thirty of us UR students went to New Orleans to help rebuild after Hurricane Katrina. We gutted a nursing home, painted a house, and even helped with a house for Extreme Makeover: Home Edition since they were in the area. It was a lot of work, but still a good time. However, since I went on the trip, it meant that I would not go home between Christmas Break and August. I have already applied to be on leadership for next year’s trip and we have already begun planning it.

The nursing home BEFORE

The nursing home: AFTER

It was though the nursing home was frozen in time

Me working for Extreme Makeover: Home Edition
Having fun with friends in the French Quarter

InterVarsity has also continued to be one of my activities. I did not attend small group and large group as often as first semester, but I was still a regular attendee. With InterVarsity, I participated alongside a few other men in a challenge called 3000-12 that required us to do 3,000 push-ups and memorize 12 Bible verses over the course of two weeks. I actually completed them all. I also helped with the Valentine’s Dinner where the men of InterVarsity hosted a dinner for the women. I was part of the kitchen crew and put in a lot of hours helping out, but it was still a fun time. Additionally, I served as the Team Captain for InterVarsity’s Relay for Life team. The event was rained-out, but the University did manage to raise $25,000 for cancer research. Since I am fairly active in InterVarsity, I applied to be on Leadership for next year and was accepted. So, I will attend a training retreat this summer for that.

The kick-off to 3000-12

Helping out with the IV Valentine’s Dinner

InterVarsity’s Relay for Life Team

We tried to make the most of the rain before Relay for Life was canceled

My local church has a group for UR students who attend there. I’ve become more involved with them as the year has gone on. I went over to one of my church leaders’ home for Easter dinner with other UR students. I’ve also tried to attend some of their weekly lunches when it doesn’t conflict with classes. Additionally, I helped them with Rebuilding Together, which helps to fix up needy homes in the Richmond area. I also attended an Interfaith Seder Dinner through my church group. Looking ahead, I will be representing this group next year on the Council for Christian Unity.

Helping out with Rebuilding Together

A beautiful cake at Easter Dinner

The Interfaith Seder Dinner

Besides these organizations, I have worked a lot. In addition to this blog, I work in the Admissions Office. I’ve hosted students, helped with Admissions chats and panels, and, of course, given tours. I enjoy it and have spent a lot of time in the Admissions Office. According to my records, I have given 33 tours in the past two-and-a-half months.

One of my tours was for some ladies from the Class of 1970

I suppose that you are probably wondering what I do when I’m not doing homework or active with my organizations. Well, I spend some of it supporting other organizations. I regularly attended a cappella concerts, improv comedy performances, and sports games. We had some great events that were fun to attend, especially our basketball team’s win over #16 Dayton.

Our fans rushed the court after our victory over Dayton

The Octaves, one of our a cappella group, performs

Besides these performances, I continued to attend a lot of the cultural events at the Modlin Center. I went to a performance of “The Battle for the Pentagon Papers”, “The Baltimore Waltz” (student-run play), Bobby McFerrin, “The Meeting” (University production), Natalie MacMaster (Celtic fiddler), Neil Berg’s “100 Years of Broadway”, and folk singer Arlo Guthrie (my favorite of the semester). They were all very enjoyable and entertaining, not to mention cheap.

We did have three special events occur this semester that I believe are worth mentioning. One was the launching of the first Spider into space. Leland Melvin is a UR graduate and was aboard Atlantis. We threw a fun party with “space food” to watch the launch. Also, President Ayers had his inauguration. It was a weekend of picnics, events, and festivities. We love President Ayers and are glad to see him here. One of the highlights from his inauguration was when he served as DJ for his own after party. Finally, the University of Richmond hosted a squash championship that brought fourteen of the top sixteen squash players in the world to campus. I watched many of the games and thoroughly enjoyed it. I’m hoping that they bring the tournament back next year as well.

