Homecomming Week

This is a very exciting week on the campus of Palm Beach Atlantic University. The students and faculty just came off a very relaxing 4 day Fall Break. I personally got out of town with my roommates and spent the weekend at a condo near Daytona Beach. Sometimes it is great to just get away and not do homework. Anyways, this week is Homecomming Week and the theme this week is 'The Choice'. There are numerous activities throughout the week to celebrate numerous alumni coming back into town. The events range from movies on the green Paul Blart: Mall Cop, and Eagle Eye to an energetic paint dance party called GLO. Another campus favorite and PBA tradition is The Great American Bug Race, in which students and facutly alike can race roaches for a grand prize of $100. This is one of the longest standing traditions on campus. I am also particularly excited about the alumni basketball games aganist the current student squads. I am a huge fan of PBA basketball and am looking forward to a preview of the upcoming season. Altogether is is much easier to come back to campus from a break, when there is so much exciting things to do. I look forward to all that this homecomming weekend has to offer.

PBA’s urban location offers numerous activities

This past weekend was one of the best I have had in a while. I am very glad that a few of my friends who graduated in May were able to be in town to make it awesome. I am exhausted right now, and am really going to need a nap this afternoon. I really had a blast, participating in many different activities across the community surrounding campus. This weekend was parents weekend and there were tons of activities for students to do, alongside their parents. The cafeteria food was extra good; the school hosted a murder mystery dinner, and theater production Nunsense just to name a few. That being said, my parents have never visited me during this weekend, and since I am now a senior they did not start.

The weather was nearly perfect all weekend, albeit still very hot, and I took advantage by spending quality time with friends and the Atlantic Ocean most of the day Saturday. The water is a perfect temperature this time of year, and almost perfectly crystal clear. Saturday night was when most of the student population at PBA was at one of two places. A huge number of students went to the Blink 182 concert featuring Fall Out Boy, All-American Rejects and Asher Roth. It was at the Cruzan Amphitheatre just down the road from campus. West Palm Beach is a fairly large city and has been able to bring a lot of good bands to the area, especially at Cruzan. Another large group of students, including myself, went to a free show at City Place, within walking distance of campus, featuring Kate Vogele, and Andrew McMahon (lead singer from Jack’s Mannequin and Something Corporate). My roommate and a few friends and I had such a great time at the show, we actually decided that we would drive across the state to Ft Myers to see the same free show again last night! We did not get back home to West Palm until a little after 2am this morning. It was definitely worth it. One of the great parts of college life is making random spontaneous decisions, like my road trip to Ft Myers yesterday, and just spending quality time with friends.

College is Busy

These past two weeks have been incredibly busy around campus. Last week was connection week, which is a weeklong event with different ways to plug in on campus and in the community of West Palm Beach. Potential employers, different churches and nonprofit organizations set up tables on the Rinker Green to connect the student body with the city and surrounding communities. As for on campus connections there was a club rush event where all of the different campus organizations set up tables to allow students to join. As the president of the college republicans club, I had a lot of work to do to recruit new members at the event. The entire connection week was a success.

This week, as you already know, is Christoval which is our spiritual emphasis conference week. It just so happens that this week I also have 3 exams, a paper due and a presentation. Needless to say I have only been able to make it to one Christoval so far, but I plan on attending again today. Life sometimes gets busy, but it is nothing that I cannot handle. I like the busyness actually. I am definitely looking forward to this weekend to rest up from the last two weeks. A bunch of friends who graduated from PBA are coming into town this weekend and I am very excited to be able to spend time with them. Life is great.

Francis is Coming to Town!

