Diana Friend

Over the course of this year, I am going to be taking the time to write about different people who I have met at Taylor University, which means that there will be a lot of posts.

This first one is going to be about my roommate, Diana Friend.

Diana and I are like two roommates who were just meant to be. Our personalities are similar, our senses of humor are phenomenal, we both know when to talk and when to shut up, we know when one is in kind of an obnoxious mood, and we know when each other is a little off and needs someone to talk to. We tend to have deep conversations really early in the morning, and I'm not sure why. But I love it SO MUCH! We both understand each other, which is fantastic. We both know that there are so many more things to learn about each other, which is exciting. We both love JESUS! We both love our majors. We both are blessed to have each other.

Diana is, in many ways, an answer to my prayers. She's EXACTLY the essence of an AWESOME roommate! She loves me for me, and there is nothing more that I could ever ask for. Now that we know each other and have lived together for almost five weeks now, I can't imagine not having her in my life.

I can't wait to see where God takes our friendship over the next four years and beyond! God is so good to us.

I love you, Roomie!

P.S. I'm guessing that this is the first part of many to come about my roommate!

3 Things: Wing Retreat, Pick-a-Date, and Chapel

A few weeks ago, my wing went on our wing retreat. It was about an hour away from the Taylor campus at Sarah's house, who is a girl who lives on my wing. It was a beautiful house on a lake, and it was really an enjoyable time. I went to a spin class, which pretty much was AWESOME. I always forget what an awesome feeling it is to feel my endorphins pumping! Plus, the class was done in black lights, which is ALWAYS a big bonus. That night, despite how truly tired we were, we sat down together (for a VERY long time) and listened to each other's life stories or parts of our life stories. It was an intimate and emotional time filled with tears, laughter, joy, and sorrow. It really reminded me that I shouldn't assume that people are a certain way just based on a few conversations; there is always deeper stuff going on in our lives. The next day, we had a little worship service of our own: singing with guitar playing, Bible reading, foot washing, and some praying. The upperclassmen washed the underclassmen's feet to show that they are here this year to serve us and be here for us. This is ALWAYS the perfect way to start the day. Later on in the day, some people went out on the lake, while others, such as myself, watched movies and took a nap. It was a great weekend!

This past Saturday, I went on my very first pick-a-date. Now, let me get something straight: a pick-a-date is NOT A REAL DATE! It's just pairing off between girls and guys. We went to the Indy Zoo, which was a blast. My "date's" name was Kyle, and he was a lot of fun and super nice. We, along with many other people, saw a dolphin show, did a little photo scavenger hunt, and just walked around looking at animals thinking about the last time we were actually at a zoo, which was probably 8th grade for me. I think one of the funniest things the entire pick-a-date actually happened before we got to the zoo. There was this man in this really sweet convertible, and next to him, there was a mechanical camel head that rotated around. He was kissing it and posing for the camera. Weird...YES. Funny...DEFINITELY YES.

Me, Kyle, and the Giraffes

One of my favorite things about TU is chapel on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Here's the thing about chapel...it's awesome. Sometimes when we are singing, I stop and simply listen to the voices around me. Sometimes tears roll down my face because it's an entire chapel full of college students lifting our voices to God, and it doesn't matter if we can sing or not. It's just a beautiful thing to experience three times a week.

I'm busy this week, but I'm taking it a day at a time.

I would like to make something very clear: I REALLY LOVE TAYLOR UNIVERSITY!

When Will I Be Used To It?

Right now, I am currently taking a break from the loads of homework that need to be done. Today has been a very productive for me thus far because I am completing homework assignments, and I've done all of my laundry, which was like 6 loads worth. :) This is the first full week of school, which is a bit overwhelming for all of us on the wing I think, especially the freshmen. However, I'm doing my best in spite of being a tad overwhelmed by my first week of two days with 5 classes each. Mondays and Wednesdays are the busiest days for me, and we finally have a Monday, so it's a lot more homework now.

Before I get to the main point of this blog post, I would like to share with you all a funny story. Last week, I fell off my bed. My bed was lofted, I was climbing down my ladder, my ladder fell, and I went with it. It hurt, and I'm fine. It's just really funny when I think about it. Currently, I am fighting a cold, but it's hard to get over because practically everyone on my wing is sick. However, I'm still having a blast in spite of a cough and a stuffy nose.

