a boy and his cat

There's this one adorable cat who is running all around campus lately. She has a collar but apparently isn't declawed, so she must be an outdoor cat. She is THE BEST CAT EVER. When Peter picks her up, she puts one arm on either side of his shoulders and nuzzles her head into his chin. I cannot believe how adorable it is. I got a picture--not a good one though...


I also have pictures from playing Five Crowns on Friday night. Jen, Peter, Chris and I all played in the 2nd-floor lobby of Hirschy Annex before going to Wal-Mart...we had a good time. I lost miserably--last place!


This is Southern Belle Peter or maybe Geisha Peter. LOL!

Huh. I just realized this is turning into a blog all about Peter. Well, Peter is awesome. He's hilarious, and insults me in the funniest ways; when I'm upset he's got sweet words for me, and he does notice when I'm upset. So he deserves his own blog post :-) I'm gonna miss him this summer!

Things are getting bittersweet around here. When I hang out with the guys--or anyone--I'm aware that it's one of the last times we'll be together for 4 months...

Also on Friday, Jessica and I spent some time together painting our nails and getting food from Bob's. It was so much fun being girly together in her dorm room, talking about life. She's not living on campus next year, but she's best friends with Allen, so I bet she'll be around. It's awesome how much you can have in common with people who seem different from you! Jessica is a music major who wears moccasins, and I'm a girly-girl who likes pink! I think it's cute that we can be friends :-)

So moral of the story: I have some great friends here at Bluffton :-)

220 Neufeld!

Guess what! I found a roommate and a room for next year! I found out that Olivia, who is friends with my friends, didn't have a roommate either and so we decided we would room together, and there was one room still open in Neufeld, the nicest dorm (that you have to pay an extra $200 a semester for). A lot of my friends are in Neufeld so I really wanted to be there. So next semester, come visit us in 220 Neufeld :-)

Speaking of Olivia, she and I joined 4 of the guys--my boyfriend Chris, her boyfriend Chris (I know, it's going to be so confusing), Peter, and Mark--for tennis ball golf on Friday! I took some pictures:
That's Mark climbing up the bank of the Riley after rescuing some of our tennis balls from the creek. Thanks, Mark! :-)


Here's Chris (and the other Chris behind him!) taking a swing near the art building.

It was pretty fun--I did about 5 rounds (is that what you call them?) and didn't fail miserably most of the time!

Finals started on Friday, and I think I did really well on sociology (my only exam so far). We'll see. And classes ended on Thursday, which was mildly sad but not much.

The other thing that has been keeping me busy is Singin' in the Rain. I've been working a lot on the films and they may be finally completely done. (I keep thinking they're done and then we find mistakes...so I'm going to say "may be" instead of "are"!) It's been so hard to get used to using Adobe Premiere Elements 3, which is what they have here at school, instead of Final Cut Pro, which is what I used for last summer's "Hamartia" at RC-TV15. (Which, by the way, I can't wait to return to! Adam and I are going to edit this year's McQuaid film there this summer!)

Once the play is over, I'll maybe post some of the clips from the films on here, so you guys can see what I've done! I got to have fun with it because it was so corny and goofy.

Well, it's late! Stay posted for more pictures in the next blog of tonight's card games!

recognition for Winter Formal! banquets galore

Tuesday was the 2nd annual SOUL banquet (Student Organizations United in Leadership). Winter Formal was nominated for Best Programming. We were up against Sex Signals and Homecoming, and Sex Signals won (rightfully so--it was awesome!). So it was really nice for my committee and I to be recognized as contributing to Bluffton's student life! I'm so proud of us! Tabitha, Jen, Mel, and I all went over to the banquet together and had a nice little time. The food was really good--ex: chicken that's better quality than normal days in Marbeck! We also had a very funny keynote speaker, Chris Jebsen, the director of admissions. And it was fun to dress up a little. So all in all, a good night!


