Sunday Morning= Vacation

Last night I was talking to Emily in the DC and she asked me what it would be like if I just didn't do any work for an entire day. At first, this sounded crazy to my workaholic ears, but the more I thought about it, the more possible it seemed.

This morning at MAC, I realized anew how much I love being in that church. I'm a half hour away from all my school stuff and I can truly focus on worshipping my God. I can't even picture sleeping in on Sunday mornings like I used to all freshman year. I truly find rest when I'm at MAC.

There were all these international delegates in the service this morning. They talked about this impromptu worship session they'd had last night at Guy and Judy's where they all sang for a solid hour in their own languages. It made me long for China again (although I've been longing for China all week anyway).

At MAC, I'm starting to understand what the true body of Christ looks like. I'm also starting to see what eternity looks like and I'm not so afraid anymore.

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

-- "It is Well with my Soul"

Childhood as a psychological disorder

While "working" in the Writing Center today, I flipped through my Abnormal Psychology textbook and an article caught me eye called "The Etiology and Treatment of Childhood" by Jordan W. Smoller. It's rather hilarious, identifying childhood as a "syndrome" marked by such symptoms as dwarfism, knowledge deficits and legume anorexia. Hahaha. Ok, I gotta get back to studying real abnormal psychology.

Biting the hand that feeds me

There's just no way around it. The Grille is a terrible, horrible institution and it's going down!

For those of you unfamiliar with Taylor University's meal options, we have two major centers of food distribution on campus. The Dining Commons (more commonly known as the DC) is where everyone eats every meal of every day. We also have The Grille which provides sustenance to seniors and people who can't make it out to the DC during regular meal hours. It's considered a special treat to eat at The Grille, although I don't know why; their food is nasty and greasy and always makes me sick.

I have a Grille transfer for Tuesdays and Thursdays because I have class and work through my lunch hour. I usually get my food, wolf down the main course and stick the rest in my office for later. I hadn't bothered to order a sack lunch because each time I've been to the Grille so far this semester, I've gotten through fine with the regular meal. So today when Shaun let us out of Digital Tools 20 minutes early, I rejoiced at the prospect of enjoying my lunch before I went to work at 1 p.m. in the library (No food allowed. They're fascist). I was pretty hungry by 12:40, since I'd slept through breakfast while I was dying of nasal drainage.

I got to the Union, grabbed a pizza, yogurt and a caramel apple, and headed for check out. But NO... Martha stopped me right there. She said, "The line doesn't open until 12:50." It was 12:45! Nevermind that I'd been through this line every Tuesday/Thursday for the past three weeks without problem. Sometimes, I even went between my 11:00 and my 12:00 and got away with a meal. But five minutes??? Give me a break.

So I waited. I verbally railed against the system, but I waited. When I at last made off with my lunch, I stuffed the entire pizza in my mouth and stashed the rest of the food in the Echo office on my way to the library.

The whole point in having Grille transfers is to feed students who don't have time. Then they make us wait! I don't even like the Grille. I didn't want to miss lunch in the DC on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but there was nothing I could do with my schedule. Meal transfers are just not worth the trouble they cause.

The demise of Handy Andy

Handy Andy is gone. In it's place we find a red-roofed imitation called Circle K. Let the tears stream down. Don't be ashamed.

While the only things that really changed were the roof (which used to be blue) and the name, it feels like a void exists where there once was none. Sure, the Circle K will operate in much the same way as Handy Andy, offering breadsticks, soda, coffee and donuts at all hours of the day and night, but that's not the point. We won't be able to go on "Handy Andy runs" anymore. We'll have to go on "Circle K runs." That's not right.

Of course we'll still call it Handy Andy. No amount of red paint can change that fact. Like a triumphant warrior rising from the fall, Handy Andy will survive, if only in the hearts and minds of TU students.

