Category Archives: Community

South Snowed In: “Snowpocalypse” Report

As the predictions for the next big weather change in the South began to roll in, so did a slew of opinions and speculation. Upon recalling the event many observers speculate that the constant weather reports were to blame for the excitement and obsession on the incoming weather. Take Mrs. Polstra for example. Barbara D. Polstra on Facebook claimed, “Our tv stations just way overdo our forecast when it comes to snow.” She added that if the new stations would just warn us and “let it go” instead of going “on and on” the backfire would have been lessened. So essentially what one was a temperature change snowballed into the Blizzard of 2017 or as I know it, Snowpocalpyse.

IMG_1634

Now, there were many different reactions to such a news story. According to various posts on social media and onlyinalabama.com, there were still some good-humored Southerners to be found who did not take this weather all too seriously. In fact, they would take the criticism from say, Northerners, on the chin by making such satirical posts, such as those found below. Meanwhile, the consensus of Northerners believed that the Southerners just needed to quit complaining. Wesley Smith reminded us that just two weeks ago, everyone was complaining since we skipped winter and now that we have it, we are complaining about the cold. He ended his statement with a firm, “It’s always something.” And some Southerners retorted, “It’s funny how Northerners make fun of us for cancelling classes for snow, but have you ever considered the fact that they cancel classes because it’s too hot?”

 Now whether or not you as an individual can deal with the two-inch snow fall- you must understand this simple fact: The South is not equipped to handle snow and ice. As Diana L. Riggs so eloquently put it, “You may not have gotten much snow, but you do have ice.” She further explained that her fiances drives a truck for a living. Consequently, it took him a whole nine hours to drive eighty miles on I-20. “He has witnessed many accidents today, some silly, some tragic.” With that being said, here are Judson we were glad to have both Southerners with a sense of humor, and Northerners for the common sense about the cold. A prime example being the use of Leah Boyd’s ice scrapper upon Bethany William’s ice ridden windshield.

leah boyd

Meanwhile classes here at Judson were canceled after twelve on Friday. Honestly, that didn’t make much difference because there are no classes to be canceled after twelve on Friday but at any rate the sentiment of a ‘snow day’ was felt. Most students, including yours truly, were inclined to stay indoors with a hot cup of cocoa. Whilst others could be found (whether begrudgingly or per tradition I do not readily know) buying a loaf of bread along with a contained of milk. And still others were found making mock weather reports of the raging storm outside their homes. By the next day, the sun had taken care of what remnants of the snow day remained.

 

And thus ended the Snowpocalypse of 2017, January 7th– the 9th.

 

For more articles like this, click below.

CommunityOpinionsStudent Life

Grace Thornton Speaks at Revive

As most students know, Revive is a student-led worship service that takes place on Mondays at 7 p.m. in the chapel. However, January’s last Revive service was quite different due to Christian Emphasis Week also occurring that same week. Grace Thornton, our guest speaker for Christian Emphasis Week, spoke at Revive on Monday, Jan. 22.

Originally from Mississippi and raised in church, Thornton graduated from Mississippi College. A few years after graduating, Thornton moved to Alabama. Blogger and author of I Don’t Wait Anymore: Letting Go of Expectations and Grasping God’s Adventure for You, Thorton opened Revive by telling two stories.

The first story was about Thornton’s friend and her friend’s four-year-old daughter going on a trip to Disney World. Thornton explained how her friend and her friend’s daughter had all these expectations and how Disney World blew said expectations away; before they went home, they both cried because they didn’t want to leave. Then, Thornton told a second story about when she visited Paris.

She explained that, similar to her friend going to Disney World for the first time, she had massive expectations about what Paris would be like (spoiler alert, she said the best part is the food!). Paris wasn’t exactly what she expected it to be; it wasn’t bad, per se.  It just wasn’t what she expected. The city was sort of dirty and crowded, but going there was still a really exciting experience. Her next thought connected the pieces of her two stories together. These expectations are small examples of how we, as humans, imagine what our entire lives will look like.

When she was 16, Thornton got her purity ring from her church. She remembered how the ring started off as a symbol of waiting until marriage. “I didn’t realize it then,” Thornton began, holding up her purity ring, “but this ring came with all sorts of expectations. It was a symbol of the expectation that I would get married; I was expecting the day I would eventually take this ring off and replace it with an engagement or wedding ring.”