Then tonight was a banquet for Big Brothers Big Sisters. We went to a restaurant called The Old Barn Out Back, which is buffet-style. It was pretty good, and it felt nice to be recognized for our efforts with the kids, too.

On Monday is ANOTHER banquet, this one for the Honors program, at Tu Pueblo in town!

I also gave my final speech today in Public Speaking. It went really well, I think, and the thing I'm happiest about is a comment that I got on a piece of paper afterwards (we had to review each other's speeches): "I never really knew much about foster care before but now I am really considering doing it when I'm older" or something very close to that. That is EXACTLY what I wanted to do with the speech! :-)

Today was the last day of classes! We had Monday classes even though it's a Thursday because we've missed a lot of Mondays for different reasons. It was a little sad but not too much. So all we have left is finals and Singin' in the Rain. Tomorrow is my first final--Sociology. I'm a little nervous! Wish me luck!

papers, photo shoots, and end of BBBS

School is almost over, I can't believe it. I'm almost done being a freshman in college!

I spent tonight working on papers. I have 2 due tomorrow: one for sociology and one for biblical world view, each about 2 pages long. I sort of liked the sociology paper--not writing it, but the idea behind it. We looked at whether women who have their first child at a younger age (say, 18) make less, in general, than women who have their first child at an older age (35). (There does seem to be a trend that indicates that that's true.)

I'm also polishing up a speech I may have to give tomorrow. It's possibly my favorite assignment at Bluffton so far because we got to choose a topic we care about. I chose to talk about being a foster parent. I'm not sure why that cause is really important to me, but I wholeheartedly believe in recruiting more capable, loving foster parents. There are so many children in need of safe, stable, nurturing homes, and we need more people to provide this for them.

The speech is sort of an evolution of the speech I gave on Monday, so it wasn't terribly hard to write this one. It was mostly improving and adding onto what I had already.

This morning I did a photo shoot for the admissions office! About 5 other students and I posed for pictures in a tiny classroom, pretending to listen to 2 different professors lecture. It was fun, though we had to sit unnaturally close to each other! We'll see if any of the pictures I was in make it into any promotional materials. That would be exciting!

The other big thing about today was that it was my last Big Brothers Big Sisters session of the school year. We played kickball as a group instead of doing much actual schoolwork. It was kind of sad to say goodbye. I don't know if I'm going to be with the same child next year. I think I will try to continue to mentor, though. This is the next best thing to being a foster parent, since I'm only 19 and everything!

I would encourage everyone to look into being a foster parent or a Big Brother/Sister. Visit beafosterparent.org and bbbs.org to find out more about helping children in need!

food, worship, & life!

Hey everyone! I've been neglecting my blog lately so I thought I'd squeeze in a blog before bed!

Some thoughts about life at Bluffton...

The food: As I've said many times before, I do not like the food. But I should reiterate that it's partially because I'm a picky eater. I have a favorite dish: the Italian pasta salad in the salad bar. It tastes just like the stuff from Wendy's did when I was little. I also like the ravioli, and they make some good quesadillas with different vegetables and beans in them. Their nachos are yummy, if a little spicy. And their baked ziti dish is usually good. If you guys want to see what you'd eat in a typical week, check out http://www.bluffton.edu/marbeck/foodservice/Weeklymenu/ .

At Bob's Place, which is the fast-food-type shop, I usually get mozzarella sticks, unless it's breakfast hours, in which case I go for the huge chocolate-chip or blueberry pancakes and scrambled eggs. Breakfast is really cheap there, but it's only served till 11:15. My guy friends like their chicken tenders a lot. And a sub is always a safe option.

Worship: There are two types of on-campus religious services. Every Thursday at 11 is chapel, which is completely voluntary, unlike at many other Christian colleges. Then on every other Sunday morning they hold a Sunday Morning Worship Service. Both are rather contemporary, which isn't really my style, which is part of the reason why I rarely go. But other people enjoy them and are regular attendees.

