Neon Lights

It was 10 o’clock at night and a group of 4 of us were standing in the line of excited college kids waiting for Midnight Breakfast. This year’s theme was Neon Lights. The first fifty students received a free t shirt that glowed under the blacklights. It was cold but the four of us were still having fun. We were excited for the food. Aaron and Adrian were telling Juli and I all about how awesome it was, since they had been last year. We were all excited. Good food, good music, and glow sticks. Who wouldn't be excited for that. Finally it was 10:30 and they let us in. The DC was lit with blacklights and they were handling out glowstick necklaces and bracelets. They were serving pancakes, biscuits and gravy, eggs, and sausage. There were so many great food options. There were three bands there, but I only stayed for 1 of them. there name was #Charisma. The mostly played songs that are popular on the radio but they did a great job. Our night was wrapped up with Juli and I taking a picture at the photo booth. We put neon paint on our faces and smiled for the picture.

Christmas Choral Concert

On the night of December 7th at 4pm, there were many people gathered in the Whitlock Recital Hall, my sister and I included. Why you might ask? Well, the Greenville Choir, joined with many community members and many musicians, was performing their annual Christmas concert. during this concert they performed parts of Handel’s Messiah and other fantastic pieces. Their voices and instruments came together in a beautiful melody and harmony that brought people to tears. The atmosphere was a peaceful and yet slightly excited one. People were sitting with their loved ones just simply enjoying the blessing that was that concert. They made the story of Jesus’ birth come alive with their voices and instruments and I personally feel blessed to have been apart of it.

Bob Goff

I attended Bob Goff's Chapel on September 29.

I went with Coley Baker to hear Bob Goff speak at Chapel. Bob Goff is one of the most amazing speakers I have ever listened to. He wrote a book called Love Does that he talked about during Chapel. This was on a Monday at 9:30 in the morning. He is such an inspiration to so many people and really knows how to shed God's light. My favorite story he told is when he rescued a little boy that was abused my witch doctors. He was able to find so many witch doctors and save so many lives. But the most amazing part of his story was when he told us that he ended up adopting that little boy that he rescued. I absolutely loved listening to him talk, and I can't wait to read his book. If Bob Goff is ever speaking anywhere close again, I will definitely by in attendance. 

Art Walk

I went to the Art Walk on September, 19 with Brittni, Allyson, and Meredith. I am not a huge fan of artwork so I wasn't overly excited to go. But upon arriving, I realized that the Art Walk was nothing like I expected it to be. This took place on the square in Greenville, by the Court House. We all walked there together that evening, expecting to only go for no longer than 15 minutes. After walking around, we realized that it was actually very interesting. There were various tents set up that you could by different types of art. There were hand made scarves, hats, bracelets, anything you could imagine. But one of the most interesting pieces of art was the picture above. It was a chalk mural that was more than 10 feet long. That was the first street art I had ever seen. I don't know how many art shows I will attend in the future, but if someone asked me to go to an Art Walk again, I think it would be a great time.

Church Service

The women's basketball team went to the Greenville Free Methodist Church service on August 31. 

This was the first church service I went to at college other than Chapel and Vespers. I come from a United Methodist background so I expected the service to be similar to those that I attend at home. However, the service was nothing like I expected. It was a great service and the pastor did a fantastic job of delivering it. The worship was great and it was nice to worship with the rest of the girls on the basketball team. After attending the First Christian Church of Greenville the next Sunday however, I realized that I liked that church more. At the Methodist church, I just didn't feel like I belonged there, it didn't feel like a place I wanted to continuously attend. But in the future, I would never be hesitant at attending the Free Methodist Church.

Improv Show!

This is of Laura, Brittni and I at the Improv show. This was the last improv show before we all left for christmas break. The people in the show all had on christmas sweaters or red and green. I have been to all of the improv shows but this one was probably one of my favorites and it did not go as i expected. It was one of my favorites because it was one last time for all of us to be together before we left for break and it did not go as i expected because one of the guys during a skit ran and jumped into the wall. When he jumped he ended up putting a huge hole in the wall. I love going to improv and am looking forward to it again next semester.

Church

This is a picture taken after my friends and i went to church. Usually we attend FCC but recently i have been attending Free Methodist. I love going to church with my friends because nothing is better then growing in your faith while being with your friends. This day was one of the first days of Fall so the weather was absolutely gorgeous. We all took a picture because we said it is a rare day when we are all at the same church and during the week we all are never dressed cute on the same day.

