Straying Away from Summer's Stormy Showers



Rainy day at the beach.

 At times in the summer it seems like, Florida, "The Sunshine State" becomes "The Shower State."  Last week I was wondering what was up with all of the extensive rain, and then the TV news introduced me to Tropical Storm Debby, moving towards the Florida's Gulf Coast, causing rain across the state.  As much as some people find the storms to be dark and dreary, I've actually become acquainted to their calming and soothing aspects.  

With the threat of tropical storms, hurricanes, or even 15-minute afternoon showers this time of year, it's inevitable my trusty tote umbrella will be in my purse.  However, when the thunder is loud enough to keep me cooped up indoors, sometimes it seems like the only thing to do is clean out my closet!
  
With two year's worth of college memories at PBA bundled up in boxes, I began to sort through my favorite cards, letters and photos and place them into scrapbooks, albums and frames.  And, it's a bonus that my closet shelves are getting cleaned out!  But, I happened to create more of a mess than I already had in my room with paper, gel pens and glitter for writing letters to friends from out-of-state. Oh well. 

Nutella cookies for a rainy day.

The best thing about staying indoors is getting stuck in the kitchen.  I'm not an avid cook, but I do enjoy baking, especially when I get the recipes correct.  This past weekend I successfully made a pan of sweet cornbread for my family and rich Nutella cookies for my boyfriend.  Then, with some sweets and a cup of tea in hand, I snuggled up to my pillow with books, my latest fix, "The Hunger Games" series. Though, the rainy weather eventually lured me to sleep, a good excuse to take a nap, which is every working college student's dream!

What fun ideas or activities do you have for spending time without the sun and staying dry inside?

Missing My Roommate 'Across the Pond'

PBA student Chloe Westrich studied abroad in London, England.

What would you do if your roommate got accepted to a study abroad program halfway through the school year, which also meant he/she had to leave you? One of my PBA roommates for the fall 2011 semester was Chloe Westrich, from St. Louis, Mo. She had the awesome opportunity to participate in PBA's London Semester Program during the spring semester. According to pba.edu, The London Semester Program was the result of a partnership between PBA’s Center for Experiential Learning and Roehampton University, located in southwest London.

Chloe's PBA suitemates bake her a cake. 

Although it was easy congratulating my amazing roommate last fall for this incredible opportunity, it was disappointing to know our time as roommates was coming to an end. Chloe was definitely the glue that held all us suitemates together in the Flagler Towers dorm at PBA. She brought a special something to our suite with her bright smile and genuine personality. In celebration of her acceptance to the program, we baked a going away cake. It was difficult letting her leave, but throughout the semester we viewed her Facebook page, updated with happy photos and messages. Also, our entire suite contacted her through Skype on her birthday, which she spent in London, as well.

Chloe recently arrived safely back to the U.S. with lots of stories and experiences! Last weekend, I caught up with her after she settled down, back home, and she filled me in on her time in London. She explained:

Chloe in a London phone booth.

“Studying abroad in London was unlike any other experience I’ve had before. There were some real struggles in the beginning, but by the end of the semester I had fallen head-over-heels in love with the culture, the people, and all the exciting events happening around the city every day.

I was stretched in absolutely every way possible including: physically, emotionally, spiritually, and intellectually. I became familiar with another culture, but was also able to understand my own culture even better. I feel like I am walking away from this experience as a changed person: my mind has been opened to even more possibilities around the world and a brand new sense of adventure has been cultivated within me.

I have also been able to escape the typical American lifestyle of constantly rushing from one event to another, and really embrace a more slowed down lifestyle where I can really appreciate the people and events I encounter each day.

Some days I wake up and think to myself, 'Did that semester really just happen, or was all of this just a dream?' I am beyond thankful for the opportunities that I had, the people that I met, the breath-taking places I was able to see, and the once-in-a-lifetime experiences I had over the past four and a half months. I would highly recommend studying abroad to everyone.”

Although I had to share my roommate with London, I'm happy she had such a great life experience.

Have you ever thought about spending a semester abroad?

PBA Students and the World LEADERS Conference


Last week, students had a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet, hear or even just catch a glimpse of some of the most influential leaders around the world.  The World LEADERS Conference took place the morning and afternoon of April 18 and 19 in the DeSantis Family Chapel at Palm Beach Atlantic University.  Through PBA's event coordinator, students were invited to volunteer for the conference.