The main reason I'm writing this blog post to write about something that I can't get used to at TU: praying before class starts. Not all  of my teachers, but most, pray before class starts, which is such a different feeling for me. Coming from a public high school to a very Christian university is so AMAZING, but it's weird at the same time. Some of my textbooks are Biblically based, we pray before class starts, and sometimes we do devotions before class starts. I absolutely love it that I go to a college where it's like this, but it's something that I'm just not sure when I will get used to it. However, I'm choosing to embrace the praying, the chapels, and the community because I feel blessed, and I love it.

For those of you who want to send me mail:

Morgan Williams
Olson Hall 347
236 W Reade Ave
Upland, IN 46989

Here's my wing:

Oh...I really do love them all! :)

Welcome to Taylor University

FRIDAY NIGHT

Let’s see...where to begin really. This morning I woke up, and me and my mom drove to TU from Melissa Wisley’s house in Converse, IN. I got to campus, and it was already hopping. I got to my room, and it was exactly how I remembered it. I met my roommate and her family, which was really just a bundle of laughs and smiles. We set up our room in such a way that I can’t sit up in my bed because it is so close to the ceiling. The rest of the day was kind of high-stress for both me and my mom, and unfortunately, we kind of took it out on each other. So, I’m hopping that tomorrow will be better. Then at night, there was hall meetings, which was funny and quite entertaining with the 12 days of Christmas (Olson version (AKA my dorm residence)) and the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Then we had our wing meeting with the just the Freshman, which was great. We had to choose a thing out of our room to describe us, which I chose my guitar. I love music, especially guitar, I love to sing, and playing my guitar is my favorite way to spend time with the Lord. Apparently, I’m the only person who plays guitar on my wing, so 

I am going to help with some singing and worship for wing time and floor togetherness. I’m excited, but I am also really nervous. After that...the AWK-WALK, which I actually found not that awkward at all. I actually really enjoyed myself. It was my wing with my brother wing, and it was two girls on either side of one blindfolded guy. Basically, we hold hands (with intertwined fingers), and we just talk about our lives. I was with my friend Laura, and the guy was James, which he was actually a junior and the DA of my brother wing. At certain points we would stop, and the first time Laura and I touched his earlobes while he told us about what he wanted to be in life. Then he touched on my earlobes and one of Laura’s earlobes while we told him the same, which for me is Elementary Education and Special Education. Then the second time we stopped, Laura and I had to like, not touch his biceps, but like hold his inner biceps. Then he told us about his ideal woman, and we kept holding his biceps while we each told him our ideal man. Then the guys guessed who their women were, and James got Laura but not me. Afterwards, we went to a bonfire in the cornfields. I mean, OBVIOUSLY, not in the heart of the cornfields if we all wanted to go on some seriously strange suicide missions. It was great, but I was just so exhausted that I could barley keep my eyes open, which is exactly why I am going to go to bed now. 

SATURDAY

Saturday was the day that my mom and I had to say goodbye, which I think, right now, was easier on me than it was for my mom. My mom goes from having me around all the time to not having me around at all. I will miss my mom, but I think that I have to kind of establish my schedule with classes and homework and whatnot before I truly have time to miss home and my mom. After my mom left, I got ready for the O Group Escape to Reality Adventure Course. It was a lot of games and team building activities. An O Group, by the way, is an orientation group for all incoming Freshman. It was a lot of fun, and a  lot of sweat. Afterwards, I took a much needed shower before getting ready for the hoedown. The hoedown was WONDERFUL, and everyone looked so awesome in their Western gear, although someone was dressed up like a cow. It was some good food, and I danced with this guy named Gordon, who is actually one of my PA’s brother. He really knew how to square dance, which made dancing even more awesome. I was dripping in sweat and wiped out by the end, and truthfully, I still am wiped out because my feet and my legs still are sore.  That was also a time when all the awkwardness between people started to just fall down, which is something that I was so thankful for. It was nice to be able to have conversations that didn’t have to do with majors, hometowns (as in where), siblings (as in how many), how did you sleep, the weather, and so many other things that we ask to get to know one another. It was nice to not have the awkward silences anymore. After I was finished dancing, I sat down (clearly that was a must otherwise I would have fallen over), and I was sitting with my roommate, Diana, and our other friends Laura and Becky. It was just a lot of laughing and getting to know each other in other ways other than how did you sleep last night. Just when we thought we could come back to our dorms and rest, we realized that really that wasn’t an option. Most of the people from our wing (one cool thing about TU is that there are mixed floors of Freshman-Seniors) went to IHOP. I split some chocolate chip pancakes with Laura, and let me say something...THEY WERE AMAZING!!!!!!!!!! However, before I went to IHOP, I got the chance to skype with my puppy Delaney and my mom, but it was mostly my puppy. It was quick, but Delaney was really sad. She misses me, and the reason I know why is because she was whining really loudly, she kept looking at my room, and when she finally saw me on the screen, she just stared at me in awe as if she was making sure it was really me. 