After Thornton graduated college, a guy friend confessed that he wanted to take things further between the two of them. They began dating and, for a while, things were great. Then, in her early twenties, Thornton felt like things began to spiral out of her control. Her relationship wasn’t working out the way she expected it to; the job opportunities weren’t lining up the way she expected.

“Until then,” Thornton explained, “I had never been in a place that wasn’t going up, leading me to where I thought God wanted me to be.”  What do we do when our lifelong expectations don’t work out the way we want them to? This is when Thornton began wrestling with the idea of who God is. What did I do wrong, is God not who I thought He was?, Thorton began wondering.

Around this time, Thornton began surrounding herself with a different type of Christian than she had ever seen. Since she was little, Thornton has been surrounded by what she considered were two different types of Christians – the  first type were those who she could tell were Christians who lacked passion for God and the second type were those who said they were Christians but showed no evidence of that through the way they lived. These new people she surrounded herself with during this period in her life were a third type of Christian – they were people who loved God for exactly who He is without any expectations about what He would do for them.

Things clicked at that moment for Thornton. She realized she was doing the “Christian thing” all wrong. Putting our expectations on God isn’t he right way of going about our walk with God. Thornton stressed that He wants us to come to Him with no expectations at all. She quickly explained that this is different than low expectations. Having low expectations is being pessimistic and not getting our hopes up in order to protect ourselves from disappointments. “God has it rigged for us to know Him better even if that means that our lives don’t play out the way we expect them to,” she explained.

If we trust him with our blank slates, our lives, He can and will write us better stories than we could ever write for ourselves. “If you could have your life play out exactly the way you think you want it to, would it be better than the life God wants to write you so you know Him better?” she asked us. The answer is no.

Jeremiah 29:11 (‘For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’) is a verse most of us know by heart. Thornton admitted that she used to see this verse through the filter of her expectations. God is going to give me a husband, He’s going to give me kids, He’s going to let me go into the missions’ field, she thought.

Instead of looking at this verse through the filters of our expectations, Thornton explained that she thinks we ought to look at this verse as a tribute to God’s faithfulness. He will always do what’s best for us, even if it is not what we expect, if we give all of ourselves to Him.

Thornton, after letting go of her expectations, began reading the Bible to get to know God better. When she began rereading the Bible, it ignited a passion in her that she compared to running. “The more you run, the more you love it,” she stated, “but that you have to train yourself to be able to run, longer, harder, faster.” She had to learn discipline, a necessary skill in life, to train herself to read more and more of the Bible every day.

She encouraged  us to pray a simple prayer everyday to help teach our hearts to love God more than anything else: “God, I love you more than whatever the thing it is that I love most.” That night, the room fell silent as many a Judson girl prayed that prayer. It was the kind of silence that only God can bring, the kind of silence that was so pure someone could  have heard the drop of a pin. It was the kind of silence that changes hearts.

For more articles like this, click below.

CommunityFaith

Judson Equestrians Attend School Choice Rally

Judson girls in front of a bus
The Judson group preparing to depart for Montgomery

A series of students of every age and race began to file onto the stage, one by one. Each of them held up a large white sign, with a message written on it in black marker. The front would say something about how they didn’t feel like they belonged at school, or the school didn’t offer the classes they wanted to take, or they weren’t doing well in a particular subject. Then they would turn the sign over, and the reverse said how an alternative form of education had changed their life.

Student and professor selfie
Mercedes Barger snaps a selfie with Jennifer Hoggle

This display was part of a school choice rally held at the Montgomery Performing Arts  Center on Friday, January 27. Nine students from the Judson equestrian program —  Mercedes Barger, McKayla Birchfield, Kirsten Britnell, Tara Kamphuis, Hope Langkow,  Logan Lanier, Kathleen Morgan, Hannah Kate Stallo, and Kate Wright — attended the event, accompanied by Dr. Mitcham and Jennifer Hoggle. The rally was designed to bring  awareness to the need for students and their families to have options in education, such as charter schools and private colleges like Judson. Several schools had representatives speak in person and in promotional videos, and groups of students came on stage to lead  the crowd in a dance to “Can’t Stop the Feeling” by Justin Timberlake. A highlight of the  event was the announcement that Alabama’s first charter school will be opened in the fall  of this year. The Judson College equestrian department attends this event each year to  represent the school.

Group selfie
Group selfie

When asked about the event, Dr. Mitcham noted that “As an institution of higher  education, we have a vested interest in the state of education in Alabama and we want to  support programs like the Alabama Opportunity Scholarship that benefit students from  across the state.”
Senior Mercedes Barger attended this year for the third time and said, “I feel that the  rally brings attention to an important cause while providing an exciting environment. I feel  this helps to show a positive example to the younger students present, so that they can  see that anything really is possible.”