Early morning volunteer group of PBA students

 
PBA Students Volunteer and Attend

I decided to volunteer April 18 helping out in the front of the chapel by checking attendees’ name badges, as well as working with the backstage production crew.  Throughout the day, I was able to catch a glimpse of many of the speakers. While volunteering, I had a blast with the other volunteers.   Plus, it was great to see that the attendees and staff were grateful for our presence and assistance with the conference. 

 Besides students who were volunteering for the conference, there were several other students who attended the conference with seating.  Through hearing a variety of speakers, PBA students gained a deeper understanding of the meaning of a "leader."  I know that students who attended the conference will apply these skills to their lives at school, as a majority of them are already currently student leaders on campus.

Blair speaks at the World LEADERS Conference

Former Prime Minister of Britain Tony Blair

Luckily, as a student volunteer, I was selected along with one other student to work during the afternoon when Former Prime Minister of Britain Tony Blair gave his speech.  I worked with the production crew, and then attended a reception in the Rotunda of the Warren Library for a photo opportunity with Former Prime Minister Blair.  Although it was a rare experience to introduce myself to him, it was his words of advice during the conference that was a gift beyond compare.

There were three aspects of Former Prime Minister Blair's outlined seven steps for leaders that stuck out to me as goals for improving my own leadership. For example, he encouraged the audience to use problems for motivation, instead of frustration.  He also suggested using a balance of humility and self-belief in leadership. Finally, he asked us to remember to always thank God for the blessings in our life.   

These three small examples of leadership advice have deeply pierced my heart, and will help me with my leadership journey at PBA. Overall, it is encouraging to see how an experienced world leader, such as Former Prime Minister Blair, is willing and able to express leadership advice in a way that is relatable to those who have yet to gain his experience. 

'Feeding Children Everywhere' Event April 14

This semester at PBA never stops rolling with student events and activities. 

Last weekend at the Refresh Leadership Retreat put on by Palm Beach Atlantic University's Center for Campus Connections at the Life for Youth Camp in Vero Beach, I learned about a food packaging event coming to PBA Saturday, April 14. A food packaging event is where volunteers package raw food products to create nutritious meals to feed the hungry.

As stated on its website, Feeding Children Everywhere “...is a social charity that empowers and mobilizes people to assemble healthy meals for hungry children.” According to PBA student Matthew Langford, who spoke about the event at chapel this week, the goal is to pack 50,000 meals that will be sent to churches and orphanages in the horn of Africa, where there is currently a huge drought.  Each meal contains rice, lentils, vitamin blend and dehydrated vegetables, and costs only 25 cents.

The campus as a whole is really getting fired up about helping out from 1 to 5 p.m. in the Mahoney Gym at PBA's Greene Complex for Sports and Recreation.  In a listserv e-mail to students, Matt shared, “We have roughly 1,000 students that live on campus…if each student on campus gave $10, which would be $10,000.”  However, not only is this event for students who live on campus, but for commuter students and the community of West Palm Beach. 
It is amazing to think that at least one thousand PBA students as well as residents of West Palm Beach will have the opportunity to practice servant leadership. Matt also wrote, “The number one thing I want to happen through this event is for the heart of our campus to break for the needy in this world.”

Watch the video below "What is a Packing Event?" to see exactly what will be going on at PBA Saturday, April 14. Will you be joining?

PBA Alumna to Show 'Garbage' Glam April 19

It's not difficult to "go green" and practice sustainability at Palm Beach Atlantic University. I found my way into the green theme when I first started working with the company Garbage Gone Glam.  When I learned about the company, I didn't know that I'd be working for a cause that would eventually make a huge impact around Palm Beach County and other parts of the country. 

Earth Day Fashion Show downtown WPB 2011

Garbage Gone Glam is a company founded by PBA alumna Kristen Alyce, who studied Fine Art and Education.  I met Kristen while she was working at a CityPlace store. She came up to me and asked me if I would be in the first fashion show in 2009 at the Braman Motorcar Porshe dealership. Her latest show in the area was in February of this year at the E4 Sustainability Summit, put on by the City of West Palm Beach at the weekly Saturday Green Market. The next show will be minutes away from campus, featured at the Norton Museum of Art's "Art After Dark" on April 19. And following that, a showcase in downtown Palm Beach Gardens at the Green Energy Council's annual "Earth Day."

Kristen's bio on GarbageGoneGlam.com states, "Being a true artist, Kristen knew her collection of Vogue & Elle magazines along with large amounts of plastic grocery bags could be put to use again."