Next week Francis Chan is coming to PBA to speak at our very own Christoval Festival! To say we students are excited, would be an under statement. To get an idea as to why we're so pumped about having Francis on our campus check out this video: http://www.juststopandthink.com/movieextras_movielg.php

my summer adventures

It is truly great to be back for another year at PBA! I missed the city of West Palm Beach, and just being around fellow sailfish. I had a very enjoyable summer break full of many adventures including two epic road trips with PBA friends and I also went on a Travel Study trip to Greece and Turkey. The first, of the epic road trips, was from Florida to Arkansas for a wedding of two of my very good friends, who just graduated PBA last may. On the way back we made a pit stop in Mobile, Alabama to stay with one of my first friends at PBA before returning to Florida. The second road trip was back to school from Chicago with my roommates. Altogether I visited 10 different states this summer, having a great time. If you ever want to take an extremely boring drive through nothingsville USA, you will have to drive across Arkansas or Illinois. Luckily in both cases I was in a car full of sailfish and we were able to make the best of it. It is great that even though I have been away from school for the summer, I have remained completely connected with all of the many friends I have here at PBA. The student body and especially your close friends that you make at PBA honestly become a second family.

I cannot even begin to describe how blessed I feel about being able to visit the beautiful and historical countries of Turkey and Greece. I went on the trip with the Honors College at PBA as an extension of our learning. The biblical studies department also came with us. Three of the best professors the university has to offer, came with us and acted as our mentors and friends as we visited the numerous historical and biblical sites the two countries had to offer. We saw such historical sites as the Parthenon, ancient Ephesus, Corinth and the Homeric city of Troy just to name a few. My life will seriously never be the same. It was one of the most profound religious experiences I have had in life, visiting many of the ancient biblical cities. It makes the faith real and alive to visit the places where Paul and many others walked and lived their lives. Just wow. I would highly recommend that everyone experience a travel study trip at least once during their time spent in college. Traveling is one of the best and most fun ways to learn about a new place, but even more so about yourself.

*TOP - Some of the group outside the Grotto where John recieved his Revelation on the island of Patmos, Greece

*BOTTOM - The whole travel study group in front of Hagia Sophia in the old city of Constantinople (now Istanbul), Turkey

2 Weeks!

School is 2 and half weeks away!!!!! The excitement on campus is apparent. Athletes are moved into their dorms. RAs, Point 58s, and Fish Leaders are slowly arriving back on campus for training tuned specifically for their leadership roles. Welcome Week T-shirts have been handed out to faculty. Dorms are cleaned, fixed up and ready. Rest up and take full advantage of your last two weeks out of the college scene, and we'll be seeing you in the very near future! :)

We're on TV!

PBA has a local commercial on TV! Who were the actors used in the commercial? None other than your fabulous Admission's Staff! Check it out right here!

Won't You Ring Your Bell?

Have you deposited to PBA? Did you know that when you deposit we ring a bell in honor of you? It's true! Someone will go up to one of our bells and make it ring loudly so that everyone in the Office of Admissions can hear it! Then, everyone claps and cheers for YOUR deposit!

If you have any questions about Depositing contact your Admission Counselor.
We want you to join our PBA family! Deposit Today!

Have you had your bell rung?

The Biggest Second of Our Lives

for one split second time counted up from 1 to 9

at 12:34:56 in the 7th month on the 8th day during the 9th year of the second millennium

PBA Requirements

Everyone knows that PBA doesn't really have actual requirements...we have averages. Our average GPA is 3.5, SAT is 1090-1100, and ACT is 24-25. Simply because you may not have the average score is no reason not to apply since they are just averages.

Here are the actual Requirements.
Know the following definitions and be a fan of them:

10. Tenth Avenue North
9. Workship
8. Federal Workstudy
7. City Place
6. Beach
5. The Sea Wall
4. Lip Sync
3. Sailfish and School Dance/Cheer
2. Chick Fil A
1. Jesus

Thank you for your time. Remember requirements NOT averages.

