NNU & a “Beloved Community”
One incredible thing about living on campus and going to a University is having the opportunity to listen to amazing lectures. Maybe I am a tad bit odd and view these things as “SOOOO COOL”, but I do. We at NNU have a yearly event entitled Beloved Community. At this event the University sponsors a speaker to come and education we the students and community on how to enter into what Dr. Martin Luther King called a ‘beloved community.’ I love the premise of it all and last night Sister Helen Prejean came to campus and spoke to us about abolishing the death penalty. I am not going to take the time and go into the politics or arguments behind the speaker. But, having the opportunity to listen to a world class speaker who cares so deeply for her cause is an inspiration to people on either side of the debate. Last semester I was studying abroad and was really struggling with the idea of having to come back to campus. But knowing that my school here was sponsoring these type of events and the students at my school cared deeply for them helped me know that my place was here. If you want to know more about the event last night and what Sister Helen stands for click on the following link: http://www.nnu.edu/offices/marketing/news-article/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=203&tx_ttnews[backPid]=1727
From the standpoint of a student, it is nice to know that my school, Northwest Nazarene University, has the reputation to host such an event and the students and faculty that will support it!
Arielle Askren
Junior, Public Communications
read comments (0)My Last NNU-to-Home Thanksgiving
This year, Thanksgiving brought mixed emotions. My family goes to my maternal grandparents’ house for Thanksgiving, and the food is amazing! This year, though, there was a bit of happiness and sadness along with Thanksgiving, happiness in not having to drive 24 hours in the span of 5 days, and sadness that I may or may not be with family next Thanksgiving. It is nice, though, to go to a school close enough to my family that I can go home for a short break. This year, was a nice relaxing weekend. Wednesday was mostly travelling from Nampa to my home in Spokane, Washington. Thursday morning, driving from Spokane to Snoqualmie, Washington where my grandparents live. Just a couple hours after getting to Snoqualmie began the dinner. 12 people, tons of food, wonderful pies, family pictures, and shared thanks.
Every year, my Papa has something prepared for everyone to share their thanks. One year we were all given piece of paper with one letter from the word “Thanksgiving” and had to share something we were thankful for that started with that letter. This year was a bit different. Papa started and went around the table, saying something about every person that he was thankful for. It took over an hour, but everyone around the table said something of thanks about every other person at the table. It certainly makes you think when you have to find something to be thankful for about someone you see only once or twice a year. However, that difficulty is worth it. Being thankful, even for the little things can be quite fulfilling. I’m thankful that I got another year to make the journey for Thanksgiving, and thankful that I won’t have to drive 24 hours in one weekend for quite some time.
Lydia Miller, Senior
Spokane, WA
English Major
Highlights of my NNU Academic Week
I feel that when looking for a college, the typical campus life is just as important, if not more so, than any other factors. Therefore…
Highlights of my NNU Academic Week:
Monday:
Mondays are crazy on our wing. Everybody ended up having busy class schedules at the same time, there are on campus as well as off campus jobs being worked, and homework to be done. This means that Mondays on good ol’ first north may not be incredibly exciting, but we still always manage to squeeze in a little bonding time before bed. One of my favorites is when we all shower at the same time, while playing a CD we are all familiar with. Group sing-along anyone?
Tuesday:
Tuesday nights the boys are allowed to come over. For some this means the one day a week there is actually an attempt made at a clean room. For others this means movie night. For Meghan (my roommate) and I this typically consists of games, coloring books, dance parties, or listening to our wonderfully talented friends serenade us with guitar. Also, Tuesdays make good workout days. Kelly (my neighbor) and I broke out the tape measure and discovered it takes precisely 29 laps around our floor to make a mile. We then proceeded to run circles through our hallway while blasting workout music from the bathroom and making a tally on someone’s whiteboard every time we completed a lap.