Dorm hours: I don't remember if I've written about them before--sorry if this is old news. Bluffton has open dorm hours from 12-12 (I think?) Sunday through Thursday, and then on Friday and Saturday I think it's 12 to 2, or something around there. I don't usually have to worry about the morning start times, just the evening end times, which I know are 12 and 2. So what that means is that people of the opposite sex can only be in your room during those times. The lobbies are open much more--something like 7 AM to 2 AM? Lots of people complain about this, but I think I like it. For one thing, it makes it easier to get to bed at a reasonable hour! If I'm hanging out with the guys on a school night, it's a good thing that I have to be out by midnight because then that means I go back to my room and get ready for bed. If they didn't have those rules, it'd probably be much harder for me to stick to a reasonable bedtime. Another good thing is that I don't have to worry about guys seeing me walking around in my towel from the shower or in my pajamas unless I get ready for bed early or wake up REALLY late. And I think a final good thing about it is that it helps you set boundaries with a boyfriend or girlfriend. Of course, this rule doesn't get followed to the letter--I've seen it/heard of it being broken on numerous occasions--but generally it's a good thing that it's there. And I like that it's not terribly strict. One Christian college I visited had dorm hours that didn't start until 4 PM. I thought that was a little ridiculous. This gives us reasonable freedom.

Well, I'm exhausted. Even though dorm hours ended at 2 and so I came back to my room then, I've been online since I got back. So tonight the dorm hours didn't help me get to bed at a reasonable time :-) Goodnight everyone!

where to go when you need to get off-campus

Q: Where do Bluffton students go when they feel like getting off campus?

A: Since I've come to college, I think I've spent more time at Wal-Mart than I have ever before! We go every couple of weeks and spend probably an hour inside. With gas so expensive, it costs like $6 to get there even in Peter's fuel-efficient car, which is ridiculous, but it's so nice to get off campus and it's such a convenient place to get everything you need. Plus you can get the thrill of spending money without being frivolous. (At least, this is one reason I go to Wal-Mart...I'm not sure the guys think of it that way!)

Right next to Wal-Mart is Waffle House. I had never been to a Waffle House before coming here--they don't have any in Rochester, that I know of. For those of you who don't know, it's just a little diner-ish place. Nothing remarkable at all. But it's pretty cheap and it serves breakfast food anytime, which is great when you have a craving for scrambled eggs! (You can also satisfy your maple syrup cravings by drinking it out of the bottles they put on the tables...I think it's nasty but people do it!)

Sometimes people go to Tu Pueblo, the Mexican restaurant in town, or take a trip to the Whippy Dip, which is down the road on Main Street a little ways but still definitely within easy walking distance. There's fast food down right by the highway, including Arby's, McDonald's, Subway, Taco Bell, and more.

Toledo is only about an hour away, so if you feel like going to a big mall, that's an option for a day trip, and for shorter mall trips you can go to Lima or Findlay. Other places in Lima and Findlay that we go to are Kohl's, Friendly's (yummy) and Hobby Lobby. So that stuff is within 15-25 minutes (depending on how fast the guys are driving!)


Q: What stores are available right in town? Where can I get prescriptions, milk, etc?

Greg's Pharmacy is a little store with tons of things that you might need but don't want to make the trip to Wal-Mart for, like batteries or tissues or toothbrushes. It's really convenient. And of course if you need medication, it's a pharmacy.

I walk to the gas station for milk sometimes in a pinch. They're so friendly there!

The natural foods store is nice. Some people get their water there--I think you can bring in containers and pay to fill them up.

The Etcetera Shop is a little thrift store with clothing and household items. I think it's pretty hit or miss, but it's fun to look even if you don't find anything. There's also Ten Thousand Villages, which is a globally-focused little store with handmade things from artisans around the world. Things in there are pretty expensive in general, but it's really awesome inside and I duck in whenever I'm strolling around.

The movie rental place just shut down, so that's not an option anymore, which is depressing. But you can still get some movies from the rental machine at McDonald's, which I think is pretty amusing!

