And The Ravens, They Are A-Cawin'

Anderson University is in the Chicago Tribune again, and no, it's not for our dance policy. A group of current students ages 21 and over decided to protest AU's alcohol policy yesterday during its 10 am chapel by marching down to a local bar, Kroakerheads, and having a very public drink, with local media and campus security there to observe. This march was prefaced the night before when members of the group scattered two garbage bags full of empty alcohol bottles across campus, which were cleaned up by campus police that same night. Harried school officials, blindsided by the swarm of local media attention, are currently holding talks with the student body about the alcohol policy, while condemning yesterday's demonstration. Through all of this, I can't help but think, do any of these students know how big an issue they're taking on?

Yes, Jesus did say, "John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, 'He has a demon.' The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, 'Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and 'sinners.' But wisdom is proved right by all her children" (Luke 7:33-35). In other words, "Quit arguing, you chuckleheads. It's okay to drink (responsibly) and not to drink. To each his own! It's the other stuff that matters." This should not be a big, dualistic debate, although it's already leaning that way. This should not be a case of "us versus them." The actions of these students portrayed a lack of respect and trust for the administration, as well as a display of ill will. The administration should be given a chance to listen to students' concerns and respond to them before we assume the worst.

Second, I doubt that many realize that the administration's hands are tied anyway. Anderson University has a Board of Trustees that have the difficult task of making the big decisions to keep AU fiscally afloat. President Edwards and the Student Life staff are subject to the Board's decisions. They were hired by the university as enforcers; out of all these people only President Edwards is even on the Board. I would imagine that the individuals who met with students tonight are the hands and feet of the Board and not those who create the rules themselves. It is unfair to demonize these individuals or attack them, because they are responsible for executing the rules, but I doubt they could change them without the Board's support.

Third, this is not a Church of God school, but it is. Most of our scholarships come from Church of God members; this means that, while the Church of God no longer has its name on all the signs, in effect, it serves to financially "back" the university. What this means for students is that we are subject to the attitudes of the church and those of its members who choose to donate to endowments and building projects and the like. If this little shenanigan from yesterday upsets one of these individuals, he or she just might decide to end his or her support of the university, essentially leaving one or more of next year's students with more money to come up for school and in this struggling economy to boot. I have heard that the university actually crunched numbers for this and determined that student tuition would rise by seven thousand dollars. I would assume that would merely represent the loss to the budget and not even to scholarships themselves. These actions have consequences not only for those students who chose to demonstrate, but for those who did not.

Fourth, this issue is tied up in the history of the Church of God. As part of the Holiness movement, the Church of God has historically focused on the "you are called to be in the world, but not of the world" verse. The old dance policy was one example of this. The church believed that we were called to something higher, and this should be reflected by in our lives, which should be visibly focused on higher things than the corruption of the world. This included dancing, playing cards, watching movies, wearing make-up, and drinking alcohol. Thus was the Holiness movement was associated with the temperance movement. This unfortunately led to a system where, as many older Church of God members now say, "You were as holy as the number of buttons on your shirt." The Church of God does not officially condemn alcohol use anymore, but this does not negate an unspoken institutional policy still tinged with these attitudes. As such, the best of intentions have essentially demonized certain acts, et cetera, the last surviving form of this being seen in this stance on alcohol.

Fifth, lessening the severity of the alcohol policy opens the door for further abuse. Everyone knows that some AU students still abuse alcohol under the current policy, but those who may be turned off from partying by the strict policy and its harsh penalties might just be those who later go to excesses. If of-age students are allowed to get drunk off campus, they would pose a danger not only to themselves, but to those on the roads if these students choose to drive. If they return to campus, drunk students would inevitably cause disruptions in the dorms and across the main body of campus. This is not what we want, either.

Honestly, I think the administration's hands are tied. It's not a matter of students having no voice; I think it's more a matter of the Board of Trustees' understanding of the full financial effect of such a decision upon individual students, as well as the consideration of the possibilities of increased alcohol abuse by students. The current policy, however, is inadequate. There is no reason why alcohol in and of itself should be condemned, as it inherently is in this policy and the policy for faculty; the only problem with alcohol that is mentioned in the Bible is drunkenness. This is what we should try to control, and this is what the policy should restrict, not the legal and responsible use of alcohol by students and faculty, or the fault of being in the presence of such activity. Since such a change to the policy would still be nigh impossible, and students would still be likely to face further economic hardship, I think the best option at this point is for the policy to remain the same, although I still dislike it.

PFC Rhynard

I enlisted yesterday; swore in at MEPS (Military Entrance & Processing Station) after the longest day ever on one hour of sleep. Freeway noise and I did not make friends on Sunday night. Anyway, I'm now PFC (Private First Class) Rhynard of the United States Army! :D And I'm kinda excited about it, as you can probably tell. :)

I got the linguist job, although it's still dependent upon one more thing, which should turn out fine. I'm shipping out of Indianapolis to Ft. Jackson in Columbia, SC on October 6 for Basic Combat Training (BCT; 9 weeks, 4 days, please write), and then I start Advanced Individual Training (AIT) in Monterey, CA at the DLI (Defense Language Institute) on February 1, 2010. (The military loves it some abbreviations.) As to what I will do and where I will live in the meantime, I have no clue. Nor do I know when I will find out when the Army will decide what language I will learn and whether I will become a signals intelligence officer or a cryptologic linguist. (I'm hoping for the latter.) It's all up in the air.

