Being a senior, I’m reflecting a lot lately on my journey at Manchester and the early memories I made (and forgotten – gee wiz, don’t know how that happened) on campus; it all started in Schwalm Hall. Schwalm is the dorm farthest away from the center of campus, so sometimes no one really knows what’s going on “over there.” After spending a year and a half there, I can honestly say that I really don’t know what the “regular” at Schwalm was because every day was different. One day you’re performing WWE wrestling moves on each other with the full energy of being in a professional WWE ring, when in reality you’re in a 32x32 room and just had too much Red Bull. The next day the entire floor might challenge each other to who can do more snow angels outside in nothing except their boxers. all I’m saying is, Schwalm is a wild card and it makes living there pretty lively among the residents.

I created a really, really solid bond with the guys on my floor my first year. We always kept our doors open, went to dinner together, pulled jokes (a seriously unhealthy amount), and just kind of lived together during the nights. The core group of guys from that floor were some of the best nights I’ve had in college – which is really weird to me; it’s not the best party I went to, or when I won an award, or even a time with a significant other. I guess when I think about why they were such good times to me, even now as a senior, it dawns on me that those times were just so real; there was no pressure with them.

I don’t know if every hall and every floor created a bond as strong as that floor did, but I wish that unity and belonging for anyone. I was on a floor filled with football players, a bunch of baseball players, a couple basketball players, a few oddballs, and I was just a scrawny tennis player. I got made fun of SO MUCH for playing tennis from those football guys, but no one was allowed to make fun of me except for them – it may have also helped that I was the #1 tennis player as a first year and they all sat on the bench their first year. ZIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!

Now, a lot of that core group dropped out or transferred schools and after the remainder of us moved our separate ways (is this really sounding as dramatic as I think it is over switching dorms) it just wasn’t really the same. People find new friends groups, interests, and outgrow others. I’ll pass some of those guys without sharing a glance, but I’m thankful for that handful of guys I can pass on campus and share a laugh with. It’s truly a blessing that I’ll miss at Manchester.

All in all, Schwalm gave me some awesome, hilarious stories to never tell my future children and I couldn’t be more thankful for just the presence some of those guys gave me our first year. 

Aside from location on campus, Schwalm is the place to be. Schwalm has been tagged as not-so clean, hot, loud, other discriminating words, etc. When I spoke to future baseball teammates as a senior in high school, they said Schwalm was hot, social, a small walk, and one of the better places to live on campus. However, after living here for my first semester I can finally form my own opinion (which is obviously the correct opinion) and share it to those who do not live here.

Schwalm is a traditional-style Res hall that divides gender by wing. The traditional style means that there are two students per room that share a community bathroom with everyone in their wing; trust me, community bathrooms are not as bad as what it sounds like. I wasn’t necessarily ecstatic when I heard that but I decided to give it a try and now I have 0 issues with it. They are always cleaned and there is basically no wait ever. When I said Schwalm divided genders by wing, well, that’s pretty self-explanatory; if you look at the Res hall from the front, guys will occupy the right side with the girls on the left. There isn’t a divider or a door in the halls to separate the girls side from the guys; you can start in one corner, pass all the guys rooms, and if you keep walking you’ll end on the girls side without having to pass any doors. I personally like that because you get to experience life with both sides and make new friends. Oh yeah, one more note: Schwalm doesn’t have air conditioning which isn’t fun for the first month of school, but that can be combatted with a fan or two. And when weather starts to cool you’ll probably forget that there isn’t AC.

One of the reasons I choose Schwalm is because most everyone I spoke with said it was social – they weren’t lying. If someone is in their room, 9 times out of 10 their door will be open. Once friends are made on your floor, if your door is open it’s common for people to just come to your room and see what’s up. (Note: one way to make friends is to have your door open.) They’ll stay for a minute and see what you’re doing or see what you’re watching then be on their way. I usually chill in my room so I don’t normally go room-to-room, but to count the times it has happened to me I would need the fingers and toes of about 5-10 people (mainly because I have a couch and my TV is always on).

Schwalm is pretty active on top of people walking the halls. Something it’s famous for is the Snow Bowl. Next to our Res hall is a small ditch with a big, flat ground called Rhiney Bowl. During the winter Schwalm puts on a two-hand-touch football tournament between each wing; example: one game could be first-floor guys vs. third-floor girls. Another informative/entertaining event that is hosted by the Residential Life Association (RHA) is called Sex in the Dark. Students go down to the basement where it is divided into a guys and girls side by the Schwalm Hall Director and Resident Assistants. Upon entry, students can write down any question they wish for the opposite gender to answer. The beauty of this is with a dividing sheet and all of the lights off, you cannot tell who is answering questions. It’s led by Resident Assistants and anyone can write down/answer questions. Also, since Schwalm is the only Res hall with a flat ground, some campus events are also held here. One club, Manchester Activities Council, put on a paintball tournament that was also held in Rhiney Bowl.

Though Schwalm is the farthest Res hall from campus, it only takes about 5 minutes to walk from one corner to the other. It’s warm on the inside for the first month or so, then you don’t really mind having no AC. Many of my friends live here, some which I have met by having my door open, and some even moved from another Res hall called Garver to Schwalm. Schwalm is the best, even though I know you’ll read about the other Res halls and the author says their hall is the best (they’re wrong… just saying). I guess you’ll have to live in Schwalm to believe me. 

Nick Rush ’20 is studying Sports Management and plans on minoring in another business area. He plays baseball for MU, and he plans on working in the sports industry after graduation.

