I started with shoes. Do I go brown or black? After an agonizing 30 seconds of deliberation, I decided to go with brown. My brown shoes make me look taller than my black shoes, and honestly, I need all the vertical help I can get. I live in a community filled with tall, blonde, Dutch people. I'm not Dutch. I'm not blonde. I'm not tall. Brown shoes all the way.

Next was pants. Because of my obvious choice of brown shoes, I was pretty limited when it came to making a pants selection.  Because it was a formal interview, I had to wear khakis. Once again, I was faced with a decision… light or dark khakis? After another hair-pulling 30 seconds, I decided to go with dark khakis. The dark khakis were a gift from Christmas and I really hadn't worn them that much so I thought I would give them a try.

Then came the shirt. I actually had a lot of options for shirts but, to be honest, I pretty much just grabbed the first one I saw in my closet and thought to myself "Eh, good enough." If I had only given it the thought I had given my last two choices then maybe my interview would have gone a little bit better. I don't like to dwell in the past though, so lets keep going.

Ahh, the all-important tie. For some reason, I have so many ties with me at school. I probably only wear a handful of them, but I can't seem to get rid of the ones I don't ever wear (signs of becoming a hoarder?). I'm sure there is a special occasion for every one of my ties, but I just haven't had the occasion come in to my life thus far. Sidenote: I should start writing down every time I wear a tie and what the occasion is. 

My ties.

Yup, those are all of ties. I was going to tell you which one I wore, but I think I'll just leave it up to you. Either comment which tie you think I wore or tweet at me (@hopecody14).  I'll think of some prize for the winner… maybe.

If anyone needs tips for an interview, I would start at Forbes.com. They have a lot of good stuff on there and I know it helped me out a lot.

"Whatever, I'm not worried about this project. I know somebody who had this class last semester and he said it wasn't that bad" - me to myself.

Here is a timeline describing what you will be going through on a typical all-nighter at Hope College:

6 PM - You arrive at the library after a satisfying dinner at one of the dining halls Hope has to offer. You find a nice spot where you can spread all of your class materials out on a table. You take out your computer and check Facebook because this project "won't be that bad."

7-9 PM - You are starting to realize what kind of mistake you have made. This project covers way more material than you initially realized. You start seeing classmates of yours packing up their belongings to head home. You secretly stare at them as the walk out of the library, wishing you could trade places with them. You make eye contact with another classmate and he comes over to you to ask you how you're doing. He explains how he has been slowly completing this project over the last couple of weeks and the last part of you hoping you would be out of the library fades away and utter sadness comes over you and the thought of crying actually becomes a possible reality.

9-10:30 PM - At this point you are considering sending an email to your professor explaining how some part of this project is completely unfair and you should be exempt from completing it on time because you were clever enough to find the professors unexplainable mistake. Turns out the mistake you thought the professor had made was actually covered on day 1 and the amount of time you have spent trying to prove your professor wrong has betrayed you and you will now be working on this project that much longer.

10:30-11 PM - You find yourself aimlessly looking at all of your old profile pictures on Facebook wishing you could go back to high school where doing a project the night before it was due was as easy as laughing to yourself when your teacher warned you to start right away and not procrastinate like last time.

11 PM-12 AM - You go in to a mad rush to get as much done before the library closes at midnight. Somehow you manage to get about 50% of your project done in this one-hour time frame. You start to wonder why you couldn't be this productive over the last six hours and then you remember that six hours ago, you didn't have the caffeine content of 12 cups of coffee running through your veins. 

12-12:20 AM - You pack up your stuff and decide on what other building you should spend the night in. You will most likely run in to some other poor soul who has the same fate as you. You give each other the look of "why are we doing this to ourselves," shed a tear, and walk away. You finally find a room outside of the library, say a quick prayer, and unpack your things.

12:30-2 AM - After checking Facebook for the 20th time, you have suddenly lost all motivation to get any work done. You basically stare at the work you have already done wishing that your computer will start doing the project for you or all of a sudden you will wake up in your bed with your completed project lying on your nightstand.