Wednesday:
Wednesday nights are my favorite. They mean Timeout! Timeout is a student led chapel. It’s usually a smaller group than morning chapel, and very sincere. It’s for sure the highlight of my week, every week. We spend extra time in worship, and it’s just so awesome! The rule of thumb amongst my group of friends is “Never miss timeout. Unless I’m puking or dying, bring me in on a stretcher.”
Thursday:
I am a big fan of The Office. Thursday nights for me revolve around 8pm Office parties at the Brickhouse. Regardless of what we’re busy doing, 8 pm is a time to drop everything and come together as a community to watch Michael Scott be the idiot we all know and love. There’s usually awesome music at the Brickhouse, and we have wing Bible study Thursday nights that I love…but let’s just face it-my night really does revolve around the office. :]
Friday:
Fridays are tricky to summarize because we have yet to do the same thing twice. Sporting events are a riot, and downtown Boise is always great. Everything school sanctioned has been a blast (TWIRP!, roller scamming, homecoming events, scavenger hunt!) But when those nights hit that we just aren’t feeling creative, we usually end up at the movie theater. Movies are only a dollar after midnight (which can be a little tricky with 2am curfew, but we make it work). We’ve also been known to bake muffins, play Apples to Apples, go salsa dancing, or “wing ding” (your wing goes on a giant date with another wing of the opposite gender). Really, Fridays are indescribable. They’re that bit of college that is never planned or organized, but is always a blast. It’s like good cooking-it doesn’t go by a recipe. It just happens, and turns out delectable!
Kaylee Bunn, Freshman
English Education & History Education
Eagle, ID
Fresheree
Last Saturday, October 17, was NNU’s annual Fresheree comedy show. Fresheree is not an actual talent show and is not limited to only freshman but it is a spoof-talent and variety show. It is put on annually by the Sophomore Class Council. The theme they picked for this year was “Where’s Waldo” and the three upper-classmen hosts were Miraim Reardon, Trevan Hauck, Jared Joffer.
So this year my friends and I thought it would be fun to participate, so we put together an act and tried out. We decided to do a dance with a glow-stick stick figure taped on our bodies, so when we are in all black all that can be seen is a glowing stick figure. On the night of dress rehearsal, my friends and I got glow sticks from Target and taped them on our arms and legs but it took us a half hour to get them cracked and taped and by the time we were ready to go on stage the glow sticks were really dark! So we knew for Saturday we had to find a different method. We ended up buying glow sticks at the dollar store that were really long and on the night of Fresheree we had helpers back stage wrapping packaging tape around our legs, arms and waist. When it came time for our performance we danced kind of robotically to a instrumental mix that one of our friends made. The auditorium was pitch black so all you could see was the glow sticks! We did fun, stiff moves with our arms and legs and over exaggerated everything. It was a really fun event overall! All of the acts were great! The Sophomore Class Council did a wonderful job decorating for the theme, organizing and running everything.
The glow stick routine
Blake Weber, Sophomore
Business Major
Springfield, OR
You can follow an overseas NNU student!
Arielle Askren is a junior at Northwest Nazarene University studying Communications with minors in Political Science and Psychology. She is spending the semester at Oxford and started a blog called “Living Life with an Arielle View” to chronicle her experience. You can follow Arielle’s blog at www.ariellelivinglife.blogspot.com. Here is her latest blog entry:
Oxford Life: Week Six
Hello All!
I hope that you all have had a marvelous week! I have had a cold this week, which has NOT been fun! Hmm… I’m trying to think of what to write. This week was a little hectic due to the fact that it was the first week of term. Term here is Oxford is very different from school in the US.
So I shall give you all a play-by-play of my week:
Monday: Canadian Thanksgiving
I am a member of the JCR: Junior Common Room, its kinda like a class council/SGA for all of us in our program. Within the group of 60 of us, there are about 2-3 Canadians so we decided to throw them a Candaian Thanksgiving pancake party! It was a lot of fun and got a little hectic with everyone coming into our program office… But it was totally worth it! A group even sang the Canadian National Anthem!