Oakwood Hall is one of the two suite style residence halls on campus. It has three floors, central air, and an elevator. Oakwood is co-ed by suite. Each suite has two double rooms that share a bathroom and a common area. There is a front desk in the lobby of Oakwood, and a kitchen down the hall. Oakwood has a great room that has a fireplace, couches, chairs, and tables, a pool table, a ping-pong table, a TV, and a piano.

In Oakwood, there are five Residents Assistants, each assigned to about six rooms. Every night from 7 to 11, an RA is on duty at the front desk. The front desk is where residents can get gaming stuff, movies, or games to use in the great room, or stuff to use in the kitchen, like pots, pans, cookie sheets, spoons, spatulas, etc.

Every year, Oakwood puts on the Rave2Save. The Rave is a dance, and all students are welcome. The event supports a different charity each year, and students can donate something like canned goods, non-perishable items, or unused personal care items in exchange for a t-shirt. At the event, they will have dancing, games, snacks, and decorations.

Oakwood is a great place to live. A few years ago, Oakwood was a 24 hour quiet residence hall, but has since changed its policies, and has normal quiet hours now. It’s a fun hall, with great RAs who have interesting and enjoyable programs.

Helman Hall is one of the five residence halls, and one of two suite style halls. A suite has two double rooms that share a bathroom and common area. Helman has three floors, and is co-ed by suite. It has central air and an elevator. There is a great room and a kitchen in Helman. The great room contains a fireplace, as well as a pool table, a ping-pong table, air hockey, a TV, and a piano. There are couches, chairs, and tables for hanging out or studying.

There is a total of five Resident Assistants in the Helman, and each RA assigned to six suites each. There is an RA on duty from 7 to 11 every night in Helman. In the lobby of Helman, there is a front desk where the RA is on duty. The front desk is where residents can get pool sticks, ping-pong paddles, or other gaming stuff. Residents can also get stuff to use in the kitchen from the RA desk, such as pots, pans, cookie sheets, potholders, etc.

Every year, Helman hosts the Nearly Naked Nearly Mile, which is an event for all students. It takes place during May Day weekend. For the Nearly Naked Nearly Mile, everyone donates clothes they are wearing to be “nearly” naked, and runs “nearly” a mile.

Helman Hall is also home to the Dino-Staur, which is located at the front desk. Students receive dino dimes for attending programs put on by the RAs, and can spend them on stuff at the Dino- Staur. The Dino-Staur is stocked with Ramen noodles, Easy Mac, pop, juice, laundry pods, candy, chips, etc.

Helman is a great hall, and has a huge community feel. Residents have the opportunity to be in a social environment by keeping their doors open, but can also keep both their doors shut, and not be disturbed. People are really friendly, and hang out in their rooms, talk in the hallways, or hang out in the great room. Helman has really great RAs—they are friendly and easy to talk to.

I live in Earl Garver Hall, known commonly just as Garver. It’s a co-ed, traditional style dorm, and the only one out of the traditional dorms that has air conditioning (a blessing, but only for a few short weeks). The building is split into two wings, a male and a female, and is situated closest to the PERC (athletic facilities) and the Jo Young Switzer Center, which holds the buffet and The Oaks, a sandwich shop. This you can probably find from reading the description on the Manchester web page, so let’s dig into the good stuff.

I’m here to put an emphasis on the social in social dorm. People will congregate on your floor, and may be up late. There will be people who keep their doors open most of the time, and even yell down the hall from their room to others. If sounds like your kind of thing, great!

For me, I chose Garver because I wanted a setting that would push me to make friends. And I found them! We aren’t as outgoing or social as some of the other girls in the hall, but we still enjoy it just as much.

Because it’s the social dorm, sometimes your room isn’t the quietest place to study. Fortunately, Manchester has a bunch of place to take your homework, like the study rooms in the library or sitting areas in the Academic and Science buildings. Places like the Chapel and the Jo Young Switzer center are open 24/7. Great for a late night study session, and suuuper quiet!

Garver’s got four levels. The top 3 are completely res hall rooms, with a study room and bathroom in each wing. The ground floor of Garver hosts two laundry facilities (free of charge!), Lauren’s apartment (she’s Garver’s Hall Director), and a sitting/game room common area, along with a small kitchen, which is open for any resident to use (you just have to ask the Resident Assistant on duty for utensils), and there are men’s rooms on the men’s side of the hall.

Garver RAs host a ton of events, especially at the beginning of the year to help people get to know each other. Since the RAs are students, the floor events are really fun, and usually get the point across about a topic that needs to be covered on campus.

Garver’s also known for events like Haunted Garver, when local kids come and trick or treat for Halloween. We’ve also won the Homecoming lobby decorating competition for the past few years, (incentive, I know right?)

Living in Garver has its challenges (Sometimes the stairwells aren’t the cleanest. Some people just haven’t learned how to pick up after themselves yet). But it’s a part of the college experience. Now that you’re branching out on your own, you aren’t going to be comfortable 100% of the time, and THAT’S OKAY! There are so many people on campus to help you along and answer any of those questions, and a lot of those people can be found in Garver. I hope you’ll join us!