2-6 AM - During this entire time frame, you are slowly getting work done while, at the same time, convincing yourself you are not going insane. You may start to hear peoples' voices who are not there. You swear there is somebody hiding in the corner of the room and there is a constant shadow passing the door of the classroom you are in causing you to constantly jump up and look out in the hallway only to find nothing except the glow of the "EXIT" sign and you start to think this may be a sign telling you to abandon all hope and just leave college forever.

6-8 AM - You are putting the finishing touches on your project. At this point, you have no idea whether what you wrote is even pertinent to the subject at hand. Your fatigue is so severe that you don't even have the energy to run spell check, even though you can clearly see you misspelled the word "the" at least twice. You are so hungry, but so tired you can't even eat and you begin to think your digestive system wouldn't even be able to handle food. You fight through the mixed feelings of happiness that you are done with your project, sadness that you won't get any sleep before class, depression from the grade you are about to get after all this effort, and the thought you might want to check yourself in to a mental hospital is still in the back of your mind.

An all-nighter at Hope College is better than an all-nighter at any other college. There is almost always someone to talk to if you need help or a little bit of encouragement. Keep procrastinating, friends, it can only keep getting easier if you keep doing it, right?

I eventually applied to three schools; Ohio State University, Miami (OH) University, and Hope College. I never even went on an official visit to any of these schools. The closest I ever came to a visit was my senior year of high school when I went up to Hope to visit my sister for a couple of days. I didn't go on a tour, I didn't talk to anybody from student admissions, and I didn't talk to a bunch of different students. I chatted and got to know a few of my sisters friends and that was pretty much it. 

The only reason I applied to Ohio State and Miami was because I was trying to receive a scholarship giving me a full ride to either of those schools. Needless to say, I did not receive the scholarship. I remember when I got the letter in the mail informing me I would not be receiving a full scholarship to Ohio State or Miami. It was really weird. Throughout my entire high school career, I always thought I would end up at a big school with tens of thousands of students, not some private school a little bigger than my high school. Nonetheless, I decided to attend Hope College. I was pretty nervous when my parents left me all alone with my roommate whom I did not know. This was a whole new experience for me because I had never had to make new friends since I could remember. 

Fortunately, the people who go to Hope are probably some of the nicest people you will ever meet. It was the first few days of school when I met some of my closest friends at Hope to this day. Another student blogger, Steven Skawski, was one of my first friends at Hope and I still see him all the time on campus. The thing that is so great about Hope is the community that is built into the school. Every student is very friendly and it is small enough where you do not just feel like another face in the crowd, yet large enough where you can meet new people everyday. 

If I could go back in time, I would put more effort towards making a decision about where I wanted to go to school. I know I still would have ended up at Hope, but my nerves would have been much more calm and my stress level towards the end of my senior year would have been much lower.  

On the other hand, it is kind of nice to have a little structure in my life. Over break, I would wake up in the morning (afternoon) and I didn't really know what I should do. I had to entertain myself for an entire day. Now when I wake up, I know exactly what it is I have to get done during the day. It is also really nice to see people on campus that I have not seen in a few weeks. Being a student at Hope is great because when I am on break, I definitely have those days when I wish I was back on campus with all of my friends. That's what makes Hope so great… the fact that the students who go here look forward to returning after a brief vacation even if it means they have to start doing homework again.

Re-adjusting back to the life of a student can be difficult. The first week back to school is referred to as "syllabus week" because the first few classes you attend usually only involve the professor giving a brief overview of the class and then they go through the syllabus. The syllabus includes everything from the professors office to a day-to-day schedule of everything we will be doing in class. I use this week to familiarize myself with the fact that the professor is the one who controls my schedule now. At first, I have the urge to fight this control, but eventually I give in and I am forced to follow the path the professor has laid down in front of me. I'm a pushover.