Space Food: Milky Ways, Moon Pies, Big Dippers, and Martian Punch
President Ayers’ Inauguration

An Inaugural Picnic

The Davenport Squash Tournament

Of course, I am a college student, so I hang out with my friends a lot and go to fun events. I have found a core group of guys who I hang out with a lot and are great friends. We made regular trips to Capital Ale House for Dollar Burger Night and also had meals at the Cellar (our on-campus restaurant) almost every week. Additionally, we had fun celebrating each other’s birthdays and getting together for game nights on the weekends or going to the Pier to watch “No Country For Old Men”, “Juno”, or whatever movie was playing that week. We also saw comedians perform on-campus, went to the James River, and attempted the new high ropes course on-campus together.

Dollar Burger Night at Capital Ale House

Eating out at The Cellar

My friends threw a surprise birthday party for me

Me playing Tarzan on the rope swing on the James River

Having fun with Student Government on the ropes course

Lastly, I should mention the food here. I am still enjoying a wide variety at our dining center and am still amazed at the desserts that they offer. I’ve stepped up my exercise routine and now regularly go to our fitness center. In fact, I’m almost enjoying it (mainly because I watch my favorite TV shows when I’m there). The dining center has also done lots of specialty nights, such as Oriental Night (with sushi and seaweed salad) and Caribbean Night (with conch fritters and Cuban custard). They also had lots of things for finals week such as Midnight Munchies, a nacho bar, and grab-and-go items such as trail mix and popcorn.

Caribbean Night at D-Hall

That’s been my semester. I know it’s been active but I’ve really enjoyed it. My friends and I have started doing lots more together and I’m curious and anxious to see what the summer and future hold for me. I’m hoping that I won’t be overloaded next year with Student Government, Lakeview, CDRT, InterVarsity, Council for Christian Unity, as well as work in the Admissions Office. Well, there’s only one way to find out and that is to keep reading my blog next year.

Final Shoutouts for Freshman Year: My good friends (Andrew, Jimmy, and Buddy), my family that keeps the care packages coming and answering all of my phone calls, and the Admissions Office for giving me this opportunity to blog about my crazy life.

My parents awesome care package for Valentine’s Day

Published on May 6, 2008 in Campus Events, Sports Games, Class Cabinet, Artsy Performances, InterVarsity, Community Activities, Student Government and Breaks. 0 Comments

An Inaugural Weekend

April 13, 2008

This past weekend had some of the best and worst times since I’ve arrived here. Our President, President Ayers, had his inauguration and that made Friday amazing. The students had classes end by noon and we all went to his inauguration ceremony to celebrate his induction as the University of Richmond’s 9th President. We had delegates from a ton of schools come to pay respect and participate in the ceremony. We had representatives from Oxford, founded in the 1100’s as well as a local community college founded in the 1970’s. The ceremony was well done and we had Virginia’s Secretary of Education speak as well as Richmond’s mayor (who was the first black governor in the U.S.) Douglas Wilder. We even had Harvard’s President, whom is a good friend of President Ayers, come and speak as well as participate in a symposium on the Civil War with President Ayers.

Everyone here at the University of Richmond loves President Ayers. He is always around and is a constant presence. He’ll be leading the cheers at basketball and football games, listening to student concerns, and giving lectures on a variety of subjects to students here. He even stopped by the table where I was selling Homecoming T-shirts and bought one. President Ayers is also a teacher, which was a big surprise to several freshmen students who signed up for a history class with him. They had their classroom listed as the President’s House. Anyways, everyone loves him and it was great to spend a day celebrating what he’s done and what we’re looking forward to doing alongside him in the coming years.

The inauguration ceremony in the Robins Center

Student groups performed all throughout the afternoon

A bluegrass band comprised of University faculty performed during a picnic lunch

The events were held all over campus under big, white tents. Lunch was great with fruit, turkey wraps, croissants, tuna salad, and much more. Everything looked amazing. For dinner, they hosted another picnic lunch with fried chicken, biscuits, fruit, cookies, pork sandwiches, and lots of other great food. The weather was absolutely incredible all day. It was in the high seventies with clear skies and sun. It was the perfect evening with warm weather, kids playing Frisbee on the green, listening to a live band perform, and relaxing with friends. School was the last thing on anyone’s mind.