Garver Hall is the place to be, fun for you and fun for me! Garver is a traditional style residence hall that houses 130 men and 130 women and is split up by wings: guys on one side, girls on the other. The hall was named in honor of former professor and dean, Earl S. Garver, and there is a large mural of him in the lobby area. A large variety of people tend to live in Garver, so everyone fits right in! Hall council is a great way to stay involved and have an opinion in what happens in the hall, and they host fun activities for the residents to do! Some Garver activities include:

• Homecoming Competitions – All halls decorate for Homecoming and are judged to decide which is the best. Garver has always been a hall leader in the competition!
• Haunted Garver – Community children come trick or treating at a few of the halls a couple days before Halloween, and everybody has a great time decorating the halls! Garver’s theme is always haunted and if you live in Garver, you get to participate in it and scare your fellow classmates!
• All Hall Picnic and Shoe Throwing Ceremony – Every year, right before summer break, Garver Hall Council throws a picnic party with lots of food, and any seniors who lived in Garver all four years get to throw a pair of their shoes up into a tree outside of Garver where they live forever. It’s a fun, longstanding tradition!!
• Doughnuts for Finals – Ugh, this is the best activity of all! Every year right before finals week begins, Garver Hall Council buys a bunch of donuts for the whole hall. It is such a great little thing to break up your intense studying.
• Various Hall Council Food Meetings – Every so often, hall council will have a meeting that provides awesome food like homemade smoothies or wings from Pizza Hut!

In addition to the awesome activities offered throughout the year, Garver also has great amenities:

• Ping-pong tables
• Pool tables
• Air hockey table
• Vending machines and an ice machine
• Small kitchen on ground floor
• Microwaves on each floor
• Two laundry rooms, one on each side of the res hall
• And AIR CONDITIONING IN EVERY ROOM!!!!

All the residence halls are great, but Garver is the best (don’t tell the other halls I said that)! Plus, it’s the closest to the gym and the food hall, so you can’t really get much better than that!

WELCOME TO EAST HALL!!! East is one of the traditional style residence halls at Manchester! What that means is that pretty much you get to know your whole floor with either trips to the bathroom or trips to the microwave. East is a great residence hall to live in to get to know more people and get to make more friends.  Maybe I am a tad bit biased, but I think East RAs (Resident Assistants) are the best on campus! Each year I have had a different RA and each year I have loved them so much! RAs are there for you, and you are not limited to just your floor. They create programs for us, sometimes it’ll be floor-by-floor and sometimes the whole hall is invited. The great thing about being in a traditional residence hall is the community you get with your floor.

We also have hall competitions with our “rival” hall, Garver. We play a bunch of games that are a lot of fun to either participate in or just watch. There are also cookouts held for the hall, where the RAs make our meals!

The most fun for me would be during Halloween when East has Wing Wars. This is where a theme is selected and then each floor competes on who can decorate it the best! So, if you have an artistic bone in your body, this is the event for you! If you are like me and you are lacking in that area, they are always looking for help so there are a bunch of things you could do! East is very laid back and easy to habituate! So if East Hall is your choice, you are making a good one! 

During my January Term trip, my classmates and I had the opportunity to each visit a detainee at the Stewart Immigration Detention Center. The Stewart Detention Center is a private prison located in Lumpkin, Georgia, operated by the Corrections Corporation of America where immigrants seeking asylum in the United States are held to await deportation. The CCA is the largest for-profit prison company in the United States. This particular detention center houses about 2,000 men and has the highest rate of deportation in the country, about 97% of the men there will be deported. They end up there for a variety of reasons, detained in airports, receiving a speeding ticket, any brush with the law, no matter how minor, can land then in a state prison for years.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia has identified the Stewart Detention Center as one of four Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention centers that has “consistently shown that it is incapable of protecting the basic human rights of the immigrants under its care.” The average time that a man will be held before being deported is 2-3 months, but many of the men we spoke with had been there for 2-3 years.

We were able to speak to men in the detention center due to the services of a volunteer organization called El Refugio. These men are allowed one visit a week, which rolls over on Saturday nights. El Refugio provides housing and food for families of the detainees who may be traveling from far away and not have the resources to stay overnight in Lumpkin. They visit their family member on Saturday, and then are allowed again on Sunday because the week starts over. El Refugio also provides books and clothing for detainees if possible. Detainees contact El Refugio and let them know they would like a volunteer visitor, if they don’t have any family that is able to visit. El Refugio takes groups like ours to visit these men, just to hear their stories and hopefully provide some comfort.

The volunteers at El Refugio made the process very easy for us. We signed confidentiality agreements so as not to endanger any of these men or their families further. At the detention center, we had to sign many more papers ensuring that we weren’t bringing anything in to the prison. We had to wait in the lobby, some of us for over two hours, to meet with a detainee. We were not allowed to bring anything in except car keys, not even cell phones or wallets. We filled out paperwork, and waited next to families visiting their loved ones in prison. After a few metal detectors, we were ushered in to individual concrete rooms with just a chair facing a glass pane. Detainees filed in, showing me their name tag to see if they matched up with the detainee I was assigned to speak with. We talked through a phone through the glass, and I couldn’t help thinking that this was just like prison on television, except these men hadn’t done anything wrong.

I met with a gentleman from Africa, who told me how he had ended up at Stewart. His life story was very difficult to hear, and eventually we both had to end the conversation because he was so emotional. He is able to work in the detention center for $2 a day to pay for phone cards to call his family, who are not in the United States. He has gone through things that I know for a fact that I would not survive. He had been at Stewart for almost exactly one year, and I was his first visitor.

Organizations like El Refugio are inspiring and heartening to remember when considering this problem. However, each body in these prisons means more money for the government agencies that operate them. This is not about protecting anyone; this is about profiting off of human suffering. These men came to the United States looking to gain nothing but safety, and our government has thrown them in jail in order to make money. Many of them will be forced to return to unsafe homes and war torn countries after enduring human rights abuses at the hands of our own government. There are detention centers like this all over the United States, including in Indiana. I highly encourage anyone interested to look into visiting a detainee, because it really is the least we can do.