Here's my ugly dog on Christmas

C: Good afternoon, Professor, and thank you for meeting with me today. Well, since this blog is for current and prospective students, why don’t you tell us where you attended college?

P: I attended the preeminent liberal arts institution in the area, Calvin College, up 196 which is known for winning 6 MIAA championships in the fall season compared to “other” institutions who only won 1. So, ya, I attended Calvin College.

C: Talk about getting off on the right foot… how does your Calvin experience compare with your Hope experience thus far?

P: I think there are a lot of similarities between the two institutions. One difference is that my role is different.  I like Hope’s campus and the way the campus is integrated with the community. Hope also does a pretty good job at getting students involved at like soccer games and other sporting events. I think there are a lot of similarities between the groups of students. The students are very friendly at both places.

C: Did you lose any friends who attended Calvin with you when they found out you were bettering the students at Hope?

P: Ya, actually I do get a little bit of a hard time from friends because of the fact that I’m at Hope. You know when a picture comes up on my Facebook feed of me doing something at the Pull or at Dance Marathon, I’ll usually get a hard time. I would get a hard time at sporting events either way. I’ve gotten criticism from sitting in the Hope student section during a Calvin game by one of my friends who went to Calvin and I have gotten criticism from Hope students for sitting on the Calvin side during an event.

C: When did you decide to become a College professor, especially at Hope?

P: My senior year in college at Calvin. One of my professors, who actually works at Hope now, really interested me because I saw the mix of things he was doing. A mix of consulting, teaching, research, writing and I wasn’t really excited about the prospective of a majority of the jobs at the current time, they were kind of boring to me.  The idea of having flexibility and autonomy were appealing to me.

C: Now teaching us kids isn’t the only thing you do, what else do you do, career wise, outside of being boring, I mean teaching us in class?

P: My general writing and research stuff, mostly on innovation. I went out to California for a couple weeks this summer and interviewed some venture capitalists out there and have been synthesizing that information with a couple of students, making follow up calls and stuff like that. I have been giving them my own feedback, so it’s kind of a hybrid between consulting and research.

C: Is it weird to see students outside of the classroom?

P: Ya, a little bit. That’s one of the reasons I decided to live in Grand Rapids. When I’m in Holland I feel like I am always around students, which is fine. It is probably more weird for students to see me outside of the classroom because they don’t really know how to interact with me or what to call me. Like, do I call him Peter? Professor? So, ya, it’s a little weird.

C: Now I know you swam over at Calvin and I actually swam for two years in high school, so how about we race and if I win, I get an A in your class and if you win, I’ll start actually reading the articles you assign in class?

P: Huh, well, I don’t think you have a shot. I could be as out of shape as I am right now and I’d still destroy you in terms of your events, but you never know.

C: No, I’m pretty certain you would destroy me. I wasn’t very good.

P: Want to compare times?

C: No.

C: What kind of music do you listen to?

P: Um, well I am going to the Fun. concert tonight. I’ve seen a few shows this year. I saw the Avett Brothers and Mumford and Sons in St. Louis and those were awesome shows. Kind of a folk/folk-rock and I listen to some pop.

C: Do you have a favorite student and is he currently in your office?

P: I do have a favorite student, but no, he is not currently in my office.

C: Do you feel any remorse when you fail a student or does it put a smile on your face knowing you outsmarted a college student?

P: Well, it is difficult. It is important to give people feedback, so a failure to read assigned topics is going to lower your grade, but it is hard to see someone try really hard and then not do very well. I like to work with students after class if they are struggling and I think that is important.

C: Have you ever been to the website: ratemyprofessor.com?

P: Not for a while. I think the last time I checked was like a year ago.

C: Ok, well let me update you. You have an overall rating of 3.8 and are also rated as being “attractive.” So how does it make you feel knowing that every girl in every one of your classes thinks you are attractive?

P: *Laughs* Well I think that since I’ve only had like 3 or 4 students put a chili pepper by name doesn’t really mean every girl thinks I’m attractive, but I try not to think about it very much.