GC Football Game

First Football Game

This picture is of my friends and I at our first college football game at Greenville. We were all so excited to be at the game. I had shirts made that said panther football that we all could wear to the game. The weather was perfect for football because sit was not freezing cold or super hot. This game our football team won by a lot of points so that made the game even better to be at. throughout the semester the season i went to a majority of the home games and always had a good time when i was there.

Homecoming Dance

On Saturday October, 25 I attended the GCSA homecoming dance.  It started at 7 o’clock pm.  I went to the dance with my friends Deja Sawyer and Taylor Putnam.  The environment was interesting.  It was outside and under big tents by the football field.  It was dimly lit and there was loud music playing.  There was one section for sitting and eating snacks and another section for dancing.  The event was really exciting and fun.  I enjoyed dancing with my friends.  The event actually did not go as I expected it to.  The music was different than I thought it would be, there were more people than I thought there would be, and I actually had a lot more fun than I thought I would.  Overall, I did enjoy it.  I enjoyed the music and dancing, but I did not enjoy leaving.  I would definitely go to something like this again. 

Choir Concert

Back in October my friend Deja and I went to a Greenville College Choir Concert.  It was on the Friday night of homecoming weekend, October 24th, at 7:30 in Whitlock Music Center.  My “artifact” that I am holding in the picture is the program that we got when we walked in.  The environment was very calm and respectful.  The event was really interesting to me.  I had never been to a choir concert before this one, and I was very impressed.  The event did go about how I expected it to, even though I had never been I was still able to imagine what it would be like beforehand.  I did enjoy it, I enjoyed seeing students perform and being there to support them.  I didn’t not enjoy anything about it.  I probably would attend something like this again because, overall, I did enjoy being there and listening to the choir perform. 

Church

Church Service

Our Redeemer Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod

November 1, 2014 - 10:15 a.m.

I attended this service with Jason Collingwood and Ashlyn Collingwood.

The environment of the church was a very different experience for me. I come from a non-denominational background. The Lutherans are much more of a traditional church. The people were very welcoming and it was a very pleasant place to be. It was very memorable because they have a person playing the organ for their church service. They also do not raise their hands to worship or offer communion unless you are apart of the Lutheran church. I wasn’t really expecting anything when I attended the church because I knew it would be different from any other church I went to before. I did enjoy seeing the different religion and how the people were in service. I also enjoyed their pastor. He was a very nice man and very welcoming. However, I did not enjoy how they approached certain situations and at times felt very looked down at. I did attend a couple times with my roommate because I did not want to base an experience off of a one time event, and I would be willing to go again. However, there are a few things in which I do not see myself agreeing with the church. With that being said, that is my personal preference and has nothing to do with the people of the church. Overall, it was a very interesting and enlightening experience.

Play

Brittni Bell and I attended the theatre production Almost, Maine on December 4th, 2014. It took place at the old factory theater. The environment was very interesting. When we walked up the stairs to get to the theater, it felt very relaxing and exciting at the same time. The stage was set like the winter and it almost made you feel like you should keep your coat on for the entire production. It was a very exciting event. The actors were very entertaining to watch and they did a fantastic job keeping the audiences attention. I was expecting to watch a play that had a regular story plot throughout the whole show. However, it was made up of several smaller skits put together. It was a romantic comedy and it was quite funny. I enjoyed watching the play a lot. It was so much fun and the actors did a fantastic job. I almost went back the next night, but didn’t because of money. I cannot wait for their next play production. I hope it is as wonderful as this one was to watch. 

Men's Basketball

On December 4, 2014 my roommate and I braved the crows of very excited Greenville College students who were ready to cheer their beloved panthers to victory. We sat and shamelessly chatted about who on Spalding's team was good looking while we waited for the game to begin. Our conversation ceased when Coach Barber walked on the floor in his all white suit. We didn't know what was happening until someone said that it was a white out game. Soon enough the middle school choir lead the fans in The National Anthem. The game had begun. It was exciting the gym was full of energy as we cheered the panthers on. There were only a few rules that were completely lost on me. They won. I loved seeing how the members of the team who weren't in the game would cheer and encourage their team to continue to do their best. I also loved how they would have little huddles on the court after a call was made. I loved watching how they acted like a team and that is why I have gone to every home game since that one.

GCSA event- Midnight Breakfast

On Thursday December 11, 2014, I went to Midnight Breakfast. This event was hosted by  the Greenville College Student Association (GCSA) and took place in the Armington Center. Midnight Breakfast started at 10:30 and ended around 12:30. The picture below includes some of my cross-country teammates that attended the event.