Clay County Jail: https://www.ice.gov/detention-facility/clay-county-jail

In my last blog post on the Women’s March on Washington, I focused on how Manchester helps you branch out into the world. I think even as a student outside of my writing that’s something I focus on. If I’m feeling homesick or lonely, I remind myself that this is a temporary situation, and that I should enjoy it while I can because I won’t be a MU Spartan forever. But today that wasn’t the case.

I always feel a bit down when I return to campus from a stay at home. It weighs on me, all these new relationships and responsibilities I have here that don’t exist a home, a place so familiar with friends I’ve known for so long, I don’t have to try when I’m around them. It’s just natural. This week was no exception, especially since it’s the first week of the semester. It’s the first time I’ve faced such huge changes here without the shiny newness and eagerness of someone fresh off the bus. It’s been a challenging week, and it’s caused me to face some of my biggest insecurities. Am I smart enough to do this? Am I friendly enough to talk to new people? Can I keep my anxiousness in check with so much change all over the place?

On top of everything else it seemed, today was the Activities Fair, and as Vice President of Feminist Student Union (yes, shameless advertising, you should totally come to our meetings), I needed to help run the booth. I had what seemed like a mountain of homework, and felt the urge to finish it all in one sitting. That’s the way I get when I’m anxious. I just push my way through life, getting everything done, unwilling to be distracted by anything. Unfortunately, the Activities Fair was a distraction I couldn’t ignore.

I arrived above the Jo Young Switzer center 10 minutes early, walking briskly with a no nonsense look on my face. There were people everywhere, moving around, trying to get things done, and I jumped right in. As a first year, I wasn’t sure how many people would come to the Spring Activities Fair, since it wasn’t required for first years, but I sat down dutifully, and prepared myself to talk to strangers that I really just didn’t feel up for. (Anyone trying to manage anxiety knows that social anxiety grows exponentially with other forms of anxiety). All I had to do was try not to scare them off with my totally pleasant demeanor.

I did what I normally find myself doing; sucking it up and trying to deal the best I can.

It was then I realized that there really weren’t that many strangers around me. In fact, I recognized most of the people coming through the doors, and many I didn’t knew the people around me, my friends. FSU table was situated with many of the other social justice clubs, and so my fellow club members and friends were everywhere. I wasn’t surrounded by strangers. In fact, considering the amount of people who knew all of these friends, I’m not sure there was a true stranger in the room.

It wasn’t until after the fact, back in my dorm, that it was the first time on campus I’d felt like I belonged, without trying. These people shared my interests, my friendship, and at the very least my school. I’ve realized that this is what Manchester means when they talk about the community here. Even if you don’t know someone, someone you know knows that someone, and chances are, they’re really kind, and open to talk to you as well.

No college or university has the perfect formula for everyone to have the time of their lives and feel totally at home, but I think today Manchester came pretty close. Instead of feeling like an outsider trying to be a part of the crowd, today I felt like a Spartan.

So my advice is to join a club, or two, or seven. Don’t be crazy involved, try find one you love and help it become better, be its driving force. It’s not just a link to other people in that club, but to their friends, and to their friends, and so on. If you do that, I guarantee, there’s one friend on campus for you, at least one. At Manchester, it’s impossible to feel completely alone.

As for me, I’m still feeling a bit blue. I miss my schnauzer and my boyfriend and my best friend. But there are things worthwhile here as well, things worth missing when I go home. Today has reminded me of that.

This January Session I had mixed feelings going into my Introduction to Psychology course. I was excited because psychology is really mind-boggling, deep, and can make a lot of sense of a lot of things. On the other hand, the class is a level-100 course and I knew I’d be one of the few upperclassmen in the class. I get along just fine with underclassmen, but I’ve found most underclassmen don’t really have a solid self-identity yet, so they’re usually on the quiet side in classes (lame social anxiety). For example, I find that a professor will ask a really simple question, I’m talking a 4^th grade level question, but everyone is too scared to answer it… it’s frustrating; don’t be THAT guy. If you know an answer, you should answer it. Right? Right. Cool. That rant is over.

The class was a lot of fun, and the professor, David Johnson, is probably one of my favorite professors outside of the English Department (he’s just a really fun and interesting guy), and I only had a class with him for 3 weeks. Sitting in a class for four hours a day… we learned a lot. I think what I took away most from the class, and I had already kind of being doing this for the last year, was the realization that we are products of our environment. Everything about who we are is normally based very little on our genes or what we’re born with. Everything we believe, value, and prioritize is based on what the people around us believe is socially acceptable. Can we really have an independent thought that isn’t charged by something in our environment? I’d argue that it would be pretty tough.

As I get older I find myself become more and more self-conscious of my actions. Some days I ask myself if I could actually be clinically insane because of the amount I’m always talking to myself – But I don’t think that makes me CRAZY, but then again I don’t really believe in crazy. Crazy is something created by society’s standards and lately, I’m not a huge fan of society. I am a huge fan of me, though. *cough cough* NARCISSIST*cough cough*

I challenge anyone reading this to talk to yourself more. Listen and build a relationship with that voice in your head… unless you’re a Schizophrenic… then go tell someone… unless you’re happy being a Schizophrenic, which is cool with me, too! AND TO TIE IT ALL TOGETHER, I wouldn’t have been able to make that joke without taking Introduction to Psychology. Thanks, Manchester!