The rest of the day I went to a lecture and spent time in the library researching. The lecture that I went to was British History VI… Pretty much it is a lecture series on history in England from 1800-1915! I actually really liked it, because while I know quite a bit about American History and Politics it was interesting to find out the history of an entirely different country taught from there viewpoint. Gotta love all of the angles!
Tuesday:
I had a lecture on Theories of Politics. It was very interesting and I was able to understand about 99% of what the professor was teaching on! I also met some really awesome people and just had a great time. From there I went to the library and studied some more. I was working on a paper about the Aristotellian State. So tuesday was defiantely Aristotle day! Also in the afternoon I went and had tea at our program office Frewin Court. Every week our Tutor of Student Affairs holds a tea for us where we just get to hang out and socialize a little. I also had a JCR meeting where we planned out some fun events for the rest of the term. JCR is realy fun because all the other people on it live in the other house, so its great to get the chance to socialze with them and get to know them better! After the meeting I went back to the library and read more Aristotle.
As you are probably catching life in Oxford revolves around 4 key places: My house, the program office, the library and the exam schools where all of my lectures are!
Wednesday:
This was the day that my cold decided to come out in full force! Which was not that much fun considering that it was my most hectic day. So on Wednesday I had 2 lectures in the late morning/early afternoon, followed by our programs weekly Vocation and Scholarship lecture. It was great to be able to see everyone in the program in one place and it followed with all of us having tea together. From here I went back to the library because my essay was due the next morning. I didn’t last long at the library though due to the fever that developed 
Thursday:
I decided that I would sleep and finish it all in the morning which I did. By this point I was really sick and so I was unable to make it to my tutorial. We were able to reschedule it, which was very nice of my tutor. The rest of Thursday I spent in bed only to go out to make a doctor’s appointment for Friday. It was really good just to spend a day in bed not doing anything.
Friday:
I started feeling better, but still rather sick, so I went to the Doctors appointment where he told me… that I had a cold! I know right, I was not happy to pay a person to tell me that I had a cold, but oh well that is life. Friday was another day where I did a little researcg but mainly stayed in bed.
Saturday:
And well, that brings us to right here. Where I literally spendt all day in the library reseraching whether Irish Feinianism is an ideology or a tradition! I know right, sounds like SO much fun. I really do find it really interesting, but I know nothing about it, and at times it feels rather obscure. So I am pretty much trying to learn as much as I can.
Well, that was my week! Yay being an Oxford student!!! Life here is crazy and hectic, but its great to know that I have some amazing friends here and also everyone who is in the states! Thank you all for you support!
Have a great week everyone!!!
Arielle
My First Week At NNU
So I just finished my first week in classes and I am already positive that I do not know as much as I thought I knew. I have never been so humbled in all of my life. My classes are taught by incredibly brilliant professors who know exceedingly more than I can ever hope to. I’m also learning that Northwest Nazarene University is nothing like Community College. Here are a few differences I’ve noticed:
1. My parents are not around to help with difficult homework, make sure I sleep enough, or buy me school supplies.
2. I have friends that I see on a consistent basis! (This is a VERY good and fun thing)
3. Homework is MUCH harder, but more fun because some of my friends are in my classes so we can do homework together.
4. People at NNU love God and give Him the glory for His work in their life.
5. I go to church with the same people I live with, eat with, and go to classes with.
6. I get to go to church 6 times a week!! (3 chapel services, a Wednesday night service, Sunday morning service and Sunday night service!)
I am having a good time, making new friends, learning to be independent, and learning how to balance studying with having fun. I’m glad I am at NNU, this is where I am supposed to be.
Stevi Knight, Freshman
Elementary Education Major
Ridgefield, WA
Orientation was Awesome!