For more articles like this, click below.

CommunityEquestrianThe Triangle

Judson’s Beta Rho Chapter Welcomes Initiates

On October 3, 2016, Judson College’s Beta Rho chapter of Kappa Delta Epsilon, the honorary professional education fraternity, initiated four new students into its ranks: Brittany Johnson, Leslie Anne Pope, Leslie McAfee, and Veronika Gerhold.

At Judson, a student is invited to join KDE after she has met the necessary requirements of being in the Educator Preparation Program, maintaining a 3.0 GPA, and completing a minimum of 30 hours of coursework. Faculty members can also join KDE.

KDE was founded in 1933 in Washington, D.C., and Judson’s Beta Rho chapter was founded in 1982. The advisors for the chapter are Dr. Robert Metty and Dr. Lesley Sheek, who is also the National Vice-President of KDE.

Dr. Sheek elatedly welcomed the new members, explaining that “having teacher candidates become KDE members is especially significant because the organization is unique in that it spans a teacher’s entire career.  The membership of KDE includes preservice teachers, practicing teachers, and retired teachers . . . . We welcome our new members into the KDE ‘circle of well-trained teachers’ and look forward to serving alongside them for years to come.”

The current KDE members and the new initiates all look forward to what KDE and the teaching career has in store for them. “KDE is all about being apart of a group of people who have the same interest in the world as you,” senior initiate Veronika Gerhold explained. “We all have one thing in common: We want to change the world by shaping the next generation of leaders.”

For more articles like this, click below.

Community

Dynamic Harpist/Soprano Duo en Route to Judson!

By Sarah Green and Jordan Ross

On September 29, 2016, Dr. Sadie Goodman, soprano and assistant professor of music at Judson College, and Keryn Wouden, harpist and faculty member at Lake Forest College in Illinois, performed a recital in the Alumnae Auditorium, with a reception following afterward in Archibald Hall.

Musical repertoire included pieces in a variety of languages, i.e., English, French, Spanish, German, Russian, and Norwegian, with artists such as George Frideric Handel, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, and Jean-Philippe Rameau. The recital had many pieces specifically composed for harp accompaniment, while others were adapted from piano scores by Wouden herself.

This was the first time Judson College has presented a harpist to the Alumnae Auditorium stage. When talking about it with Dr. Goodman afterward, she explained how there were a lot of firsts and challenges to overcome working with a harp for the first time. However, in the end, she was grateful to have done it. She stated that “it was a blessing to perform for an appreciative audience, and to be able to give this unique recital. A combination of voice and harp for an entire recital is almost unheard of, and I’m pleased to say that Keryn Wouden and I plan to give this recital again in Chicago in the spring.”

The audience seemed to enjoy the recital as well, with complete undivided attention toward the duo on stage. “It was very moving. I’ve never actually seen a harp in action, but it was very different, in an almost uplifting way,” Lauren Neary, a Junior-Soph, stated afterward, “Overall, it was a very touching performance.”

Freshman Kate Wright also shared similar sentiments. “To me, the recital was something different and interesting, as well as entertaining. I count opportunities like that as one of the side benefits of being at college,” she explained.

For more articles like this, click below.

CommunityStudent Life

Faculty and Staff Spotlight: Courtney Tindale

Over the course of the summer, Judson College has welcomed many faculty and staff members on its campus, faces both old and new. Courtney Tindale, director of Student Activities and Resident Director of WMU, is a face most third and fourth years will recognize, along with a majority of Judson’s faculty and staff members.

Growing up in Bremen, Alabama, in Cullman County, Tindale graduated from Cold Springs High School and attended Wallace State Community College before transferring to Judson for her last two years of undergraduate school. While here, she received degrees in Music and Psychology. Out of all of her classes, Tindale most enjoyed Counseling Principles and Practices with Dr. Harold Arnold and her private piano lessons with Mr. John Robertson. Before she came to Judson, she could not play piano at all, but as she explained, Dr. Robertson pushed her to do her best and helped her realize what she is truly capable of doing.

During her time at Judson, Tindale was a member of the Octopus family; her Little is Xandria Keylor (a current senior at Judson), and she considers her Big to be her best friend and fellow graduate, Christina Blain. Her favorite tradition would definitely be Hockey Day because of the opportunity to get to know people from other classes. Tindale surmised, “My favorite thing about Judson is the fact that it wasn’t ever just school, and it isn’t just a job. I have so many opportunities to serve in the Judson College community and the Marion community and to serve God.”