That is where the concept of Garbage Gone Glam began, and it has been growing ever since. Kristen makes her creations out of donated or recycled materials.  The main focus has been creating dresses to promote "bettering the environment and saving the earth one piece of art at a time," according to the site. Her dresses are exhibited live by girls who walk down her "magazine cover" runway, modeling creative works of art.  What I love about this cause is the inspiration it shows not only by recycling ordinary and odd materials, but turning them into works of art.

"My designs and shows are meant to do more than make you look beautiful," Kristen said. "They are meant to make over a community and set trends that will last forever. After-all, green really is the new black."

When I walk down the runway during these events wearing the recycled dresses, I love being able to advocate how a little change can make a big difference.  I especially love the time during the fitting appointments for actually making the dresses, where I watch Kristen use material deemed "garbage", and piece by piece use it to form a creation to fit my body.

Check out how to join the cause and attend the events here: http://www.garbagegoneglam.com/

How are you making a green impact?

My Day as an Ambassador for 'Women of Distinction'

The PBA event “Women of Distinction” not only has a lovely title, but a lovely purpose. I had the opportunity to attend this event Wednesday through the Presidential Ambassador Program at PBA. Ambassadors are nominated by a PBA staff or faculty member, and represent the study body at important University functions.  Not many students here are aware of this impressive annual awards luncheon at The Breakers in Palm Beach. It was a gorgeous warm, sunny day, and I had permission to "play hooky" from school to witness the event.

Debbie Levinsky and I take a minute before the awards luncheon to capture a photo of The Breakers scenery.

As an ambassador, my duties for the morning included greeting guests and assisting at the place card table.  Other than that, the day was pretty low key for the students working the event.  However, the amount of work, time and dedication of the University staff was clear by how smoothly the program progressed. After a greeting from PBA Interim President Fleming, the humble recipients of the Women of Distinction Scholarship, two PBA seniors, led the invocation.  Moreover, my taste buds were flowering after a delicious lunch of breaded chicken with a savory vegetable sauce, sweet tomato vinaigrette salad and a chocolate sailfish fin atop a strawberry and blueberry pound cake.

The two “Women of Distinction” awarded were Joyce Sang and Sally Soter.  These women have provided such a great service to the community.  When Mrs. Sang’s 24-year-old son died as a result of his bipolar disorder, she created the “The Ryan Licht Sang Bipolar Foundation” to help suffering families. According to PBA.edu the foundation “established an educational initiative…that teaches high school students, parents and teachers to recognize bipolar disorder and depression [and] in August, the foundation brought this program to schools in Palm Beach County.” In addition, the other honoree, Mrs. Soter, has worked tirelessly to promote the arts, where she “established an endowment of photography, which supports special exhibitions, scholarship opportunities and educational programs at The Norton,” according to PBA.edu. Her second goal has been providing better heart health coverage to women, where she created the “first fully endowed chair exclusively for the purpose of women’s heart health in the United States,” stated on PBA.edu.

One part of Mrs. Sang’s speech I especially admired was she suggested all women in the room are women of distinction. This is inspiring as a college student. It is one of my aspirations to work in a way that serves the community, no matter what career path I take.  I could see how beyond all of the glamour of the event, there brightly shone the theme of women working to serve the community.

There have been many women in my life who have been examples of women of distinction.  When I moved to Florida in middle school I found a church where I was blessed to have such a wonderful youth minister who directed the middle school and high school youth group.  From my adolescent age to my adult years, my youth minister served me unwaveringly. Whether I needed a shoulder to cry on or a head to guide my spiritual journey, she was there making a difference in my life. I would name her, along with many other role models in life, as Mrs. Sang stated, “Women of Distinction,” in their own shinning way.

The Season of the Spirit

Christmas Tree in Cityplace

Christmas in West Palm Beach and at PBA truly helps one find joy in the season. 

Just steps away from campus, there is a Christmas tree more than 40-feet tall with thousands of twinkling lights in the heart of CityPlace, a shopping and entertainment center.  Plus, by the tree you can even see "snow" falling from the palm trees, scheduled on the hour.  Just last Saturday was the Palm Beach holiday boat parade of lights, where boats of all sizes traveled along the Intracoastal.  This week at PBA, everyone has been decorating Christmas trees, baking cookies for parties and buying presents for secret Santa games. 

Speaking of snow, when I was a child living up north, I remember throwing pieces of cotton around the family room if we didn't have a white Christmas.  I thought it would make Santa more jolly coming to our house!  However, once I grew older, my view of the Christmas became challenged.  Since that time, I became the scrooge of my family when the Christmas season came around.  I thought Christmas music was cheesy.  I banned the color red from my wardrobe.  I would go through the motions at festivities.  Additionally, even with attending all of these wonderful Christmas activities in West Palm and at PBA this semester, the spirit in my heart had still been lacking. 