C: Well, either way, congratulations. What is the most rewarding part of being a professor besides having all the girls swoon over you?

P:  Ok, for the record, you were the one who said that and not me, but I would say getting to know the students inside and outside of the classroom. 

C: What did you want to be when you were growing up?

P: This is going to date me, but, for while, I wanted to be He-Man. I also thought about coaching swimming at the collegiate level.

C: Ya. Wow. You are old. What do you do on the weekends?

P: I live in Grand Rapids, so I have a bunch of friends up there. We like to go to music festivals and that kind of stuff, restaurants, and bars. Pretty standard stuff.

C: What is your income after taxes?

P: Haha, we can strike that question from the record.

C: You mentioned in our last class that you will be turning 30 in 10 months. Do you see a mental breakdown in your future or do you think you will just accept the fact that you’re getting old?

P: Hmm, ya good question. Well the 20's are great, but there is also a downside. The 20's are a weird time because you don't really know what you are going to do with your life and the 30's kind of bring more structure, so I'm kind of looking forward to it.

Professor Boumgarden

It's sad how times have changed. Now I am a mature adult (not really) and apparently it is frowned upon to be 20 years old and go over to your neighbors house dressed as Spiderman and ring their doorbell and ask for candy. How was I supposed to know that? Who decided the cut off age for trick-or-treating was like 12? I can't wait to have my own kids so I can dress up with them and go around the neighborhood pestering those who live around me for candy.

Halloween was the best day of the year back in elementary school. We would all bring our costumes to school and then we would go on a little parade around our town with our parents and get EVEN MORE CANDY! I bet my parents hated me on and the days following Halloween because I was so jacked up on sugar running around the house like the Tasmanian Devil destroying everything in my path.

The glory days

Do you want to know what I was doing on Halloween night? I locked myself in a room studying for a test I had the next day. Yes, it is depressing as it sounds. I may have even shed a tear yearning to be making a ruckus around town on a sugar high. Those were the days. However, my depression has past and I have Thanksgiving to look forward to when I can get as fat as I want and nobody will question my actions. 

My friends and I dressed up like our dad's when they were in college

At least somebody was happy to be at Crane's.

Well, things did not unfold like we thought they would. Lunch was fine, but everything went downhill after that. We arrived at Crane Orchards to find a sign saying there were no apples to be picked because something like 2% of their normal crop made it through the spring. I was so disappointed… not really, but my mom was.

I'm pretty sure my mother was even further disappointed when we decided it would be a good idea to bail on the whole "apple picking" thing and go to a sports bar to watch football instead. So now, instead of going apple picking outside, we were going to watch football in a cramped restaurant and instead of having a nice sit-down dinner, we were going to eat some extremely unhealthy food at a loud, testosterone-filled sports bar. Me, my brother, and my dad had a blast. My mom was less than impressed with our decision making.

Just because our entire day was pretty much a failure, at least in my mother's eyes, we were able to spend some quality time together and I do enjoy seeing my family when they come to visit. 

Still, I did nothing. Monday morning came with a very similar feeling to Sunday. I did not want to get out of bed, but I needed to go to class. I went to class and instead of paying attention, I was looking on WebMD to diagnose myself (because the Internet doesn't lie). After spending a weird amount of time scaring myself with all of the possible sicknesses that could be surfing through my bloodstream, I decided to make an appointment with the Health Center on campus. This was probably the best idea I had all week.

I went to the Health Center to get checked out and waited for the nurse to come back in to my room and tell me how much longer I had to live.  I was relieved when she told me I was not going to die and it was not mono or strep throat. However, I was given some drugs to take to make myself feel better. Also, I was granted permission to eat a lot of popsicles and other cold foods to get rid of the pain residing in my throat.  Anyways, I am feeling much better now and I have a new appreciation for the Health Center because instead of calling my Mom and having her diagnose me over the phone, I can go visit my new friends at the Health Center.