A place that needs to be believed to be seen

In an effort to escape Open House madness, Janell, Jenny, Margaret and I went to the Union for the Steve Stockman forum. Stockman wrote the book Walk On which chronicles the spiritual journey of U2. Basically, we just went there to listen to his Irish accent and drink coffee, but we got more than we bargained for.

As the other girls (who have already been to Ireland) waxed nostalgic, my excitement for next semester grew. The talk wasn't even about Ireland. It was about the role of art in the Church and how U2 has ministered to the world of rock. I was so expecting a pointless TMatt "Faith, Bruce and U2" lecture, but instead of a self-righteous American guy who looks like a dung beetle, I got a "stocky" Irish man with a heart for art in faith. Every Irish nuance triggered a thrill deep within me. I want to know the Irish people. I want to understand their history, their pain and their turmoil. Just a few more months!

For now, I'm in Upland and I guess that's cool. There's something inside of me, though, that longs for something more. Presently, I'll have to be content to dream of the Wicklow mountains, ancient castles and blue shores.

Living in covenant, profs included

Anders and I got into a debate last night over whether or not professors should sign the Life Together Covenant. He believes that because "non-traditional" students at the Ft. Wayne campus do not have to abide by the LTC, Upland profs should be able to drink and dance if they feel like it. Anders thinks maturity level should dictate to what extent one should follow the LTC.

It's not that I don't think our profs can handle a little fun; I'm sure most of them can. But I think the power of the LTC lies in the fact that although we can all do the things it tells us not to do, we choose to give them up for the good of the community.

I've always liked the idea that professors at Taylor abide by the same rules students do (i.e. they can't drink, have extramarital sex, gamble or dance). The giving up of these four activities leads to a stronger community. Sure the profs don't live with us, but neither do off-campus students. The community aspect of Taylor lies not only in its resident students but in all of its faculty and staff as well.

If fact, the LTC binds the Taylor community together. Since profs don't live with us, they sign the LTC as an act of participation in the community. One of the things I love about Taylor is that we don't really have any rules forced upon us by the school. Instead, we voluntarily commit to a set of guidelines which help us live out our faith in community. Granted, everyone at Taylor is required to sign the LTC, but if you don't want to sign it, why go to Taylor? I can understand some students are forced to come to Taylor by their parents or what not, but what is forcing a professor to work at Taylor? If they don't want to participate in the community by submitting to the LTC, why don't they work someplace else? It's not like we pay them anything, anyway.

The issue arose last night over the trouble with dancing. The LTC forbids "social dancing," but what exactly does that mean? I think there's a difference between clubbing (which is what I'd define as social dancing) and a husband and wife sharing an impromptu dance in the kitchen. A social setting usually involves more than one other person and usually takes place in a public arena. So within the limits of the LTC, I believe married professors (and students) can dance in private settings. The covenant's provision was established to condemn bumping and grinding, not romance.

The other point of contention hinged on alcohol consumption. At Taylor, alcohol is out of the question even if you are 21. Considering I've never enjoyed an alcoholic beverage (Mmm... beverage), I'm content to say alcohol is not a necessary part of life. Save your money for lattes. While I may not be the most authoritative person on alcohol, the point is not that alcohol is bad, but that it could be a stumbling block to other people in the community. Alcoholism is a serious problem in the United States today. Denying such would be ignorant.

The point? The LTC isn't really about rules and legalism. We spin it that way so we have something to argue about. As the covenant says, "We acknowledge that it is impossible to create a community with expectations that are totally acceptable to every member. Nevertheless, certain expectations must be specified to assure orderly community life. When individuals join the Taylor community, they freely and willingly choose to take upon themselves the responsibilities outlined in this covenant."

The LTC is about maintaining supportive relationships within the community. It would be a sin to exclude professors from this system just because they're old.

My Man Mitch at TU

Indiana governor hopeful Mitch "My Man" Daniels talks biology with TU student Kaitlin Getz. Daniels visited Taylor today to mingle with his large student/faculty following at the private Christian college. Note the always attractive Taylor baseball hat. Nice touch, Mitch. (Photo by me)