SUNDAY

Okay...today was the day we had church on campus. There was some great worship, and the talk from our campus pastor, Randy, was pretty good today. He gave us three pointers: read the Bible and pray, find a home church, and go to chapel. After church was lunch, and after lunch, I relaxed before I went on a faculty home visit with my O group. We went to the Herrmann’s house, and it turns out that Mrs. Herrmann is going to be one of my professors in the future. It was nice to relax and hear about their lives as well as some of the other people in my O group. I just felt loved and blessed. However, it was about 90 degrees today, so walking to and from the house was like one big sweat fest. After dinner, there was all school communion. It’s not something that I have ever experienced before. All the freshman were asked to go into the middle of the gym, while the upperclassmen surrounded us. As the freshman were making their way down, all the upperclassmen were just cheering so loudly for all of us. I just felt loved and cared about. Once the freshman were in the middle and the upperclassmen surrounding us, someone prayed over the freshman. It was a short prayer, but it didn’t matter because it was just the act itself that mattered. There was some great worship, the upperclassmen were asked to stand in the bleachers to be prayed for, and all of TU took communion. It was a great experience, and I feel so blessed to be at Taylor. I’ve only been here three days, and I can already tell you that it’s way better than high school. I feel much more loved here in three days than I did all four years of high school. After communion, I went back to the dorm and just chilled. Most of the people on my wing played a game called “Silent Football”, which is way to difficult to not explain in person. The bottom line is that three of our girls had to go sing “Baby” by Justin Bieber to our brother residence hall. It turned out there was only one guy in the lobby, but it was still hilarious. There was a lot of laughing during the game and after. A few of my friends and I went for a walk around campus a little later, like 11:30 PM, and we just talked and laughed a little bit more. Now, I’m trying to get myself ready for bed. Tomorrow is my last day before actual school starts, so I’m going to enjoy it to its fullest. 

MONDAY

This was the last day before school officially started. So, it was my plan to enjoy it to its fullest. In the morning, I had the O Group Amazing Race, which was fun running around taking different photos with my O Group. Later in the afternoon, I had my department meeting, which was basically just listening to more orientation about the education department. It was pretty much a relax day, and it was definitely needed after a jam packed weekend. That night, almost all of my wing went to eat Mexican food at this place called “La Char.” It tasted really fantastic, and it was nice to talk with everyone. Even later on that night, I met some more new people from the American Ethnic Student Programs, which was fun. Even later on that night, I went for a bike ride, and I realized how long it has been since I’ve been bike riding. I almost fell flat on my face a couple of times, but I managed to stay up. Even later on that night, I went on a walk with some of the Freshman from my wing, which was a blast getting to know them even more. 

I am now done with my first week of school. It’s kind of overwhelming, but I’m just trying to adjust to being in a new place with new friends, no mom, no dog, school again, and yeah. All I can say is that I feel amazingly blessed. I can’t imagine being anywhere else, and I love that feeling. When I think about my first week of college and the past few years of my life, I get really emotional because I feel so awesome at TU. Everyone loves with such a genuine love. Everyone cares about me and loves me for me. There is so much fun and laughing here. I’m going to make some amazing friends here, and I am really excited about that. God DEFINITELY knew what He was doing when I only sent an application to Taylor University. I can’t wait to see what God is going to do in my life this next year. I’m not homesick yet, but I’m sure I will be soon enough. 

Some of my best memories thus far: 

1) Game Day: Taylor DEFINITELY beat Anderson!

2) Last Night: I fell asleep in the hallway, and I wasn't totally asleep yet. Emily Trier kept saying my name and shaking my arm to get me to wake up. She was worried if I was alive, so she checked my pulse on both my neck and wrist. Everyone standing around us was laughing because Trier wasn't sure what to do. I couldn't take it any longer; I jumped up laughing incredibly hard! :)