Since I am constantly busy with my work schedule, class schedule, and random meetings and study groups, I HAVE to stay organized. Otherwise, I would just wander around aimlessly and forget everything. But, even though I am really good with organizing, I could still use a little help considering how much time I waste scrolling Pinterest. So here are some key ways to stay organized this next semester:

• Get a planner. My planner is basically my best friend and I keep it with me all the time. If you do not have time to go buy a planner or do not want to spend the money, there are plenty of free printables online you could use! Just search for various types of schedule pages that you would like to use like weekly, monthly, assignment, workout, etc.
• Write out your assignments. The first week of class is always pretty simple with low amounts of homework, so you have plenty of time to look through your syllabi and write down your major assignments to ensure you do not miss any.
• Use different colors. Color coding is very helpful when taking notes, planning schedules, and organizing. If you have different colored pens or highlighters, assign a color to something and only use that color for that item.
• Get plenty of sleep. As college students, we have a lot on our plate so getting enough sleep is crucial. Bingeing Netflix is so great (believe me, I know) but when it gets late, you have to force yourself to turn it off. Set a time for yourself to head to bed every night and try super hard to stick to it.
• Make lists. I usually have about five current lists going at a time. You can make lists for many things, like to-do lists, things to buy at the store, meals to make, movies to see, shows to stream, presents to ask for, goals, and on, and on.
• Keep a routine. Plan out your day and stick to it. Plan out homework time (very important to make sure you aren’t finishing it at 2am), workout time, nap time, etc.

Good luck this semester and figure out organization tips that work for you!


Delaney Ray '19 is a Psychology and Sociology double major with a minor in Criminal Justice. She works as a Student Orientation Leader and a Library Desk Assistant in addition to blogging for MU. She never thought she would be a blogger, and her dream job is to work for the FBI in the behavioral unit.

Being a first-year at MU, I had no clue about anything about Jan Term. I was told I would have a lot of free time (actually, it’s the opposite of that) and that it is kind of hard (it’s the opposite of that as well). I finally got the chance to experience it first-hand.

I decided to take Astronomy because I love learning about space (especially the stars). I was definitely overwhelmed the first day because so much information is given in a short amount of time. I soon realized that there was so much info because it’s basically like taking three 50-minute classes in one day. I hadn’t even thought about that until after the class was over.

The rest of the three weeks were pretty great. I learned more than anticipated about space, stars, planets, constellations, and so much more. One thing about Astronomy is observation, and that is one part that we lacked during Jan Term, thanks to having cloudy nights for each and every day we had class. Like, how does that happen? Fifteen days and not one night where you can see stars… I don’t know, it just blew my mind. However, my Prof informed me of the days in the spring semester where my class can go to the observatory just because we couldn’t during our regular class. On an unrelated note, I also trained to be a Spartan Ambassador so I can give campus tours! It took a bit of practice but I caught the hang of it pretty quickly, thankfully.

After Jan Term ended, I was able to go home and chill with my parents for a couple days. It was nice to be home since I have baseball in the spring and have no clue when I’ll be able to come back. It was also nice to see my dogs, too. The other thing I did over the break was take my first-ever trip to Wisconsin! I have a friend who goes to college in Green Bay, so another friend of mine and I decided to make a weekend trip of it.

The worst part about going was the drive. Where I am from, it took about 6 hours to make it there. Here is the list of some things my friends and I did:

• Ate at Noodles and Pizza Hut
• Visited Lambeau Field
• Went glow-in-the-dark bowling
• Played guitar and sang
• Got custard at Culver’s and ice cream at some local restaurant
• Made a couple trips to Wal-Mart and some really fancy mall

Overall, Jan Term was great in terms of my class and my break. I didn’t get any pictures during my classes, but I did get a couple from my Wisco trip and they’ll be below!!

Nick Rush ’20 is studying Sports Management and plans on minoring in another business area. He plays baseball for MU, and he plans on working in the sports industry after graduation.

This January, I took my first class off campus, spending twenty days in a van with five other students from Manchester. Together, we traveled to seven states, eight communities, and spent an inordinate amount of time together. We left campus on January 7^th, and headed to Harrodsburg, Kentucky, to the historic Shaker Village.

There are only two Shakers left anywhere, due to a faith-based commitment to celibacy, but the Shaker Village in Kentucky includes a tour, restaurant, farm, and old house renovated for house guests. Most of this day included our fearless leader, Dr. Katy Gray Brown, telling us to not get used to nice beds and Wi-Fi. Highlights included finding a creepy drawing in the house, and trying to learn card games but failing miserably.

Leaving Kentucky, we spent a night in Nashville and then headed to The Farm in Summertown, Tennessee. More of a neighborhood than an actual commune, The Farm is home to a community with shared beliefs and a commitment to right livelihood. We stayed at the EcoVillage Hostel and Training Center, where we learned about living sustainably, worms, and the commune lifestyle that began the Farm in 1971. Highlights included great food and straw bale houses! After this visit, we still felt that we had yet to experience a true commune style intentional community.

So we headed to Georgia! On the way to Koinonia community, we visited the Civil Rights Institute in Montgomery, Alabama. At Koinonia, we toured the pecan and chocolate bakery, dug a trench for irrigation, and pruned grape vines. It was the first time I’ve ever had a sunburn in the middle of January. Koinonia truly felt like the kind of intentional community I had been picturing. With less than twenty members, but many volunteers and interns, they all work and eat together, sharing almost everything and living communally. Highlights included a nice lady named Barb, and really good pecan bark. Staying at Koinonia allowed us to visit the Habitat for Humanity museum in Americus, Georgia, and the Stewart Detention Center. An organization called El Refugio facilitated our visit to detainees in the detention center, one of my favorite experiences of the trip.

