Team S.O.A.P., also known as School of a Pizza, decked themselves out in graduation gowns and caps.  They entered to the strains of Pomp and Circumstance creaking out from a mini-accordion. The honored representative of pizza played with a cardboard cutout of a large slice of pizza hanging on both sides of him. 

Another interesting team was Team Doom.  The players dressed in anything that was deemed intimidating.  They drew on their faces and taped rolled up newspapers all over themselves.  Certain team members jumped around and yelled like maniacs.  They had made little men out of newspapers and ripped them to shreds.  Needless to say, at the end of their first couple of games, the floor was littered with scraps of newspaper.   

                  However, not all of the teams were this crazy.  Some valiant teams remained until the bitter end at 8:15 A.M. when tired eyes squinted in the morning sun.  Everyone enjoyed themselves, whether their enjoyment came from goofy behavior or serious play.  The weekend was full of catching up on sleep before a busy school week began bright and early on Monday and S.O.A.P. and Team Doom were only a memory. 

Empty aluminum cans, once full of energy drinks and Mountain Dew, clutter rooms and lounges. Study parties quiz each other frantically in hopes of maximum retention. Learning and forgetting, learning and forgetting. Forgetting and learning, forgetting and learning. Study guides cover tables. Highlighters cover study guides. Studying for one class, then another and visa versa. Last minute corrections are made to last minute papers. Frustrated students make empty threats to empty printers. Bed times extend for hours, and some don’t even go to bed at all. Students in their bedrooms. Students in the lounge. Students in the coffee shop. Students in the classrooms and prayer rooms. Students that share one common goal, study until your eyes are too heavy to hold open.

For some reason, the last three hours of ones night life are filled with conversation containing information that is the farthest it could be from the contents of the study guide. Relationships, breakfast, plans for break, and plans for future pranks (just to name a few of many) clot minds, and motivation for study starts to slowly deplete. Some manage to make it to bed for a healthy few hours of sleep. Alarms are set and hearts regret past procrastination.

Morning arrives and breakfast is eaten as some even study while eating. Students carry themselves towards the classroom building in vague attempts of preparation. Tests are taken and crowds of students later congregate in miscellaneous meeting places and discuss how much easier or harder the test was to what was originally expected.

They compare answers and rejoice over the ones they got right, and declare vain utterances over the ones they did not. And even remember answers to questions they left blank, wishing they could go back and fill in the answer.

More tests are taken and yet again, more answer comparing meetings take place. Test result prophecies are declared, mumbled and grumbled. Some good. Some bad. Some ugly.

Test taking fiascoes are concluded with the packing of clothing, stowing away of suitcases and the ill-fated extended goodbye. Tears are shed in the girls lounge, as those who who have joined us only for the short time of the winter term, prepare for their departure. Hugs and cards and prayers and emails, phone numbers, and addresses are exchanged. Waves and blown kisses. Final hugs and loving wipes of tears of joy and sadness are among us. Cars are started. Seat belts are strapped. Goodbyes are no longer needed as vehicles drift away, taking pieces of us with them. Break begins.

Thursday night, Rosedale’s population began to grow.  Braving the bad roads, potential students from across the country began to trickle in at about 8:00 for Discover Rosedale.  They moved into our rooms and spent the night getting know other people and figuring out where everything was.

After a late night of volleyball and hanging out in dorm rooms, students experienced a day in the life of a college student.  Visitors took in an informational session that included panel interviews with current students and tips for maximum financial aid.  They also signed up to sit in on a class and see professors in action. 

Friday night included the first showing of The Magician’s Nephew, an entertaining play put on in the chapel.  The actors dressed up in interesting outfits and had their faces painted to believably play the part of animals.  Discover students got a chance to see Rosedale teamwork and creativity in action.

After the play, students participated in a gingerbread house-making contest in the cafeteria.  The tables were covered with colorful candy and building materials-skittles, red hots, gumdrops, twizzlers, graham crackers, M&Ms, and icing.  Everyone used their creativity to create something unique that would be judged by the Student Council. Among the most intricate and complicated creations was a long train. 

 My friends and I were just about finished with our house when I gracefully knocked it over by trying to stick red hots on the bottom layer. J We tried to salvage it before deciding that it would just have to be a ufo instead of a nice, cute, proportionate house.

In the first two sessions, Jeremy talked about the incredible universe God created and the difference between trying to be like God and simply being with Him.  A college student faces a somewhat open-ended decision.  We can choose whatever we want to do or become.  The challenge lies in being able to completely give our futures over to God and allowing Him to be the Lord of our lives.  Sometimes we fight so hard to do good things for God that we forget to actually listen to His voice and follow His leading.