Also, there's a hairdresser who I have never been to but it's surprisingly modern inside, with all the newer products, despite its old-fashioned exterior. I think I might try going there next year.


So, those are a few of the things that we do when we go off-campus. Clearly Bluffton isn't exactly the most happening place, but we have our small-town fun. You have to be prepared to live in the middle of nowhere if you come to Bluffton! But it's really nice to have clean country air, no highway noise, few sirens, and other country luxuries. I'm getting used to living in cornfields!

Q & A about college life!

Hey everyone. Today I thought I'd address some questions that some of you might have when you're preparing for college...

1. Is it really one big slumber party with all these girls living together?

Actually, some days, yeah. Particularly at the beginning of the year, groups of us (anywhere between 3 and 8 girls) would lie on the floor in the hallway of the dorm with our legs up against the wall, just talking and giggling about anything and everything. This has considerably slowed down as the year progresses, but occasionally it will still happen, or girls will gather in the kitchen as they bake cookies. Yes, it sounds cheesy, but it happens! So sometimes people are up till 2 AM just talking and talking. It's a great bonding experience and I think maybe it's easier to talk about deeper issues because you're staring at the ceiling, not at each other! The only downside is that other people may be trying to sleep nearby, but this hasn't been a problem for us. Sometimes my roommate is asleep already and I hear a group of girls giggling in the kitchen, so I'll go out and say, "Hey guys, just so you know, Meghan is asleep, so if you could just..." and smile and leave it at that. And they have no problem with it that I can tell. If you're really bugged by inconsiderate people and don't want to ask them to be quiet yourself, you can go to your RA and they will take care of it for you. Our dorms have quiet hours from maybe 11 PM to 8 AM, so you're not allowed to be REALLY noisy at night, and 24-hour "courtesy" hours, which means be respectful at all times. I've noticed that my dorm is a LOT quieter than those at other schools; for example, I visited Goshen several times and each time, I could hear music blasting through multiple doors into the hallway and could feel the bass in a different room. It was really annoying and unsettling to someone who enjoys quiet like I do. But I think that most of the dorms here at Bluffton are more low-key, with people playing their music more softly--or maybe it's just that the walls are thicker here!

All joking aside, I do think that Bluffton tends to be a more low-key campus with more conservative people and a quieter atmosphere. It's very peaceful. But if you're looking for a 24/7 party school with punk-rock cliques, we're not for you! :-)

2. How do I prepare so I'm not so nervous?

For me, what worked was focusing on the one thing I could control: the decorations of my room. For those of you who are more masculine, you might focus on the setup of your room, with where you'll store all your video games and stuff like that! I sent lots of e-mails back and forth with my roommate, whom I did not get to meet before school started, talking about what kind of stuff we were each buying. I sent her pictures of my comforter, our rugs, even my towels and little lamps! It made me feel better to know that my room was going to be a sanctuary and a fun place to retreat from whatever bad things I might experience. Make sure you communicate with your roommate as to who is bringing what--you don't need 2 TVs (usually), two DVD players, etc. Some people choose to bring 2 of things like fridges because they will use them so much, but a lot of people just have 1 that they share. Also, make sure you read the student handbook online before you buy stuff--there might be restrictions that you didn't think about. For example, at Bluffton, we can't have open flames, so no candles, and no curtains (although today I saw a window that totally had pink curtains! SO not allowed).

Okay, I think that's enough questions for the night! I hope I helped!

As for what's been going on in my life and on campus, there hasn't been a whole lot. I spend most of my free time with my boyfriend and our other guy friends, hanging out, watching movies, eating, going on Wal-Mart trips, things like that. Tonight I had dinner with some girls I know from the Honors program, First Year Seminar, and Big Brothers Big Sisters, which was a fun little change.

Oh! Some other news! Filming for Singin' in the Rain is scheduled to start on Saturday! Please wish me luck as I tackle this big project!

I'll let you know how it goes. For now, I'll leave you with a cute picture, though it's bad quality, of Chris and I, and a picture of Peter being goofy with Eli in the background!