The Other Side of West Palm

Being in West Palm Beach over the summer, you experience things you never would during the school year. For one-the bugs. The bugs (specifically mosquitoes) are ridiculous during the summer months. When I was gearing up for the summer I purposefully bought a bottle of bug spray. Did it help? Nope. I need one of those new Off fans constantly attached to my hip. Thank goodness that come September, mosquitoes will be a rarity.
During the school year I am continually found staring up in the sky admiring God's handiwork. A spectacular sky scape is pretty common in South Florida. But it seems that in the summer months God ups the anti. I am regular brought into a state of awe by artwork displayed in the skies. My poor roommate is regularly be dragged outside to check out the newest cloud creation. In the past two months I have witnessed skies that look painted, lightning strikes that could outdo any fireworks show, red moons, and a complete bold rainbow which landed directly in front of my dorm. The beauties in the sky quickly make the bugs an afterthought.

What to Do, What to Do...

"So what's there to do here?"

and so goes the infamous question everybody asks everywhere they go. Here's what we West Palmians do for fun:

*the beach (ofcourse)

*find people with rockband, befriend them, and copy a key to their door (kidding about that last part)

* rapids water park
*kayaking (you can rent kayakes from the Greene Complex)
*Norton Museum of Art (it's free on Saturdays to West Palm residents!)

*intermurral sports on campus

*film nights hosted by the Film Department (they a classic every other week. it's free and there's snacks!)

*skateboarding, skating, or running by the intercoastal
*hitting golfballs into the intercoastal

*Coffee House

*picnics
*concerts at Cityplace (they're free and sometimes big names drop by)

there's so much more you can do on campus or around West Palm Beach. The key is:be creative!

Things to Buy

My best friend once told me that memory foam was the #1 best purchase that she bought for college. Shoot dang was she right! Here is my own little list of best buys for your dorm/college life at PBA:

1. memory foam
2. Brita water filter
3. Old Navy flip flops (2 for $5!)
4. an ethernet cord long enough to reach across your room
5. a wallet just big enough to fit your I.D card (with a key ring attached to it)
6. bike
7. shower mat
8. tavel coffee mug
9. extension cord
10. full size mirror
11. bed risers or...
12. loft bed (you can take apart the bed that comes with your room and just stick it in the closet. bringing your own loft bed frame saves SO much space!)

the Best Advice my Prof Ever Gave me

Last semester I was on the verge of tears in professor H.D.'s office when he was kind enough to share this life changing advice with me. Due to my overloaded schedule I was feeling worn out and absolutely overwhelmed.HD told me that what I needed was to take at least five minutes every day to simply sit. To just sit still and do nothing but be. Be present. Be alive. Be thankful. Be in the presence of God. Just Be.When HD was first saying this my one thought was "I don't have 5 minutes!That's the whole reason why I'm in your office now!" Without even realizing it I began taking his advice. Lunch's I began eating outside in front of the library or by the water. There were days where I would take ten minutes to just sit in my room and breath.This semester the 5 minutes has turned into 30 and sometimes even a full hour where I get to simply be outside enjoying the Florida sunshine. My friend Christy also taught the importance of carrying a Bible and/or my journal around with me. Often I'll take a short break to sit under a stick of an orange tree next to the Theatre building. Sometimes I'll just lay there other times I'll read or journal.I guess the point of this all is: Don't forget to relax in College.Sophomores-the Sophomore Slump is real.Don't get eaten alive by it.Take as little or as much time as you need every day to get charged. It will change your health, mood, and performance.

Sunny Side Up?

It's summer!...and all of us PBAers are bummed at some level or another. It's crazy I know. How often do you really hear about students feeling down because summer has finally arrived? We're not sad about classes being over (or at least most of us aren't), but it's the separating PBA that leaves us bummed. The best part of summer is the day you return back to campus in August. You will be hard pressed to find any other place where upon arriving you feel such a strong sense of belonging. It's on that day that everything feels right. Everything is right. I realize this all sounds extremely sentimental and sappy but give yourself a year at PBA and you'll understand exactly what I'm talking about. And all this does not go to say that summer is the most depressing time of the year, as we all know summer is the perfect opportunity for ample adventures. Simply be prepared for summer (your first one especially) to teach you just how attached you are to PBA's community.