 Jeremy grabbed everyone’s attention by wearing an Arnold Schwarzenegger mask for the majority of his next talk.  He made the point that so many Christians today try to hide behind their good works that they think will somehow make them deserving of God’s grace.  He gave time to respond, and people gathered around in small groups.  Everyone drew together in support and encouragement of each other.  I was blessed to see God working in such an obvious way.

                The weekend was finished off Sunday morning with some ideas about “transformational holiness.”  We talked about practical ways to become true followers of God and specific “keys” to open the door for transformation, including unhindered worship, continuous prayer, renewed minds, generous giving, and careful speech.

                After a rich and full weekend, I am even more grateful for the support of a place like Rosedale.  I feel so blessed to be in such an intense growing environment where everyone is reaching farther for God.  So many friends surround me that are willing to hold me accountable.  I think that when I look back at my year at Rosedale, I will be grateful for friendship and learning, but most of all, I will be grateful for the amazing ways God worked in my life.

Traditions have come and gone, but some have still managed to stick around on the campus of Rosedale Bible College. Applebee’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, all-night volleyball, ice-cream after Sunday night services, late night theological conversations in the resident director, Brian Miller’s, office, thrift shopping, and even the occasional trip to Wal-mart to goof off and pick up the week’s rations of Ramen and other “necessities” that the average college kid needs to survive. On Friday nights Applebee’s is flooded on a regular basis with anywhere from five students to half of our campus. Half-priced appetizers are a poor college kid’s dream. Boneless wings and mozzarella sticks are consumed in unhealthy amounts, and waitresses receive enough in tips to put a down-payment on a small car (well, maybe not.)

Tuesdays are the usual Buffalo Wild Wings (“b-dubs”) nights because they have 40­-cent wings (more cheap food to satisfy our souls.) All-night volleyball is coming up in a few weeks. Teams are formed, and the set teams have their tournament until the wee hours of the night (no curfew, whooo!) and the balling of the volley is usually followed by an early morning trip to Steak and Shake for a hearty breakfast. Breakfast is usually followed by a well deserved slumber. And for some strange reason, beyond any scientific explanation, the majority of the students who partake in the volleying, end up with colds or others sicknesses and ailments.

Thrift shopping is probably my favorite of the time-honored traditions of Rosedale Bible College (sorry for the repetition of being Mennonite and cheap.) Rummaging through racks and racks of old and unwanted clothing, deciding whether or not to buy that leopard print leotard that you think is hot, even though everyone else is leaning towards the contrary. You stare at the yellow, brown, and green retro style 70s couch in anger and resentment, because it won’t fit inside of your dorm room. Finally you settle for the sweater that reminds you of your favorite childhood hero, Mr. Rogers, from Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood. You know what I’m talking about. The one that the girls make fun of when you’re not around. Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about.

Wal-Mart trips are just as fun but not as much cool stuff is there. Wal-Mart trips are a lot of fun when you go in huge groups of people and embarrass all of your friends. What’s even better than that is when you jump inside one of those electric cart thingamabobs designated for the elderly, disabled, and just plain lazy. Cruising around, winds blowing through your hair, as you try to pop a wheelie to impress your friends. Even though they pretend like they don’t know you inside the store, they’re still your friends. Another classic is ice-cream after the Sunday evening service. Nothing like a nice, refreshing bowl of Rocky Road after praising God in the chapel. For those of us (including me) who are lactose intolerant, we must limit ourselves or our roommates will not like us very much.  

And last, but most certainly not least (of the traditions that I choose to put in this blog), the late night theological conversations in Brian Miller’s office. We sit in Brian’s office and talk about life, love, God, girls and everything in between. Exact details are forbidden to be told, as I fear that my life will come to a very sudden and tragic demise under the hands of the men’s dorms occupants.

Traditions carry on for generations. Sometimes they only stick around for a few years. Let us hope that these time-tested traditions of Rosedale Bible College will remain long enough that our children will pass their time at Rosedale the same way that we did. Great lessons and even greater friends make these traditions even more attractive and enjoyable. May your Applebees and “B-dubs” ventures be as amusing and creative as mine have been. Play volleyball until your little heart is contented, even if you get sick – you’ll always get better. Plus the trip to Steak and Shake is worth it anyway. Buy the leopard-print leotard or you’ll regret it all the days of your natural life. Cruise around the Wal-Mart in the electric cart thingamabob while you’re young, because you can make a natural assumption that they’re not as exhilarating when you get old and feeble and actually need to use them. It’s a little more difficult to pop a wheelie when you have gout. Eat the ice-cream, even if your roommate follows you around the dorm halls with a can of Axe. Talk until 2 in the morning in the RD’s office about all of your confidential stuff. Your buddies will only spill the proverbial beans if they need to black-mail you.  Enjoy the Rosedale traditions as much as I have. Maybe you can blog about your experience later.