I found a rekindling of Christmas not only by reminiscing for this blog entry, but also by reaching a breaking point in my life this week.  The meaning of Christmas reignites the spirit again when it's finally shattered in to tiny, little pieces.  After I had listened to some Christian music for encouragement, I faced my anti-holiday feelings by listening to more Christmas music.  As my holiday Pandora station played "Christmas Cannon" by the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, I found in my heart "The joy that He brings."  The song lyrics are vague, but it relates to having the spirit of a child in Christmas, such as I did before.  Most importantly, this Christmas spirit  parallels with having the faith of a child in loving Christ.

I hope you also recieve a renewed sense of spirit in both Christmas and Christ the Lord during this holiday season. See you in 2012!

'Major' Road Work Ahead

When I picture choosing a major for a degree, I see it as driving down the road of life. 

We often have a path envisioned in our minds that is smoothly paved for the ride ahead.  However, the potholes and bumps of difficulties in life can make the journey an off-road adventure.  As much as we hate construction work on major roads, we also often have trouble accepting the necessary time to fix issues.  And, picking the right vehicle is also important.  Palm Beach Atlantic University is the vehicle that I have chosen to navigate my career path. 

This week, I attended a career seminar offered by PBA’s Student Success office.  I had recently felt like I had lost control of the wheel, with the semester ending quickly and having no final destination.  However, the seminar was helpful in affirming my decision on a major, and potential career options. 

When I first decided to come to PBA, I was unsure of what major to choose -- a roadblock.  Initially, I thought Nutrition would be a possibility in order to fulfill my goal of helping others. Except, I didn’t have a passion for science.  I took a detour toward a major in Communication, which was inspired by a social media project I was involved with in high school. 

Nonetheless, here I am, nearly midway through my sophomore year reaching another roadblock.  Much to my dismay, even completing a minor with my Communication major would leave me a semester short of the credits required to reach the finish line at PBA and graduate my senior year.  With no desire to take electives senior year, I am filling up the tank and plan to double major in Communication and English.  This is a perfect route to take because English is one of my passions.  Beginning next semester, I will begin to test drive the English courses on the road to my majors.

What kinds of "major" road work are you encountering?

The Moving Market of Mediums

 

As I waited for my friend in her dorm, I decided to find out what's happening in the news.  I was going to look at a news website on the Internet when I saw on her table a print edition of USA Today, which is available on campus.  My thoughts turned to deciding which medium of news would be most interesting and informational to me -- online or print. 
It had been a while since I actually picked up a newspaper, so I glanced at the pages for a few minutes. It wasn’t long before I became bored with the tiny print and grey paper, and began searching the online edition instead. 
My favorite aspect of reading news online is that I can tweak it to provide specific information that pertains only to my interests.  Though, a consequence of this method is readers might miss valuable information, and not expand their interests.      

Internet editions of newpapers are popular for its ability to provide updated news anytime, whereas most print editions get one shot a day for the best information. 

Print edition of USA Today

What is more, basic news online doesn’t cost a dime for readers, and print newspapers require subscriptions or a couple quarters at the newsstand.

Growing up, I went to television the most as a source for news. It’s no wonder my brain is used to gathering news through quick and easy methods, which can be found abundantly on the Internet. With the advent of Facebook and Twitter, it’s even more popular to get news online.  My most recent channel of news has come from friends who share links to stories on websites.  I also have a “Pulse” app on my phone that brings news to me anytime, anywhere.

Does the freshness of a newspaper's website oust the print edition's relevance?

Intrapersonal Discovery at the Intracoastal

I would like to share with you all, a groundbreaking discovery of mine this week while sitting on the Intracoastal Waterway seawall.  Every day I have overlooked such an amazing place to take my thoughts and run with them, sometimes literally, with the many runners along the sidewalk there.  I definitely hit a wall these past days, and I’m thankful that I was able to climb the "wall" and sit upon it this week. 



Sitting on the Seawall at Intracoastal

I'm not saying that the seawall is some magical place. It was just a place, as I walked back from class, where I was able to take two seconds of my day to find peace.  In the midst of the chaotic life, with work, school and relationships, God was giving me a chance to be content.  Really, how difficult should it be to take ten minutes a day to breathe deeply among all the congestion we are surrounded by in life?  I don't find it a coincidence that fall break is coming up Friday for us all to relax after midterms.  As we enjoy wonderful festivities, family and friends, let us break from any burdens or sins hanging us down. 



