It's a new school year full of fresh faces. You know what that means: new relationships will be popping up like wildflowers. All of the single kids are on the prowl, looking to get some "ring by spring" action. For those of us that didn't find our soul mates during Welcome Week (I'm talking to you, attached-at-the-hip, head-over-heels-in-love ... [Read More…]
Observations from an MK
Being a missionary kid from Thailand, I'm the new kid on the ACU block, or maybe the U.S.A. block in general. Watching college students walk about their daily lives is fascinating. I've been watching communities grow, students "work" and couples pair up faster than their walk to class. Even with so much new culture for me to absorb, I can't ... [Read More…]
Court’s decision tramples a basic American right
The New Mexico Supreme Court ruled last week that a Christian photographer could not decline to do business with a lesbian couple who wanted their wedding photographed. In 2006 this photographer expressed that because of her religious beliefs she only photographs traditional weddings. The same-sex couple filed a complaint with the New Mexico ... [Read More…]
The downfall of mission trips
Emphasizing missions and evangelism has become a recent trend in modern Christianity. While these are both great things and basic foundations of the Christian faith, mission trips often become more about the people serving than the people being served. So why do Christians go on short term missions trips? It is easy for evangelical ... [Read More…]
My elbow, the moon and kickball
Beginning a new school year and learning the ropes as the new editor of the Optimist has been a very humbling experience for me. In times like these, you find out exactly how much you don't know. You get lost and show up to the wrong classroom. You forget to respond to your name when attendance is called. You can't find a seat in Chapel. It's ... [Read More…]
Real life is not like TV
Everyone has a television series they keep up with on a regular basis. Some people even have multiple shows they eagerly tune in to weekly. The genres of these shows vary. Some people are addicted to action-packed crime dramas. Others prefer comedies or sitcoms. Reality TV is always popular. Science fiction programs are entertaining for those ... [Read More…]
A letter to the broken-hearted
Our little community has certainly had its fair share of heartache over the past two years. Experiencing so much loss in such a short span of time is taking its toll on this family. In times like these, our humanity becomes very real. We are reminded that, though we are young, we are not invincible. We do not have super powers. Our lives are ... [Read More…]
You don’t know what you’ve got ’till it’s gone
It's funny how we sometimes forget the happy memories but the memories that make us sad or the ones that bring us pain, we remember in vivid detail. For me, Nov. 4 2011 is a date that will always be branded in my mind. I remember sitting at in the Bean eating and talking to friends. It seemed like a typical Friday. You'd think that when tragedy ... [Read More…]
Looking back at Anabel Reid’s life
Does it feel like it’s been a year? Yes. And at the same time, no. I still have flashbacks to the exact moment when I found out I would never get to hug my best friend again. This Sunday marks the one-year anniversary of the bus accident that ended one life and changed so many others, including mine. I befriended Anabel Reid during the first ... [Read More…]
Remembering Anabel: A lesson in strength
Last Friday was suppose to be a normal Friday. Last weekend was suppose to be a normal weekend. The world wasn't suppose to come crashing down around us. But it did. The foundations of our community were rocked when the bus carrying 16 members of the ACU family crashed. We waited anxiously for news about our friends. Students, faculty, staff and ... [Read More…]