We also had the privilege of visiting Plains, Georgia, hometown of Jimmy Carter, and attending his Sunday school and meeting him. He taught about how important it was to tear down the walls that divide us, and gave us a thumbs up for Peace Studies! Then we were off to Jubilee Partners, a community that houses many refugees and teaches them English. It was incredible to see the work that the volunteers and members were doing, and to be able to work with them. We helped with childcare, dug post holes, and mulched the gardens.  Highlights included burning a lot of incense and really good stew.

On the road again! This time, headed to Little Flower in Virginia. Bill and Sue, members of the Catholic Worker Movement, opened their home to us and taught us everything we might need to know about civil disobedience and living in the theory of community. We mulched the chicken and goose yard and collected firewood. Highlights included a chicken named Sandy. The next day, we headed into D.C. to meet the other Manchester folks for the Women’s March on Washington. The march was a once in a lifetime experience, a collective raising of voices against injustice. Some of our group even made it on the news, including Niles resident Amy Weeks! It was great to see people we knew outside of the eight of us, not that we were tired of each other or anything.

After the Women’s March, we spent a few hours at Living Energy Farm, a community living entirely without the use of fossil fuels. We also spent some time at Twin Oaks, the largest community we visited, with values of nonviolence, equality, and ecology. We got to tour their tofu farm and hammock factory. The final day of the trip we visited the New Vrindaban temple in West Virginia, which included incredible temple services and a cow sanctuary!

This trip was a wonderful experience. I learned what it means to be committed to a way of life, to live with a devotion to the well-being of others, and to have love for nature and family. I was inspired by the way these people live with reduced waste, separate from capitalist society. Below are links with further information on each of the individual communities.

Shaker Village: https://shakervillageky.org/
The Farm: http://thefarmcommunity.com/
Koinonia: https://www.koinoniafarm.org/
El Refugio: http://elrefugiostewart.org/
Jubilee: https://www.jubileepartners.org/
Little Flower: http://www.styleweekly.com/richmond/divining-providence/Content?oid=1369974
Living Energy: http://www.livingenergyfarm.org/
Twin Oaks: http://www.twinoaks.org/
New Vrindaban: http://www.newvrindaban.com/

Virginia Rendler ’20 is a Peace Studies major, and is hoping to double major in English, as well as double minor in Spanish and Visual Art. She loves animals and is a Leo. 

In my room, on the wall behind my bed, there are pictures. Tons of pictures of my friends and my family, and of all the amazing places I’ve traveled to. On the wall behind my bed, there are also quotes. I geek out over quotes, and I mean that. To me, finding a new quote is like finding treasure, that those words are pure magic. Reading a quote can change my mood from happy to sad, from miserable to ecstatic, from angry and hating the world to believing in love. Quotes have that power to me.

I’m someone that finds it so incredibly difficult to put my own thoughts into words, and then gets tongue tied when I try to say those words out loud. Sometimes I’ll find a quote that just speaks to me, and perfectly sums up my thoughts, feelings, and says everything I want to say.

I have so many favorites, in fact, I have a whole Pinterest board dedicated to quotes. However, one of my favorites has really spoken to me lately. I don’t remember when I first read, or heard the quote, but recently I’ve been seeing it a lot. Last weekend, I went to DC for the Women’s March on Washington, needless to say it was incredible, overwhelming, and just downright awesome. But while marching, I saw a sign out of the corner of my eye. It was a white sign, with blue and green letters, and seeing it just reminded me how important the quote was.

“They tried to bury us. They didn't know we were seeds.”

This quote can be relevant to thousands of different situations. But really, this quote speaks to me because I feel like people have tried to bury me (not literally, obviously). Countless times, I’ve felt like someone, or something has tried to shut me down, squash my dreams, and hurt me, and time and time again, I let them. But then I remember these words, and I realize that no matter how many times someone tries to bury me, I have the power to grow, and not let myself,  my dreams, my feelings, or my words be buried. I can be a seed.

We can all be seeds. There will always be people telling you that you may not be good enough, may not be strong enough, or that you don’t matter. Those people will try to bury you. Be a seed. Grow, change, and pick yourself up. Odds are you are good enough and are strong enough, and I know for sure that you matter. Be a seed. 




Hannah Brown '18 is from Yellow Springs, Ohio. She is majoring in Peace Studies with a focus on Social Justice. She also works as a Student Ambassador at Manchester.

It is now day 1 of week 2, and it feels like I have been in Barcelona for months already. I haven’t gotten lost in 3 whole days, I can communicate with my host family a heck of a lot better than when I first arrived, and I have already found my go-to café for when I need to cram in a study session or need a pick-me-up on a rainy day. A lot has happened, and I have a feeling that my days of exploration and adventure are far from over.