Popsicles

Miracle Workers

So if you guys haven't heard, which, unless you have been living under a rock for the past 6 months, you definitely have heard all kinds of theories and rumors about the astonishing and elegant iPhone 5. Such rumors include, but are not limited to: a larger screen, a faster processing system (as if I even know what that means), it can cure the common cold, and it can do your homework. However, I need to start this story from the beginning… two weeks ago.

On September 8, 2012 my beloved and trusted Android phone (pictured below) rudely and abruptly discovered what gravity was as it somehow leaped out of my hand and went crashing down to the dense floors of my cottage. I stood there in shock and when what had just happened registered in my brain, I quickly bent down to pick up my phone only to be forced to fight back the tears as my Droid X refused to come back to life. I tried with all my mediocre technology skills to conjure my phone back to life, but everything I did was in vain, for my amateur attempts at reviving my phone were no match compared to the force at which my phone went hurling towards the ground (9.8 m/s² ).

However, despite this tragic event, I was quickly relieved when I went to the Verizon store nearby and found I had an upgrade available. Because I am just so advanced when it comes to technology, I just got the iPhone 4 and I went on my way. I thought I was on top of the technology game because now I had an iPhone just like every other student at Hope College. Well, I was wrong. Five days after purchasing my iPhone 4 (the eldest of the iPhone family… sort of) Apple announced the release date of the iPhone 5 and also, much to my chagrin, the iPhone 4 was now free. Of course, I called Verizon and I did get my money back (I'm a poor college student, back off) and all was well.

RIP Droid

OK, now you know how I acquired my iPhone, but now I want to tell you how it has changed my life. First, I am so much more distracted now than when I was during the dark ages with my Android. I literally cannot sit down without getting out my phone and doing something completely pointless. For instance, the other day I found myself sitting on the couch, watching TV while listening to music (ear buds in), and simultaneously playing Temple Run (is that game still cool?).  I don't even know how I ended up in that position.

I fit in.

Second, I find myself whipping out my iPhone to document all of the stupid stuff I find my friends and I doing. When I had my Droid, I didn't even bother taking it out to try to film or take a picture of what was happening because it literally took 5 minutes just for the camera to open up and by that point, I had already missed what I was trying to remember forever. Plus, every time I took out my monster Droid phone, I got some weird looks from people and I knew they were thinking, "Is that a phone or a tablet?"

Finally, I am way more aware of all of the new software Apple releases for their products. I just downloaded the iOS 6 and I literally have no idea how it affected my phone, but I have it and I even downloaded it on the day it came out. It's possible my Dad had to tell me how to do it, but I have it so… whatever.

Up to speed.

Alright, if you guys couldn't tell I am really not on top of the technology scene, but I am good at faking it.

-cody

BONUS! PHOTOSHOOT!

This logo is loosely my portrait

I really like working at Cool Beans, mostly because it gives me an awesome opportunity to procrastinate on my homework, but also because I get to interact with a lot of people whom I would probably never meet if I did not have this job. Also, if you are a guy and you work at Cool Beans, well, a lot of girls come to Cool Beans to get coffee… I think you can fill in the blanks. Another fun thing about working at Cool Beans is I have the freedom to make up new drinks when we are not busy. It is pretty cool to just sit there and think of new drink combinations and possibly have them named after you. Side note: if I ever get a drink named after me, it will most definitely be called "The Coolest Bean." Right? Pretty sweet. 

The lineup

Another plus about working at Cool Beans, or really any on campus job, is to make new friends with your co-workers. It's always fun getting to meet new people, but when you have a co-worker who you see at least once a week, you can actually see your relationship grow and you begin to feel more comfortable around each other. 

So basically, I think I have the two coolest jobs on Hope's Campus. My first job (student blogger) makes me feel happy because I like to think what I write and what my thousands of readers are getting the privilege to read has some value in it and hopefully brightens your day. My second job (Cool Beans) gives me the opportunity to make new friends… and not do my homework… and flirt with girls.