Many of the faculty and students who knew Courtney when she still attended Judson are happy to see her again. Senior Jordan Ross reminisced on the memories she made with Tindale and explained that “Courtney’s journey back to Judson has provided several moments of self-reflection for me. It is very interesting to have someone back on campus who observed you as a Freshwoman but will now be observing you as a Senior. I can only pray that she has seen some promising changes and growth in the Freshwoman that she once knew.”

Upon graduation, Tindale served in Miami at a church plant called Christ-Centered Church. Her favorite memories were getting to spend time with the Judson missions team last Spring Break and something her host family did called House Church. Because of how large the population of Miami is, it is difficult to have a church close enough to every resident. Tindale’s family hosted church in their home instead, welcoming people from the community every Sunday night for food, fellowship, and Bible study. Tindale found her time at Miami to be very rewarding, and if given the chance she would go back and possibly even serve in New York, where Judson alumna Brittany Hall is currently doing mission work.

Tindale didn’t plan to return to Judson, but according to her, “God was definitely behind it.” She loves the fact that she can be a Christian unapologetically and truly believes this is where she belongs. During her time here, she plans to make a difference in the lives of students while following God’s plans for her life. Her word of advice to the new students this year is to never be afraid to ask questions; she explains, “There are so many people who work at Judson that would love to help you in any way they can.” So, if you’re needing your access card fixed, or you want to participate in field hockey, or you simply want to get to know our newest Student Life staff member better, don’t be afraid to go and see her for yourself!

For more articles like this, click below.

CommunityStudent Life

Hockey Day Happenings

On November 5th, students and Judson alumnae participated in an exciting tradition known as Hockey Day. Students from all classes attended to see the games unfold for the day. Starting with the inter-class game, the seniors faced off against the frosh in a game full of energy and determination. In the end, the seniors took home the win for the morning games. Continue reading Hockey Day Happenings

For more articles like this, click below.

Community

Thanksgiving Break Volunteer Opportunity

Faith Based Service Learning partnered with Sowing Seeds of Hope and local churches to help distribute bagged Thanksgiving dinners. Volunteers from Judson, Sowing Seeds of Hope, and local churches decorated 150 brown sacks on November 15th and helped sort and distribute the donated food on November 17.

This volunteer opportunity has made a huge impact on Perry County and numerous families are happy to be able to have a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Judson volunteers never fail to make a difference in whatever they put their minds to, and that is what makes Judson a force to be reckoned with.

For more articles like this, click below.

CommunityFaith

RESTORE 2016

Judson College’s Faith Based Service Learning will be serving Perry County residents December 10 – 16. The Faith Based Service Learning Program plans to partner with Eagle Grove Missionary Baptist, Berean HeadStart, and Marion Nutrition Site at Lincoln School. Volunteers are also needed to help with the community Christmas Party on December 10, a party which will take place at Sowing Seeds of Hope.

On-campus housing will be provided to volunteers planning to stay for Restore. If possible, Restore volunteers will be asked to pay $20 to help cover meal costs. However, scholarship opportunities will be available to those who can’t cover the meal cost. Please contact Amy Butler at abutler@judson.edu or 344-683-5163 if you or any of your friends are interesting in this amazing opportunity.

For more articles like this, click below.

CommunityFaith

Pop-In Night

Who doesn’t love candy during Halloween? This tradition is quite a “treat” for all the upperclassmen at Judson. Every year, the upperclassmen get the chance to dress up and go trick-or-treating in Kirtley, the freshmen dorm. Each Judson “family” chooses a theme and dresses up as different characters to match that theme. We’ve seen everything from the Addams Family, to the Avengers, to the many faces of Johnny Depp, to the Powerpuff Girls. The Junior-Sophs are usually the ones who choose their family’s theme, and the exciting part is when the freshmen join in on the dressing up and decorations! The freshmen are, of course, compensated for their candy dispension; many families give out signs* to each freshman that participates in the tradition.

 After the trick-or-treating, the Student Life staff hosts a small party in Kirtley for all of the Judson girls to congregate and spend time with one another. Unlike most traditions, Pop-In Night can be opted out of, but why would you want to miss out on all the tricks and treats that come with such a haunting night?

 *See the JCD for an explanation on signs

popinnightparrots popinnightpenguins

For more articles like this, click below.

CommunityThe Triangle