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

Pottery Reading

Jun 27 2018

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During my freshman year of college, I took a Gateway class with Dr. Vila. On the first day, he shared a slideshow with photos of Abila. From that moment on, I knew I wanted to come to Jordan. Since arriving two weeks ago, I’ve been excavating Square 22 of Area AA, uncovering ancient Roman walls. While excavating is exciting, the real reward is learning about the former inhabitants of Abila themselves through the artifacts they left behind. Each morning, my square partner Kari and I fill plastic buckets with pottery to take back to camp. Dr. Susan, our area supervisor,[…]

Jun 26 2018

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Posting from the Abila Archaeological Project. “Break!” Dr. Susan announces. Excavators drop their picks and scurry up ladders. Wheelbarrows screech to a stop. Empty guffas tumble over stone walls. Binders full of top plans snap shut. We all know what Dr. Susan’s words mean: it’s food time. Members of the Abila crew unzip backpacks and pull out sack lunches packed by the camp chef—flat bread, a hardboiled egg, an orange, a tomato and a triangle slab of cheese wrapped in foil. Jordanian team members trail toward their resting spot—the shaded gap between the wall of a Byzantine church and what we[…]

Jun 24 2018

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Posting from the Abila Archaeological Project. My favorite room at camp is the registry. In layman’s terms, it’s where cool stuff gets sorted and documented. During field school, dozens of JBU students crammed into the registry for a training session. They clustered around desks covered with Munsell soil charts, rulers, pail tags and microscopes. Peter, our resident priest and registrar, explained that archaeology is destruction, purposeful demolition for the sake of learning. Because the sediment and artifacts we uncover can never be returned to their original state, documenting our work with great care is critical to honoring history. After providing[…]

Jun 20 2018

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I’m sitting with two of my best friends by a window in the cafeteria. The sunlight is streaming in… it’s a beautiful Monday, a great start to the week. As I look around at everyone entering, sitting, leaving, I see four different friends getting their own food and then sitting down at individual tables. Less than three months ago we ate all of our meals together. This is a thought that makes me pause. Can it be? My semester studying abroad in Ireland feels so long ago. It’s like it was a different lifetime, and I’m a time-traveler, jumping between[…]

Jun 20 2018

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40+ volunteers, staff members, JBU students and alumni are in Northern Jordan for 4 weeks at the Abila Archaeological Project. Earlier this week, our excavation crew traveled to base camp in Harta, a village in northern Jordan. Gradually, our bodies are adjusting to jet lag, late nights of talking on the rooftop, and waking up at 4 a.m. to excavate. With the help of afternoon naps and Turkish coffee, we’re finding our rhythm. As a returning staff member, I enjoy seeing JBU students encounter Jordan for the first time. They approach each experience with a certain sense of magic. Their[…]

Jun 12 2018

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This summer 40+ volunteers, staff members, JBU students and alumni will spend four weeks in Northern Jordan at the Abila Archaeological Project. The team will be excavating, conserving, restoring and publishing the archaeological site of Abila of the Decapolis. Several team members will be sharing their journey here on the blog. By Gabrielle Marcy ’17 (Graphic Design) In 2016, I studied abroad in Jordan. That summer changed me as I uncovered history, developed cross-cultural friendships, experienced deep hospitality and wrestled with complex questions. This summer, I’m thrilled to return for another dig season. In preparation for the trip, I reached out[…]

Mar 18 2018

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For those of us operating on a tighter budget, Spring Break can be a pretty big financial burden. Not only are you not at your campus job for an entire week, but you’re also spending lots of money! Here are some tips on ways to cut costs and not empty out your entire wallet. 1. Couchsurf or Camp Choose a destination where you know people you can stay with! It’s amazing how quickly even cheap places to stay can add up, and nothing beats free housing. Camping is also another great option to cut down on costs and still have[…]

Four Things to Remember in Your Last Semester

Mar 06 2018

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1.Time Literally Disappears It feels like just yesterday I was starting my “last first day of school” and now we’re over halfway through the semester. After spring break I have five weekends at school. FIVE. I have so many things I still want to do with my friends before we all split off and go our different ways. 2. Graduating is Expensive Did you know you have to apply to graduate? And you have to pay a $35 application fee? Try to find a cap and gown from a friend too because graduation regalia is $40. If you’re broke (like[…]

Nov 18 2017

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Coming back from a semester abroad is fraught with difficulties and joys. One of the hardest things is being asked: “What was your favorite part?” I spent three months in Belfast, Northern Ireland, living with 19 other JBU students. I traveled all over the country, spent a weekend in London, and then went to Edinburgh, Scotland on my own for five days at the end of the semester. How am I supposed to choose my favorite part? I loved all of it! My favorite part was, quite literally, absolutely everything. During the semester we were privileged to have JBU professor[…]

Oct 02 2017

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This weekend was one for the books. Let me preface by saying that my favorite band by far is a group called NEEDTOBREATHE. I have been following them and their music for a long time, and have always loved it. Some controversial businessmen-politicians might refer to my fandom as being “YUGE.” So one could infer that I was pretty ecstatic to see them live in concert for the first time last Friday night in Oklahoma City. The trip down was an adventure in itself. After rushed astronomy tests, missed gas stations, hazardous U-turns, and fine dining at Raising Cane’s Chicken[…]

JBU Life

Pottery Reading

Second Breakfast

Field School: Registry

What if Seasons Never Actually Ended?

Field School: Seeing a Place

Anticipating Abila

Five Tips for a Budget-Friendly Spring Break:

Four Things to Remember in Your Last Semester

Wait! It Actually Meant Something?

Concerts and Kingdoms