All I know is that I just have this little Army bag to hold all my worldly possessions to take to boot camp, and, as a woman, former camp counselor, and generally overprepared overpacker, that is intimidating and disappointing. ;) haha but I guess I can buy the bug spray, foot powder, and everything else I will deem necessary at the post when I get there, and they won't take it away from me. I will miss my dear little iPod, my cell phone, my friends and family (of course!), the internet, and, to a large extent, Colts football (!!!) while I'm at boot camp. Can someone promise to DVR each game? Haha. (But I'm so serious. If any one wants to . . . I'd be forever grateful haha.)

And now, I feel like I'm in limbo. I really want to start running outdoors now, though. Anybody interested in joining? I am pathetically unmotivated when it comes to running alone; I can't stand the lack of companionship and the diversion that companionship provides. Anyway. If anyone feels like running 3-4 miles a day, 4-5 days a week . . . get at me. :)

My bed and Fred the Giraffe beckon. Goodnight, all. :)

Away for Too Long

I've decided to start memorizing Scripture again. I've decided on these (might as well focus on a theme, to keep things related).

"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded." James 5:7-8

"But you, man of God, flee from all this [love of money], and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses." - 1 Timothy 6:11

"Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul." - 1 Peter 2:11

"In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." - James 2:17. If I ever get a tattoo, I think I might like to get this verse somewhere.

I'd really like to write a little each day, spend time with God in prayer and listening to his words, and maybe even keep up this schedule for studying. I'm really not the Dani/Danielle (depends on who you ask haha) who can stick to the plan, who doesn't set herself up to sabotage her own plans. I know that that girl is a possibility for me, though, and I'd like to make her a part of my reality. I don't even realize how much sabotaging myself can sabotage others in turn, with broken plans, delayed deadlines, cock-eyed efforts, and late or missed appointments. I can honestly say I've gotten much better on these things, but they still rub me like a hair shirt. I want to start looking at discipline and buckling down as the positive things they can be, not the restricting cages they can become if handled improperly.

I have this gift of encouragement, and I don't use it. I'm afraid of maybe going too far with this, like I've done in the past, and casting other things aside as a result of going overboard in this area, honestly, but I think I can compromise and try to leave it at situational encounters for now, make the most of where I'm already at sort of thing. I have a few ideas in mind; we'll see.

Also, I can't stand when people are insincere. I say this in the understanding that I myself am not always sincere, though I can sometimes get away with the semblance of it. I really want to become more transparent (which starts with cleaning up my act, for me) so that I don't really have anything to hide. I guess transparency is hardest for me because I feel like it requires near-perfection and plainness. The blunt truth, though, is that, I'm complex, no matter how simple I'd like to be, and I'm a bit of a mess at times. I need to check myself every once in awhile when I confuse transparency with modeling (Bandura-style, not catwalk-style). It doesn't matter what I've been taught I need to become to be a "good Christian." If that's a Barbie box I can't fit into, then maybe there's a different box made just for me. I think that's real Christianity.

I don't know if anyone reads this anymore, or if it's just here for my own cathartic benefit, but if you see me, please, call me out on any of this. Haha make me tell you one of these verses, or ask me if I've been sticking to my schedule or if I've been messing around and wasting time. Ask me if I've been late for anything. Heck, ask me anything — and I'm serious. I want to become transparent. Can't walk the walk without it.

The Holiday time

I guess it's just something that creeps up on me every once in awhile, but I get into this overly sentimental, girly-girl mood (adult terminology escapes me at 3:15 am). It probably has something to do with hormones or something, a bit to do with the fact that I went dancing last night (which is why I slept in so late today and thus am still awake now), and something to do with the fact that I've been so busy lately that I've been cut off from everyone. As the fog of my community warms off, so does my tough self-reliance.

Tonight, I had the urge to watch a chick flick. The Holiday, in fact. And I can't help but identify with the characters. Although I've never been in that intense, "unrequited love" situation or experienced that cheating boyfriend scenario (well, mostly), I've been the awkward, quirky one, the complicated mess and the verbal vomiter.

I've gotta say, though, that my favorite character is Arthur. But I digress.

It would be really nice to find someone whose awkwardness I love and who loves mine in return. As in, someone of the opposite gender. Eventually. I'd just rather know now that it will happen later, because, in spite of high hopes, I can be a real cynic.

I want to be as compassionate as Iris, as wise as Arthur, as happily quirky as Miles, as optimistic (and as great an encourager of my kids' imaginations and as fun a parent, someday) as Graham, and as unabashed as Amanda. So many great characters. Now this is entirely too literary of me, but most "round" or non-stereotypical characters are negative characters, or somehow obviously unlikeable in some area of their personalities. These are all likeable and sympathetic characters, and you just can't really dislike them for their faults. I like that optimistic look at people as a whole -- that, somehow, our "pros" and our "cons" add up to something better than our "pros" alone, at least for someone. I want to find that. I want to embody that. And in the meantime, I want to think that's possible and make it possible.