They brought in quaint trolleys to shuttle all of the attendees around

An elegant picnic dinner under the big tent

Amazing food at the picnic dinner

As the night progressed, they brought in a live band to cover all of the hits from the past fifty years. President Ayers even deejayed his own after-party with a playlist of his favorite songs. It was a lot of fun to hear him act as a deejay. He’s so down to earth and just a great guy in general. They provided plenty of snacks of trail mixes, chicken wings, and lots of other appetizers as the party went on into the night for alumni, students, and faculty. I left at 9:00 to go watch the movie at the Pier, National Treasure 2, and then tried to prepare for a long day on Saturday by going to bed early, which ended up being at 2:00 AM.

Saturday brought Relay for Life. I was the captain for Team InterVarsity. We were short on people for a while, but ended up with ten members. We were all set for the big day. I had bought food and rented a tent from the Weinstein Center. We had raised almost $600 and were ready to go. We arrived at 10:00 AM, set up our tent, and registered. However, the perfect weather could not continue and it starting pouring. It was a torrential downpour for a while as we all huddled in a cement building to ride it out. It lightened up and we held an opening lap. However, the downpour had toppled tents, soaked all of our sleeping bags and blankets and pillows, and dealt us a tough hand. The rain was expected to continue all day, so the coordinating committee was forced to cancel it. We did get in one lap, but no one questioned the decision to cancel it. However, once we got back to campus, the rain let up and the rest of the day and night was clear and pleasant, which was a huge downer. I was ready to be there all twenty-four hours and walk as much as was needed to represent our team. The luminaria ceremony will still occur next week, but we’ll just have to look forwards to next year. The University of Richmond’s students managed to raise over $25,000 and get 350 students involved.

I made this awesome baton/ bubble wand for our team to use during Relay for Life
Josh, David, myself, Dianne, Emily, and Katie were all set to go

I tried to shelter myself from the downpour

We were waiting to get into the building to take shelter from the rain

We rode out the storm by playing Applies to Apples

David proudly used our team’s baton

Since Relay for Life was canceled, I had a free day for the rest of Saturday. I had done my homework on Friday so that I wouldn’t have to do it after Relay for Life. Now, I had plenty of time and a soaking tent on my hands. I read ahead in CORE while drying the tent outside and then starting packing up my room. I know that the semester still has three weeks left, but I like to be organized and have a plan for where things are going. I packaged up a ton of things that I wouldn’t use again and sent them back home. Then, I sorted through what I needed for the summer and what I wouldn’t need until the fall. It takes much longer than you might think to pack up your life, but I’m all organized and now I won’t have to be frantic the last week of the semester.

Sunday brought church, a bit of studying and working ahead, but also relaxing time by watching movies and gearing up for next week. It looks to be fairly slow, but that could change. Next weekend is Accepted Students Day, so campus will be flooded and I’ll be kept very busy. That’ s been my weekend. It’s flown by like weekends always do, so I’d better sign off. Have a great week and I’ll catch back up with you at the end of the week.

At Sunday brunch, my friend craved a Rice Krispie bar, so she
made her own, which took her ten minutes to do

King Duck (the one with the bump on the head) and his minion race towards the
bread which the local community members are feeding them on Sunday morning

Quote of the Weekend: “Life is like a rainbow. You need both the sun and the rain to make its colors appear” - Author Unknown (In honor of both the literal sun and rain this weekend)
Thought to Ponder: Why would a Washington state law ban lollipops?
Shout Outs: My Relay for Life team
YouTube Video of the Weekend:

A video done for promoting Penny Wars through InterVarsity, which is being used again this year. A lot of my friends are in it, which makes it quite funny. Penny Wars uses spare change to raise money for projects throughout the year and scholarships for the Rockbridge retreat. Thanks for the video, Tom