GCSA promoted Midnight Breakfast by posting flyers, making announcements and giving away free t-shirts to the first fifty people there. My friends and I really wanted a free t-shirt, so we waited in line for 45 minutes. However, even though we were 36 or so in line, we still didn't get a shirt because they gave them away to the different band members first. This was really disappointing and kind of upsetting, but we quickly got over it and managed to have a great time!
At Midnight Breakfast there was a tasty variety of different breakfast foods, a photo booth, black lights, neon paint, and different campus bands performing. All of the bands were really great and exciting to watch. Everyone huddled around the stage and danced as the bands performed, just like at a concert. When everyone started jumping together to the beat of a song, you could feel the floor in upper Armington shake. It was scary and exiting at the same time! The Greenville College Student Association did a fantastic job with this event and I hope they continue to host things like Midnight Breakfast in the future!

November Improv Show

Last month in November, I attended the fourth improv show of the semester. The event was held in LaDue Auditorium and the show started promptly at 9:30.

The doors opened at 9:00. I went with Jordie File and some other friends. We arrived just five minutes after the doors opened and the auditorium was already packed! All of the floor seats were taken and the balcony was filling fast. By the time got to the balcony there were only three seats left. So, we quickly sat down before anyone took them! This was really exciting because the other three times that I have gone to the improv show, I have had to sit on the ground. The improv shows are always great and hilarious! Clearly, everybody enjoys them. Everyone on the improv team is really good and always produce a successful show. I encourage all Greenville students to go to one, if they have not already. Just make sure you get there right at 9!

Ashlyn Collingwood - Experience #5

The first picture is of Emma and me attending the church service. The second picture is the bulletin of the service. 

Church Service

Our Redeemer Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod

November 1, 2014 - 10:15 a.m.

I attended this service with Jason Collingwood and Emma Tracy.

            Our Redeemer Lutheran Church is a conservative, traditional Lutheran church. The atmosphere was very welcoming. The congregation is small with several young families and children. The welcoming atmosphere made me feel comfortable and at home in the church. I started attending this church at the beginning of the year and this visit of mine was the same, great experience as always.

            The pastor of the church is Pastor Nehrt. He is an experienced pastor who is very knowledgeable about the Lutheran faith. His sermons are always exceptional. He has a way of explaining complicated topics in ways all can understand. It is a very admirable trait. His way of explanation is always backed by scripture: both the law and gospel of Christ. This particular week was the observation of All Saints’ Day. The scripture that was read and the sermon that was preached went along with this theme. Pastor preached thoroughly on the subject, using Christ’s words to support his message.

            This church is one of my favorite churches that I have attended. The welcoming atmosphere along with the scripture-based worship and messages are all aspects of a church that I look for. This was my one of my favorite experiences of the semester. I look forward to attending the service every Sunday. 

Ashlyn Collingwood - Experience #4

Greenville College Volleyball Game (Greenville College Gymnasium)

September 23, 2014 at 4:30 pm

I attended the game with Emma Shukers.

The picture was taken with members of the Greenville volleyball team. 

            The game was a fun experience. I had not seen many college volleyball games, so it was exciting to watch the fast pace of the game. At the beginning of the game, there were not many fans, but as the game went on, the atmosphere became more lively. It surprised me how many people came to show their support for the team.

            The team Greenville was playing was from MacMurray College. This team did not show the level of skill that the Greenville players did. All of the games were well won. The game ended with Greenville winning the first 3 games out of the set of 5 that could have been played. All 3 of the games were won by a considerable amount.

            Even though the game was played competitively, both teams exhibited good sportsmanship. They shook hands at the end of the game and smiled in congratulation to the opposing teams for a game well played. After the final point, both teams came to the middle of the court and held hands while a prayer was being said. It was nice to see that though there might be rivalry, a Christian attitude is to be shown at all times. This is what Christ wants during competitive events.

            I enjoyed this sporting event and went to a couple more volleyball games as the season went on. There is a lot of talent on the team and it does not go unrecognized. 

Fall Festival

For Halloween, all the Burritt girls got together for a fun Fall Festival. I went with my friend Felicia. We had a great time with all the different activities around. One of the RCs had made us all mixed CDs, and they were playing that while we hung out. Felicia and I had apple cider and caramel apples. Then we painted pumpkins to decorate our rooms. We went and took a couple of pictures by the hay bales with the other girls from our hall. We had a really good time hanging out with the other girls there.

Early Thanksgiving Work At The Heritage Farm

On November 5 me and some football players took a trip to the Heritage Farm were we did some work for the Up coming Thanksgiving bond held there every year. I learned how to pick indian corn By hand for 3 hrs and how to Paint them for decorations. This was a time for me to learn some history about greenville and some Facts of what This Small town Once Was.

