College Musings and Memories

Four years ago this day, I started my college classes at Valparaiso University, having moved in three days before. I went there to get an education, and got out of an extraordinary experience.

There's a lot I could say about my ValpU experience, and at some point I am going to write an extensive composition reflecting on much of it. To mark four years since the day I started out there, I'm going to offer a summary of highlights from my college days. I do so keeping in mind a model George W. Bush laid out in his memoir, Decision Points. As Mr. Bush discusses in the introductory material of the book, he doesn't make a point to cover everything that happened during his Presidency. Instead, he focuses on important decisions that he made during his time in office, and even in doing that, he covers quite a lot of ground in regards to autobiographical material.

So here is what stands out from my days at ValpU, grouped in categories:

1. The Spiritual Life

My faith flourished during these four years, especially when I first arrived. It was so meaningful for me to attend weekday services at the Chapel of the Resurrection, as it gave me a chance to pause in the midst of my day and renew my awareness of God's presence.

Then there is St. Teresa of Avila. To say it left an indelible impression on me is an understatement. This community did so much to reveal the goodness of God, and urged me on in my faith throughout my time on campus. And then it gave me the opportunity to live out that faith during the mission/service trip I went on to St. Augustine Mission in Nebraska. In some ways, that trip functions like a microcosm of my whole college experience. It also offered me some powerful new perspectives on the human experience.

There were other faith-based groups I got involved with, and I got to know other Christians as well. The variety of denominations I was exposed to gave me a different sense of what the Church is.

2. Academics

I enjoyed meteorology enough to choose it as my major, and I grew to enjoy it even more as I gained a deeper understanding about what goes on in the atmosphere, especially during atmospheric dynamics junior year. The storm chase trip I went on was a great opportunity to see it all come alive in the meteorologists' laboratory: the great open sky.
I also continued building my Spanish skills that I had acquired over the course of instruction I had been receiving in that language since Kindergartern, albeit some of it informal. In pursuing a Spanish minor, I was in classes with a variety of interesting topics. The class on Spain is one that definitely stands out.

While I didn't at first set my sights on including it in my academic course of study, I came to really embrace my Christ College experience as an important aspect of my overall academic life. The classes allowed me to probe topics in the humanities, and offered me some really interesting perspectives, especially Word and Image, as well as the historic texts we read in the freshmen program.

3. Events and Activities beyond the Classroom

There were always lots of interesting events happening on the campus. I enjoyed attending concerts and plays. I liked participating in commmunications, like WVUR and the Torch. My reporting job definitely enhanced my experience as it allowed me to get to know various parts of campus that I otherwise wouldn't interact with much.

There were other clubs I enjoyed being part of, like Spanish club tertulias, and even Spanish event dinners. Even St. Teresa's had a lot of interesting events held that attended with other students and community members.

4. Relationships

I started some really deep friendships throughout the four years. And I got to know lots of other great people as well, bonding with them in close ways like I never had before.
I also really engaged well with the professors. The nature of the university allowed me to easily go to their offices to seek help or just to chat. They were there to support me in being successful academically, and that urged me on to do well in my studies.
Then there were other campus employees I got to know well, like the dining services staff, and the housekeepers in the residence halls. We were always glad to run into each other.

5. The campus

Valparaiso University has a really nice campus, and most places I went on a frequent basis were within easy walking distance. Many of the buildings have an exciting feel to them. I especially liked going into the library, whether it be to do classwork or to unwind on a Friday night. The Chapel is undoubtedly a spectacular building. And the weather center, in a very new building, was a great place to hang out with fellow meteorology majors, especially in the midst of momentous weather events, like the February 2011 blizzard and Sandy. I also liked every opportunity I had to go into the spanking new Arts and Sciences Building, which was up my junior year.

It was that campus that served as the vessel for my collegiate happenings. Everything that happened to me there changed me as a person, building upon the defined character I had brought to campus as a freshman four years ago. What I went through offered me new, and often times, profound perspectives on humanity and faith. And I think that is why my ValpU experience had such an impact upon me.