            Rain has been a consistent part of my daily routine, and Tuesday, January 24 was the first really beautiful day since I moved in with my host family. To celebrate such a glorious occasion, I went out with another girl from the BCA study abroad program, and we explored the city a little bit. We started with tapas across the street from Antoni Gaudí’s La Sagrada Familia – my all-time favorite piece of architecture – and then went to the opposite side of the city and laid on the beach for a good hour or so. It was actually this girl’s first time to any kind of beach, so naturally I made her take her shoes off and walk along the sand and take pictures of her standing in the shallow waters. Going to the beach for the first time is a very big deal in my world; it’s a southern thing. There’s something magical that the beach brings, and if I could, I would be there every weekend; however, it’s cold outside still, and the breeze coming off of the sea does not help keep me warm in any sort of way. The views and the pictures I take there are stunning, but going every weekend might start to take its toll on me eventually. For those wanting to live vicariously through the life of a Study Abroad student, here are a couple of pictures from my latest outing to the sea:

            After the beach, I managed to talk my friend into going to Casa Batlló with me. Casa Batlló is one of my favorite architect’s – Antoni Gaudí’s – works, and its whole purpose was to “be a house that could be touched,” at least according to Gaudí. The structure is rumored to not have a single straight line in it (think Dr. Seuss style), but I did manage to find a couple straight lines in the attic. You see, Gaudí’s whole aesthetic was about creating buildings that were ergonomic and seemed natural and real, like it belonged. This man put so much work and detail into his work, and after taking the tour, it shows. Everything from the type of glass used for the windows, to the shape of the doorknobs, and even the typography used on the doors to mark an entrance or another room. It’s almost hard to believe that one man made such an insanely detailed building in just over a two-year span. I really hope that when his church (La Sagrada Família) is finally finished in 2020 or so, it will be just as exquisite, if not more. Just so you can get an idea of what I’m talking about, here is a picture I took standing outside of the house. Admire its beauty, and please feel free to find me on social media if you’d like to learn more. Art history is kind of my thing. Some people like science, some people like gym, but I am an art history girl all the way.

            Spain has opened a lot of doors for me, and classes don’t even start until next week. I’ve met a lot of new people, and I’ve experienced some things that many people will never get the chance to take part in. If you do decide to study abroad through Manchester University, you will get handed the same opportunities that I am, and maybe even more. It’s all about putting yourself out there, and doing new things, and not giving a care in the world what people think about you. If you want to take cheesy tourist poses with statues, or carry your big camera bag around with you: DO IT. Life is way too short. Enjoy every moment you can. At least, that is what I’ve been doing. Who knows if I’m ever going to get to come back to Europe? I’m going to do what I can while I’m here, and hopefully make the kind of memories I’ll want to tell my kids and grandkids about one day.

            I’ve been think about that concept a lot lately: the idea of life being too short. I guess I can thank my latest read on that. Nicholas Sparks’ Two by Two tells the story of a man, Russ, who tries so hard to please everyone – his wife, his family, his daughter, his work clients – and right now Russ isn’t too happy with his life. His wife isn’t supportive, his daughter isn’t old enough to recognize how miserable her dad is, and because he just started his own advertising company, Russ is struggling to find clients to hire him. And as I’m reading this book, I realized that I’m a lot like Russ, or at least I was. I tried so hard to please everyone that I never left any time to work on making myself happy. Now that I’m in Spain, being myself, living how I want and doing all the things I never thought I would be able to do, I’m happier than I’ve ever been. I’m not in Spain to just learn Spanish, I’m here to learn about myself, and I think that I’m on the right track. That’s a big part of studying abroad, I think. Wanting to discover so badly that you let the idea of change and self-discovery motivate you to stay focused and work harder. I haven’t finished the book yet, so I can’t exactly tell you what the moral of the story is, but I’m hoping for a good ending. Until next time. – B.

When I was first accepted to Manchester, I saw it as an opportunity; to study everything that I wanted, at the distance from home that I wanted, the year that I wanted. To me, Manchester was all the opportunity that I was prepared for.

I’m learning that Manchester is a hub of opportunities though, not just to advance your education in the classroom, but in providing gateways for growth as a person. It’s like a train station, a one stop shop to get almost wherever you’d like to go (even if you don’t yet know that you want to!)

Since I arrived at Manchester this fall, I’ve already been given the opportunity to travel a handful of times, short and far distances. The reasons and locations are all different: Two conferences in Washington D.C. to discuss Palestinian rights, a moral revival in Indianapolis, and crisscrossing the eastern portion of the country learning about different intentional communities.

Some of the opportunities I took, and some I didn’t. I’m a small town homebody just starting to get a taste of travel, and so it’s been up to me to determine what I can handle and what I can’t. You can travel at every opportunity, or never leave campus. As for me, I’m trying to find a healthy middle.

Most importantly has been the Women’s March on Washington. I, as a Manchester student, was able to be a part of history for less than $100 dollars. Through the planning of some very talented women and with the help of Manchester’s Peace Institute, students and residents from the surrounding areas took two overnight buses to the D.C. Women’s March.

What was supposed to be a huge gathering of 250,000 people ended up breaching over half a million. There were so many protesters the parade route was shut down, and the organizers flooded the streets of D.C. There were more people present at the protest than at President Trump’s Inauguration, and that’s just in D.C. It was a day in history that people marched around the globe in solidarity with the Washington protest, and I was able to be a part of it because I go to Manchester.

You can take all the trains Manchester has to offer, or just a few, or none. You can travel across the world, for a year or a semester, cross the country for a weekend or three, or just stay out. Manchester has plenty going on just on campus that you may not feel the urge to leave.

What I want you to know is that Manchester provides these opportunities few others do, for a price few others do, and I can say that personally, I’m getting an education, in the classroom and in life, that I wouldn’t be getting anywhere else.