Ted Talk With Matt Zahn'iser

Wade Jung, Johnny Pruitt and I attended the Ted Talk with Matt Zahn'iser on November 17 at 4p.m. in the upper. When the ted talk started he gave us a little brief background on his history with Greenville College. His father Alison Howard Manthias Zahniser graduated From GC in 1960. It was about 50 people their and it was a awesome experience for my first ted talk. i got to learn a lot of thing about different views of life and the things around you this is something i would attend again 

Church at The Bridge

My friends Maddy and Felicia and I went to one of the opening weekends for The Bridge at The Globe.

It was great to see how many other people from the college were there. It felt pretty comfortable knowing a lot of the people around. The pastor, Dave, was doing a series on Jesus the Miracle Worker. It was a great message, and Dave is super funny. I don't really know what else to say about the experience. It was basically like most churches, except it was in a movie theater, which might have actually made it cooler. I really like the ministry they're doing. I think it was a cool idea to target college students, because none of us really knows what's going on. I'm looking forward to seeing how this church continues to grow.

Student Government Meeting

Travis Ralls, Austin Marsh (my roommate), and I attended the student government meeting on December 3 at 9:30 p.m. in Deitzman 102. When the members of the senate first started the meeting, they opened with a word of prayer. (I think that is awesome!) They then went over their last meeting's minutes. After minutes, they discussed interterm and what will be going on during that time. Then they debated the constitutions, which included the possibility of introducing a drama club, Greek Life, and hiring a Joy Hall letterman. Next, they provided student leadership opportunities; and finally, they went over updates and allowed audience members to submit proposals. I didn't mind going to the event, but then again; this isn't something I would necessarily make a point to go to by myself. It seemed to be a little bit too much sitting down for one time for me.

Concert: Blackroom Christmas Event

I attended a "winter" themed concert in the Blackroom on Friday, December 5. The main reason that I went was to support the second floor RC in Janssen hall, Aaron Phillips. Aaron, who is pictured to the left, is a drummer in his band along with his roommate; who is a guitar player and lead vocalist. I really enjoyed Aaron's music, and the band had a really unique sound. I generally don't attend musical events, but I actually enjoyed attending this event. As you can see, the room was dark; and it had a very soothing feeling. There were a few people in the very front row, right in front of the stage, who were dancing like crazy. I think that these kind of events are really good for not only the people who attend them, but is a really good way for bands to get practice in on a smaller scale with less pressure. I would definitely attend another event like this in the future, especially if it would be to support my friend Aaron again.   

Sports Event: Men's Basketball Game

My cousin, Phillip Reedy, and I attended the men's varsity basketball game at 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 4. The Panthers played Spalding at home, and the game was very intense. You could tell by the amount of tensity on the floor that these two schools are rivals. The final score was 67-50; so even though the score of the game wasn't very close, the game was still very hostile environment. Phil and I went to support two of the varsity players who live on our floor, Elmo Smith and Andrew Scott. Andrew actually ended up getting hurt in this game, so he didn't play as much as he would have liked to. Luckily, Andrew's injury wasn't a major one and he has fully returned to playing. I really enjoyed the event, and I attend as many home basketball games as I can.

Theatre Prodution

Almost, Maine
December 6, 2014
I attended the play Almost, Maine at the Factory Theatre with Claire Schmitt.
The environment was dark and the stage was set up really cute with two houses and a bench. The lighting once the cast came on was really good. The event was extremely funny and exciting to watch. I have never seen this play before so I didn't know what to expect, although there was a lot of kissing which was kind of surprising. I really enjoyed being there and doing something different with my friend. I didn't really dislike anything about it. I would attend another play here at Greenville because it was a lot of fun and something other than a sporting event.

Church Service

Church Service
September 14th 2014
I attended First Christian Church (FCC) in Greenville, IL with a few of my friends. From left to right: Meredith, Lauren, me, Miranda, and Laura. These girls are on the Women's Basketball team. I attend this church every Sunday. The environment at FCC is very welcoming and they do a lot for us college students. I love the services there because they are funny, Pastor Dale does a great job at keeping his audience entertained. He also gives us notes to take which is very helpful. The church service always goes as expected. I enjoy attending FCC because I get to experience an awesome, yet challenging service every Sunday. I also love that they give people the chance to get baptized every week. I have not attended any other church in Greenville. I really enjoy attending First Christian Church.