This is Jordan.

Hey, so a quick update on our home page for student bloggers. My picture has been replaced with one that I can at least be semi-proud of and will no longer be made fun of.  Check out how good looking the student blogging staff is!

Roll Dutch!

-cody

1. I had the privilege of staying in Holland, MI for the entire summer! If any of you are thinking about or are ever on the fence to stay in Holland for a summer, DO IT! There are so many things to do in Holland. Obviously, there is the beach, but there are also a lot of hidden gems a lot of people do not experience during the school year. For instance, I never knew what it was like to live off campus; it was a little strange at first, mostly because I was responsible to feed myself (I can make some pretty good toast), and it was weird not seeing the Hope campus buzzing with students. However, you are able to get pretty close with the people who stay in Holland with you and you can make new friends as well.

Just a few of my friends bonding over the Summer

2. I was able to take a May term class. A May term class is exactly what it sounds like… a class during the month of May. I took a Leadership class where I actually started my own business and had the chance to meet more than a few entrepreneurs all over the state of Michigan.

3. Finally, as I already mentioned, the beach was pretty much my favorite thing this summer. Whether it was just laying out on the beach with a couple of friends or taking a shower on the pier… yes, my friends and I thought it would be funny if we went out to the pier and took a shower in front of a crowd of people… I even have pictures.

Chilling at the beach

Pier shower..

Well, hopefully you're not missing summer as much as I am.

Roll Dutch.

-cody

On April 17 President Bultman gave his last lecture in Dimnent Chapel where he told the audience about his life starting as a young boy and going all the way to present day.  President Bultman spoke of faith, love, and gave advice to everyone in attendance.  At the very end of the lecture, President Bultman held a Q&A where anybody from the audience could ask any question they wanted.  I was honored to be in attendance for President Bultman's last lecture as the President of Hope College.

President Bultman giving his last lecture

Yesterday, April 19 a few students held a farewell celebration for the Bultman family where some students performed the Bultman's along with everybody in attendance, there were speeches, gifts were presented, and there was a big projector screen featuring photos of students from different organizations such as fraternities, sororities, housing, sports teams, and more saying goodbye to the Bultman's.  The celebration was very well organized and I was extremely impressed by how it was ran.  

I listened to President Bultman give two speeches this week and by simply listening to him for a little more than an hour, I could tell just how much President Bultman loves Hope College and truly cares for everyone on Hope's Campus and the surrounding area.  Saying goodbye to President Bultman is hard, but he assured everybody that he and his wife are not going anywhere.  President Bultman still plans to regularly attend sporting events, performances, and other Hope College spectacles. 

The farewell celebrationAlso, my friend did the Gregordog challenge where he tried to eat twenty hot dogs in two hours...he got to 11.2 before, well, the hot dogs made a quick exit.

Fail

Do not try the Gregordog challenge

cody

Yes, I know, very complex

I found one of the coaches and asked if they could give me a quick lesson on lacrosse and basically tell me when the clock should and should not be running.  So here is what I was told: stop the clock when the ball goes out on the sidelines, when a goal is scored, or when the referees put both of their hands in the air. I thought to myself "Meh, that's not too bad. I can handle that."  Well apparently I couldn't handle this basic task. I sent out a tweet to give a taste of what I experienced, but in case you missed it, here it is:

This really happened.A lot of my tweets have a little sarcasm thrown in, but this one was dead serious. I'm not kidding.  There was 4:03 left on the clock in the first quarter when the referee suddenly threw both of his hands up in the air and angrily yelled "WHO'S IN CHARGE OF RUNNING THE CLOCK?!" To put it simply, I was a little taken aback and embarrased when every specatator turned around and stared at the press box wondering what incompetent person couldn't flip a switch to stop the clock when they were told to.  The referee told me to put 30 seconds back on the clock and the crisis was averted.

Just minutes before I was called out by the Ref.