View of Palm Beach Island

Recently, I have felt a great need to satisfy others around me, like my parents, friends, and professors.  I also have felt like I haven't had time for personal hobbies and interests, or even sleep, all of which keep me from being cranky.  The best ways that I find myself relaxing are through reading, writing and spending time appreciating nature.  Where ever you find tranquility, be it in the company of others or the privacy of your room, I challenge you to increase your flow of life and simply appreciate God’s goodness

   

With that said, I have a short story about being surrounded by God's goodness. 

Last night as I was walking back from a meeting, I passed Christian Sampson, a Sailfish Dinning employee, walking and talking about the Word as always with his Bible.  I said hello and asked him how he was, and his answer touched me when he said "Blessed."  All of a sudden, tears rolled down from my eyes in such gratitude as I walked home. We typically answer that question with "Good." or "Fine, thanks." Christian's genuine response was so real to me.  Whatever is going on in life, through the ups and downs, we really are blessed. 
***
Where do you find tranquility on or near the PBA campus?

Not Just Another Campus Club




Leadership exercises/Photo by Tai Cornell

 

I was recently asked in comment on a previous blog entry about activities I’m involved with on campus.  Last semester, I took on the role as an assistant for Impact Leadership Team (ILT). For those who are not familiar with ILT, our goal is to become servant leaders on campus for Christ.  However, I didn’t realize until the end of last semester, there's more to ILT than fun, games and questions.

What stood out to me was the great variety of students chosen to become assistants for the semester. Typically, a club is composed of a group of like-minded people.  That is not the case for ILT. Rather, it is a team composed of a wide variety of leadership styles and opinions.

A positive aspect of recruiting students of various personalities is it brings a large amount of students to our club. However, since ILT acknowledges all different styles of leadership, it's sometimes difficult for the group to agree.  For instance, last semester members claimed they felt left out of the group if the group thought their views were too different.  Ultimately, we made a goal to ensure ILT created a community, which could reach out to all corners and depths of campus. Overall, our differences are what accomplished this task, and set us apart from other clubs.

 
I can honestly say I have become very close friends with peers in ILT, which I wouldn’t have come across in my normal social surroundings, due to different schedules or interests. Not only have the music genres on my iTunes playlist expanded, but so has my heart.  I have been led to Christ stronger through this club, better known as my second family, or as we call it "Ohana."  The very differences that initially kept us apart have helped us challenge or develop our own opinions, and wound up bringing the group together. Good practice for the “real world” after college.

Canoeing trip/Photo by Tai Cornell

If you are interested in Impact Leadership Team, you can meet with us Tuesdays at 11:15 a.m., or Wednesdays at 4 p.m.: pick the day that fits your schedule.  E-mail us at Impact_Leadership_Team@pba.edu to know where we're meeting. 



E-mail us as well about upcoming events, including “Junkbox Wars” this Saturday where we will race cardboard box boats in Towers pool and “Little Smiles” the following Saturday to help out at a fair for terminally ill children, as well as a camping trip in November.

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Testing the Waters at PBA

Enjoying Palm Beach

Are you "making waves" at Palm Beach Atlantic University?  Do you want to know about events here at PBA, locally and nationally? Once you take a swim around, you will start to see the ripple effects happening in your life at this "oceanic" campus!

My journey to PBA began at the end of my junior year in high school when I heard about PBA through a friend.  I had been going to the beaches of Palm Beach for five years prior to attending, but had never noticed the school.  I guess it goes to show how good things can sometimes be hard to find!

Like for many of you, PBA being a small, yet growing Christian university greatly appealed to me.  Until I spent a year here, I never knew what an impact I could make in other's lives.  I truly sought a servant's heart because I could see God's light present through others here. 

I chose to make waves at PBA this year as a sophomore majoring in communication. Is it ironic that being homeschooled until senior year is what spurred this interest in communication? That, along with sports, projects and programs I participated in, which involved all levels of communication including cultural and interpersonal. 

Why am I here writing this blog do you ask? Well, for the said reasons above, and to try something new for my workplace.  Most importantly, I want to discuss a plethora of topics that are interests, concerns or ideas of the everyday PBA student, faculty, parents and friends.  With this blog I want to be the eyes, ears and a potential voice for everyone who has an interest in PBA. 

Please feel more than welcome to e-mail me with questions, and absolutely leave me a comment for negative/positive feedback.

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