1. LinkedIn is your best friend - Manchester University has an alumni group on LinkedIn for current students who are seeking to network for potential job opportunities. The LinkedIn Jobs app can give you notifications for specific job openings and every job opening will indicate alumni that work for that company. The LinkedIn Student app is helpful for students who are having trouble deciding what industry or field they would like to work in.
2. Post Grad internships are a thing - My online research has found that many students who are unsure of a particular field or industry choose to apply to internships. In fact, many big companies offer specific programs that are only offered to recent graduates. It’s also a great way to break into a company or move to a different city if the internship offers housing.
3. Peace Corps - Peace Corps is a two-year commitment volunteer service that is offered in over 60 countries. It’s a government service that comes with a nice range of benefits. It offers basic insurance, a stipend, $5500 towards continued education or student loans, preferential treatment in the hiring process of governmental jobs, deferring and paying the interest off of student loans until completion of service, and the Coverdell Fellows Program (pays for many Master’s and Doctoral programs). For those who do not desire to live in different country for an extended period of time, AmeriCorps is domestic and similar program, but is slightly different. Both are competitive and have unique application processes. Further information can be found on their websites.
4. Post Grad vacations are a thing - If you’re considering taking a vacation before you go into adult world, now is the best time to plan! Companies like Groupon, Trip Advisor, and Expedia offer great getaway offers and deals on hotels. Depending on your budget you can end up having a nice week or two to unwind after graduation. I found a trip to Costa Rica for a week that was under $1,500 – so it’s definitely worth a try.
5. Breathe- Relax and enjoy your last semester at Manchester University. Often times, we are so wrapped up in the results that we forget about the experience itself. 

2016 was filled with chaos, drama, and lots of hectic tension and there was only one way us millennials knew how to escape it all – Netflix! We’ve had some new additions to our vibrantly-red Netflix screens in 2017/late 2016, but we’re still holding onto some oldies. These are the TV shows that a hundred young adults/Midwest-living individuals said they were watching to start off the New Year!

#1 Shameless

“Watch the Irish American family, the Gallagher's, deal with their alcoholic father Frank. Fiona, the eldest daughter, takes the role of parent to her five brothers and sisters. Lip, Ian, Debbie, Carl, and Liam (half white & half black) deal with life in the South Side projects of Chicago. Fiona balances her sex life and raising her siblings. Every episode is another crazy situation that one or more of the Gallagher six get into. Watch them grow and learn how to make their way in life with what little they have.”

– Linda Taylor

#2 A Series of Unfortunate Events

“After the Baudelaire parents die in a terrible fire, the Baudelaire orphans search for their family’s secrets and get them and their fortune away from the terrible grasp of the sinister Count Olaf as he moves with them between different guardians in disguise.”

– Nate Hoey

#3 Black Mirror

“So this is currently what I’m binging on Netflix and I think so highly of this show! Black Mirror features three (very) short seasons filled with different fictional dystopian societies -- AKA: A new story/reality every episode! These episodes make you think a little deeper as they give you new perspectives on how life COULD be. Just make sure you pay attention!”

– Stratton “Hotter Than Global Warming” Smith

#4 The Office

“This is the greatest show that has ever been created. This is not an opinion, but simply a fact.”

 – A biased blog writer

#5 Grey’s Anatomy

I’ve been nudged to not give too much away, but Grey’s is “a drama centered on the personal and professional lives of five surgical interns and their supervisors.”

 - IMDb

#6 The OA

This show has been rising in popularity among late-20 and 30-something year-olds during 2017! “Created and written by Brit Marling and Zal Batmanglij (The East), the latest Netflix Original delves into the inexplicable reappearance of Prairie Johnson (Marling). Having gone missing seven years ago, the previously blind Johnson returns home, now in her 20s and with her sight restored. While many believe she is miracle, others worry that she could be dangerous.”

 - IMDb

#7 Parks and Recreation

“Leslie Knope, a mid-level bureaucrat in an Indiana Parks and Recreation Department, hopes to beautify her town (and boost her own career) by helping local nurse Ann Perkins turn an abandoned construction site into a community park. However, what should be a fairly simple project is stymied at every turn by oafish bureaucrats, selfish neighbors, governmental red tape and a myriad of other challenges. Leslie's colleague Tom Haverford, who delights in exploiting his position for personal gain, is as likely to undermine her efforts as to help her, while her boss, Ron Swanson, is adamantly opposed to government in any form, even though he's a bureaucrat himself.”

- Sorbe

Do yourselves a favor and TREAT YO SELF to some Parks and Rec!

#8 Stranger Things

“In a small town where everyone knows everyone, a peculiar incident starts a chain of events that leads to the disappearance of a child - which begins to tear at the fabric of an otherwise peaceful community. Dark government agencies and seemingly malevolent supernatural forces converge on the town while a few locals begin to understand that there's more going on than meets the eye.”

– Charles J.

#9 It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia

“Five egocentric friends who run a neighborhood Irish pub in Philadelphia try to find their way through the adult world of work and relationships. Unfortunately, their warped views and precarious judgments often lead them to trouble, creating myriad uncomfortable situations that usually only get worse before they get better.”

– IMDb “DesertShark25”

#10 Gilmore Girls

Did anyone else hear about the new season of Gilmore Girls that came out? I sure didn’t those entire 72 hours... Like, jeez – you ladies love your Gilly Girls.

“Thirty-two year old single mom, Lorelai, lives with her daughter Rory in the small town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut, with crazy neighbors and many ups and downs. The two go everywhere together and are each other's best friends. No matter what goes on, they always end up happy and eating take-out!”

- IMDb