Almost, Maine

Almost, Maine- Theatre Production
Emma and I went to the theatre production Almost, Maine on December 4th, 2014. We both wanted to go see the play, regardless of the extra credit teachers where giving out. We decided that it was worth spending the money to go watch it. At first when I got into the Factory Theatre I wasn't to thrilled with how it looked. However, as the night went on the place grew on me. The play ended up being amazing, and all the actors and actresses did such a good job. You could tell that they put a lot of work into the production! It was a romanic comedy, therefore; it ended up being so funny and really sweet. The hour and half production went by extremely fast because we were enjoying ourselves so much. I loved the play and I am so happy that I ended up going to see it, especially with Emma. I hope that they continue putting on plays for Greenville because I would love going to another one again.

Church Service

FCC- Church Service
On September 14, 2014 my friends, Charity, Lauren, Ellie, Allyson, Laura, Meredith, Miranda, Emma and I went to the First Christian Church. We had been looking for a good church to attend since we got to school. Unfortunately, none of us found one that we really loved until we went to FCC. The church service was on a Sunday morning and it starts at 10:45 and lasts till 12:00. In the beginning there is a band that sings, and they did a great job. I really enjoyed listening to the pastor and I thought he did a great job of keeping it lively and exciting. He was funny but when it came time to talk about important things he was serious and was able to tell his sermon well. After the service was over he went to the door and thanked everyone for coming. He seemed very personable and actually cared about each individual, which meant a lot to me. Every Sunday since then I have gone to FCC and I have had a great time being there.

Sporting Event: JV Football game

Back in September I attended my first JV football game at Greenville College.  This event took place at the sports complex at the football field.  The game started at 4:30.  I attended the game with Lauren, Deja, and Taylor.  The "artifact" that I am holding in the picture is a caramel apple sucker that Lauren gave to me.  The environment of this sporting event was surprisingly calm.  There was good sportsmanship, which really impressed me.  The event went a little bit different than I expected, but I enjoyed myself.  I sort of expected there to be more noise coming from the crowd, but it was kind of quiet.  I enjoyed watching the game and talking to my friends.  I will definitely attend another game next fall because football is one of my favorite sports to watch (second to baseball) and I really like the atmosphere.  I am glad that I attended and got to support the JV team.  I was really proud of our boys.  I think all of their hard work definitely pays off! 

Colloquium

On November 5th, my friends Felicia and Lesley and I went to a lecture by Dr. Don York.

Dr. York is a professor of astrophysics at the University of Chicago. He gave a presentation titled "It's not the heat, it's the humility: the limits of knowledge." He focused on the developments in telescopes throughout the years. He talked about the failures and flaws of some of the different designs. The name of his presentation came from a slip-up where he was trying to say "humidity," but ended up saying "humility." He liked the sound of it, and it sparked the idea for his presentation.

I found the lecture more interesting than I thought I would. It was really thought-provoking and challenging not just in scientific ideas, but in moral concepts. They lured us in with cookies, and I'm glad we chose to go hear about this topic.

St. Paul's Church Service

On Sunday November 2, 2014 I attended St. Paul's church service for the first time. I went to church with my friend Jordie File and her family.The church service at St. Paul's did not start until 11:00 a.m., so I was able to sleep in a little bit longer than I am used to.

At first, I was a little nervous about going to a church that I have never been to before and debated about not going. However, I was reassured by my friend and her family that I would enjoy it. They were right. Walking through the doors for the first time, I realized that it was casual dress and embodied many families. Much like my church at home. However, the way in which St. Paul's goes about conducting their service is very different from the church I am used to. For example, as soon as you enter the sanctuary  the first thing you do is pick up a program that has the lessons and scripture for that days sermon on it. At the Christian Church I go to in my home town we do not have this. St. Paul's also involved reading out loud and engaged the audience a lot more.  They also served communion differently from my church. This was extremely neat to see how two churches, with the same goal of spreading God's word, could differ so much. None the less, I enjoyed the message and the people at St. Paul's. I plan on attending another service next week!

Cultural Experience

Greenville College Homecoming Parade
Oct. 24th, 2014 at 4 pm on the streets of Greenville.
I attended with the Greenville college volleyball team.

The parade was on a beautiful sunny day as we went down the streets of Greenville. The weather helped set a very relaxed tone to the day. I began to get ready and headed down to a parking lot at 3pm. I had to be there early because the volleyball team had a trailer on the back of truck with hay in it. It was a very busy parking lot with all of the floats and people dressing up. Then the parade actually started. There were lots of people lined up along the street. Many of them with bags for candy or any other item they could get. It was fun to watch all of the children smile and be so excited about the parade. The whole community of Greenville came together for the college's parade. It was also a great opportunity for the students of Greenville College to find a way to give back to the small town of Greenville. Overall the parade was a place that really showed the community of Greenville and was an exiting event for children and adults to attend.