John Brown University Student Life Blog | JBU: By Students, For Students

A Weekend in Belfast

Oct 11 2018

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When I first arrived here in Belfast, I swore to myself that I was going to get out to explore and not sequester myself in my room like I tend to do once homework starts to pile up. After all, I’m in Ireland! So, I’ve set a goal for myself: every Saturday I leave the house and go on a small adventure. I go for a long walk in a nearby park, explore local grocery stores, or bus into Belfast’s city center. There’re always things to see in city center: the street performers who are always playing music or singing[…]

Oct 03 2018

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“Enjoy it. These will be the best days of your entire life.” While these words were once an anthem of hope, they now rang in my ears like a bad omen. I was sitting in my bed with a mug of pumpkin spice coffee and a laptop open to a livestream of the college football team from back home. My feet were tucked into wool socks, my hair in wet bun. It was the day after my birthday, Labor Day weekend of my freshman year. The friends I had made so far were with their families, who had come to[…]

Oct 03 2018

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Deciding what to do with your life is a challenge for everyone coming out of college. It’s your first step into the “real world” and whatever you do could easily shape the next 3-to-5 years of your life. But there isn’t any pressure, right? As a senior at JBU, I’m often asked the age-old question, “So, do you know what you’re doing after school?” A fair question, but unoriginal if you ask me. “I don’t know yet,” I reply confidently. The key word in my reply is “yet,” because not knowing what is ahead of me is natural. If someone[…]

Productivity

Oct 01 2018

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Earbuds serve many purposes but, most importantly, they serve as a signal to the outside world that the wearer wants no human interaction. They are a sign to all: do not disturb. At least, that’s how I see them. If earbuds aren’t enough, surely the furrowed brows, the chattering of laptop keys and the tablecloth of books are enough to ward off any who dare distract us dedicated students. That’s why I am irritated when people try to strike up a conversation with my friend. I’ll spare the occasional smile and wave if I accidentally make eye contact with a[…]

Sep 26 2018

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It was a dark and stormy night. Well, to be precise, when I first touched down at Dublin Airport, it was a dark and stormy morning. It turned out the trip directors had not been lying about the copious amount of rain in Ireland, and the 50°F weather was a big change from the sweltering 90°F August heat I had left behind me in Arkansas. As I would soon be told by a local in Belfast, the common saying in Ireland is that it’s either about to rain, raining or just finished raining. This provides the “Emerald Isle” with its[…]

Jul 13 2018

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Forty kilometers from raging conflict, bombings, and displaced people in Syria, peace that surpassed all understanding settled in my soul as our excavation team worshipped Christ at an ancient Byzantine church in Abila, Jordan. I came on the Jordan Studies trip two years ago as a Bible and Theology student. This season, I was asked to serve as the camp manager and assistant chaplain, now as a JBU alum. At the time I accepted the position, I was unaware that I would be given the opportunity to preach at one of our Vespers services, let alone preach at the final[…]

Jul 10 2018

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Due to previous stints abroad, I’ve had the opportunity to celebrate the 4th of July away from the patriotic enthusiasm of the United States before, but the 4th of July of 2018 was definitely a new experience for me. In Jordan, there are no fireworks stands by the roadside or American flags in the stores. It can be easy to forget about the holiday when you’re 6,695 miles away from the U.S.: there’s work at the dig site, pottery reading, and homework still to be done. But Americans can still have an amazing celebration wherever we are in the world![…]

Jul 06 2018

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“You know, I never thought I’d lick a bone.” This was all I heard the first few days at the dig site. Many people expressed the same thought, while I silently disagreed; somehow, I knew that someday, somewhere I would be licking a bone. “Why in the world are you licking bones at Abila?” you might ask. Well, if a bone sticks to your tongue, it’s over 500 years old. In archaeology, that can give you a pretty good idea of when the area you are digging in was occupied by someone or something. For someone who has been interested[…]

Respectful Disagreements

Jul 01 2018

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Before I started going to John Brown University, all the Christians in my life seemed to think the same way. I wasn’t really confronted with opinions that drastically differed from my own. Once I came to John Brown University, however, I learned that people do not always have to think the same way. I personally believe that it is through disagreements that we actually come to better ideas, because no one can be right at all times. When disagreeing with someone, it is important to remain respectful. Here are a few tips for when disagreements come up: Actually listen to[…]

Jul 01 2018

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“Okay,” I told myself as I looked out over Area B of the Abila site for the first day of excavation. “It’s Indiana Jones time.” The gray light of dawn was just coming, giving everything—the squares, the tells, and even the goats and sheep on the hill across the narrow valley—a hazy image. In the cool, crisp morning it was easy to imagine that I could actually do this; I could be a little bit like Indiana Jones, or Benjamin Gates from National Treasure, or even Alan Grant from the original Jurassic Park film. Just a little. When I first[…]

JBU Life

A Weekend in Belfast

The Best Days

How NOT to Worry for what’s Next

Productivity

Olivia, Meet Ireland

Abila: Reflection on Worship

Celebrating Independence–Jordanian Style

Tasting History

Respectful Disagreements

The Dig’s What You Make It