Orientation was a fun and fantastic experience. I was first greeted by a brilliant array and wide spectrum of local business at the community fair. I was surrounded by free pizza, spinning wheels of prizes and swag (Stuff We All Get). After finding my way through the community fair chaos, I walked into the more calm atmosphere of the Brandt Center. I was greeted by my admissions counselor who introduced me to my roommate; he is the greatest guy ever. Moving in was fun and easy with all the student leaders willing to help. The ice cream social Friday night was a hustle and bustle of introduction and sticky handshakes, followed by a Fred Meyer discount madness with free food and a dj. I got a mini fridge and a snuggie.
Saturday’s scavenger hunt was a messy endeavor. We came back with necks smelling of trout and faces covered in shaving cream and flour, but boy, was it fun! Sunday’s ribbon cutting ceremony was an adventure of moms crying and dads shaking hands and comforting wives, and students ready to see thier parents off after 18 or so years; yet they will be missed. Rendevous was a ton of fun playing “Rack the Gack,” and eating burgers with fellow freshmen. It was a grand time of fellowship and bonding and a great way to start off the year.
Chris Peck
Commercial Music Major
Philosophy and Me
Brandon Gipson
Portland, OR
Junior
Philosophy
Every time I tell someone my major I always hear roughly the same things, “Why Philosophy” and “What are you going to do with that after college”. It’s funny really. A lot people come to college looking for a practical major that is applicable to the real world, a major that will get them a well paying job as soon as their studies are over. The common misconception about Philosophy is that it’s none of those things. While I can’t say as many Philosophy students receive job offers right of college as say Nursing students, I can guarantee you that Philosophy is extremely applicable to life.
Through Philosophy I have developed a new way of viewing the world. It has taught me to weigh arguments fairly, to think critically and to keep an open mind of all things. My classes are full of thought provoking ideas and discussions that send me running back to my apartment, eager to share and discuss what I’ve learned with my roommates.
I have been in three other majors over the last few years and none have been as eye opening or so vital to my development as an individual as Philosophy.
If you have any questions email me at bmgipson@nnu.edu
My First Year at NNU
Tim Streight
Nampa, ID
Sophomore
Biology: Pre-Med
1. What was your favorite food at the Dex?
I am a big fan of the cereal line, I love the classic homestyle cooked foods, but you just can’t go wrong with a bowl of captain crunch.
2. What was your favorite class and why?
I loved my Biblical literature class. The teacher was an awesome guy that used to play pro-football and was a blast to chat with even outside of class. He also spent a lot of time praying for me when I asked him to, and the class itself was very insightful and beneficial.
3. What is the coolest thing about your hometown?
I am a local Nampan so the coolest thing about here is how close I live to the outdoors. I love to hunt, fish, boat, snowboard, hike, and tons of other things and they are all less than an hour away. There is also a bunch of activities to do really close that is very worth while.
4. What was the dumbest thing you did last year?
Our wing had gone on a twix, which is sort of a massive group date. A bon-fire was planned and then it started to rain. We weren’t sure what we were going to do, so I had the idea to go to a local dried up lake and we played a mud football game in the rain with our dates. It was awesome because we played until one in the morning in front of car headlights. It was an absolute blast.
5. What was the best part about your freshman year at NNU?
The best part about coming to NNU were the friendships that I formed. The people here are great and you don’t have to pretend to be someone that you aren’t here. In this community everyone is real and that is something that is really special.
Major Quick Look: Journalism
Holly Beech
Nampa, ID
Junior
Journalism Major
Even though the journalism department at NNU is only two years old, the program does a great job of giving students real-life, hands-on experience. I’ve been able to be a reporter for NNU’s kid’s news program that airs on KTVB, and I’ve interviewed several of my professors and fellow students to complete story assignments. Professor Roebuck, the head of the department, used to be a newspaper reporter and editor, so he knows what assignments, no matter how challenging, will benefit his students the most. I’ve loved our field trips and class discussions. Next summer I will probably do an internship with a newspaper or magazine company.
You can check out Holly’s blog at www.hbeech.blogspot.com
