Part 2

Update...Again...

The Classes
1) French 202 - somehow i tested into fourth semester french. yikes! Professor Vander Woude only speaks in French in class. it was very intimidating at first, but now i understand at least 60% of what she says (on a good day). the class has about 15 people--only 1 guy :) so far, French is my favorite class, which is a good thing because if it wasn't, i'd still have to go to class 4 days a week. assuming this semester ends well, we're looking at a minor in French! woohoo!

2) Religion 121 Biblical Studies - i was sure another look at Genesis would bore me to death. not that there isn't more to learn about it, but 13 years of Christian school can kill the pentateuch for you pretty fast. i really think God wanted me to take this class because i'm getting a fresh perspective on the Bible as literature, as a historical account. Professor Whitekettle is strange and funny and awesome--he walks kinda funny cause he has a disorder which causes his immune system to attack his myelin sheaths around his nerves. he told us if you combined all the ways his students have described his walking, he's a drunk duck puppet in a marching band. he said if he one day collapses on the floor, not to worry, it's completely normal, and that his arm will probably keep on writing from the floor--you have to love a teacher like that. he brings up all the things you wouldn't think to consider; he's not afraid to go into the awkward areas--menstrual cycles for instance. he tells stories from his life and makes them both funny and applicable. it's an easy class to listen to although it's a lecture.

3) English 101 Honors Composition - honestly, i hate this class. professor naranjo-huebl--she told us we weren't going to go over grammar and that the reading and exercises/quizzes were to be done outside of class. what are we doing? all of it--in class. and then she started us with informal writing and i can't help but be irritated that we're allowed to use "I" in our papers. and it's an 8:30 which for you people back home is 7:30 in the morning. ick.

4) Geography 110 - i find this class fascinating. we aren't just talking about the countries, we're talking about globalization and development. our text is called Globalization and Diversity. it would be awesome if we could keep all the lights on for this afternoon class in a dimly lit room in the basement of North Hall. then i wouldn't be sleepy. i have to bring carbs and sugar to this class or i just lose it mentally. the second week we had a project where we had to go to the mall, pick a clothing item (i did jeans), find 20 diff brands, see where they're made, and how much they cost. it was fascinating.

5) and Prelude, intro to Calvin - love the kids, like the reading, hate the class. it's discussion and nobody wants to talk and our teacher is really bad at facilitating dicussions. the chaplain took over for her while she was at a conference and it was the best discussion we've had so far. but that's okay. i'll live--it's only half a semester.

KEY to Terms:
FAC-fine arts center
SC-spoelhoef center
NVW-noordewier vanderwerp
SE-schultze eldersveld
BB-boer bennick
BV-beets veenstra
BHT-bolt heins timmer
RVD-rooks vandellen
KHvR-kalsbeek huizenga vanreeken
Hekman-library

The Floor Field-Trips
definition: formerly floordates, where 2 floors
from any two dorms hang out together off campus

1) IHOP - during quest, it was decided that 3rd noordy (noordewier-that's me) and 3rd werp (our brother floor) would go to IHOP @ 11:30 at night. i rode with sav, who couldn't find her car for ten minutes. she walked up and down the parking lot pressing the panic button and nothing happened. she finally called the person who had used it last, and it was waaay at the end of the lot. 3rd NVW filled up half the restaurant. it took at least an hour to get our food, which is understandable, seeing as how there were only 2 servers. i sat with reed, stephen (from peru), pam (annex girl), mackenzie (annex girl), and another person i can't remember. pam had chocolate milk and stephen commented that by the time our food got there she'd be drinking chocolate cheese. this was hilarious if only because it was insanely late and everything's funny late at night. i had yummy chocolate chip pancakes.

2) Freshman initiation (not really a floor fieldtrip but kinda) - we dressed up and got led by our sophomore suitemates to the basement. there we met 1st werp all dressed up who escorted us up the stairs and outside and blindfolded us. our suitemates led us to the campus lawn where 2nd werp (all dressed up) sang the backstreet boys "i want it that way" to a single guitar--they were really good!--and then we were blindfolded and led back to the basement where 3rd werp helped us learn how to swing dance!!

3) Chuck E. Cheese - 2nd werp went to chuck e. cheese with us to play games and have fun. i played that fun stomp on the spider button game with anne and amanda a lot. i'd love to actually beat it some day. we did the picture booth which gives you a sketch of everybody in the frame. i don't have one but i've shown up on several people's doors. just before we left, 2nd werp gave us little girl bracelets and candy to thank us for coming--originally it was 5 girls to 15 guys (good odds, right?). and then we got free cotton candy! i drove with 2 andrews, brian and a guy who never named himself.

4) Steak 'n Shake - basically 3rd noordy invited any guy from 3rd werp to come grab milkshakes with them. uneventful but fun.

Activites:
1) Anime Club: 2 hours a week of anime. right now we're watching Mai-HiME which is about girls who can create weapons and creatures from thin air (HiME = Highly Advanced Materializing Equipment) and we're also watching Last Exile which involves an airborne word where war is regulated by a guild and ritualistic combat rules are used (musket fire alongside ship mounted cannons)

favorite quote said during club: "We're not retreating;

we're charging in the opposite direction!" (on Last Exile)

2) Dance Guild: it's the largest organization on campus and it has a show each semester. if you know nothing, you can do a guild dance. if you know something, you can do an advanced dance. if you're amazing, you can try out for an audition dance. there's hip hop, jazz, pointe, folk (irish dancing this year), swing, etc. i'm in a guild jazz dance doing hannah montana's "best of both worlds." our 2 choreographers/teachers said that if you couldn't laugh about the routine, you didn't belong in it. it's so much fun! i have practice every friday.

3) i'm supposed to be in both Asia Club and Cooking Club but i haven't made it to either yet. oops.

The Girls
My roomie Ally
Amanda from across the hall
Jenny from down the hall
Jenny's twin Megan from 2nd
Megan's roomie Kristin (from 2nd obviously)

we've had a shopping trip, gone to church together, walked to the mall together, watched juno together, danced in the coffee kitchen with the lights off together, and dyed megan's hair together. jenny's is dyed too, but her roomie katie did that. amanda just got her nose pierced and ally got her belly button pierced. they're crazy. it's kind of like a headrush all the time.

there we go. that's a better update. there's still more (but only a bit).