The rest of the game went very smoothly (as far as you know) and I did not have any more conflicts with the referees for the remainder of the game.  In fact, I started to really gain a better uderstanding of lacrosse, which really helped me realize when I should stop and start the clock.  I even made a few new friends when I was sitting up in the cozy press box while the rest of the crowd was sitting on hard, bitterly cold bleachers bundled up in sweat shirts and blankets just wishing for the game to come to an end so they could reach the warmness of their vehicles parked just a few short steps away.  

If you remember Steven Skawski, he was there with me alsoThe Dutchmen came away with a lopsided victory that chilly night (good thing I put those 27 seconds back on the clock, phew) and I was also not fired from my position as timekeeper.  In fact, I was asked to return to the press box to work the clock again last Tuesday where I successfully went the entire game without a hitch.  Hopefully I will be able to go to more Hope College lacrosse games because they are really exciting and we have a very talented sqad this year.

- cody

The Pool

My time in Mexico allowed me to meet quite a few characters at the resort.  Surprisingly, there were a lot of people at the resort from our neighboring country to the North, Canada.  These people were hilarious! I couldn’t help but crack a smile every time I heard “eh” come out of their mouth with a little bit of an accent thrown in on the side to clearly set them apart as being from Canada.  We also met a lot of other interesting people such as a man named Dennis, who was from Michigan, and he has lived quite the life. He used to be an Engineer at the Ford plant and he played semi-professional baseball.  He had so many stories and he literally talked my ear off. Dennis was quite the guy and I hope I will have as many interesting stories as he does when I am his age. 

Mexico was a great experience for me. I was able to pick up a little Spanish on my trip and the cultural experience was one that I will never forget.  However, there is a down side to Spring break when you are in college and that is facing reality when you get back to campus.  For example, I flew back in to the United States on Saturday and by Sunday afternoon, I was back on my laptop doing homework and replying to emails that were a week old.  Who knew so many emails could pile up in one short week. It was ridiculous.  

Obviously one of Hope Colleges' newer sharpeners

So as I was going to class about a month ago I noticed a pencil sharpener in the middle of the hallway. I thought to myself "well that's a weird spot for a pencil sharpener" and I didn't think anything else of it. Then, just this week I noticed another pencil sharpener in the basement of Dimnent Chapel and I could not believe the positioning of this pencil sharpener. It was jammed between two wooden cupboards where one would have to maneuver their body in to a position to where they could actually use the out-dated piece of equipment to use. So after seeing these two pencil sharpeners I decided to go hunting for more of these post-modern devices.

Doesn't make any senseAs you can see here, I was pretty upset at the location of this pencil sharpener. I was trying to convey a message through my body type that said "seriously bro? What is your deal?" Overall, I thought I did a pretty good job getting connecting my viewers to express my disappointment directly at the architect who thought it would be a great idea for students to waste 5 minutes of their cluttered schedule to use the world's most ridiculous pencil sharpener. Unbelievable.

Well, at least you won't be boredThe positioning of this sharpener pleased me. When someone sharpens their pencil (by the way who uses a wooden pencil in 2012?) they usually have to stare at an off-white wall and try to ignore the terrible sound spewing out of the device they are working.  With this sharpener, you can appreciate the beautiful piece of art displayed just an arms length away from you (don't touch).  But who knows which came first (the sharpener or the painting) so it could be a total coincidence that the artwork is directly adjacent to the sharpener or maybe after seeing where their first architect placed his first sharpener, Hope College fired him and hired a new one who had a brain. 

Simply confusedOH NO!! I found another sharpener in a terrible position! Why is this here? In the middle of one of the busiest hallways at Hope. I bet President Bultman was the last person to use this aging instrument when he was a student. I can't even give credit to the person who put the bulletin board up next to it. I would rather just stare at the wall rather than read pointless flyers. Side note, who uses flyers??? There is this cool thing called email or facebook or twitter or, or....anything but a flyer!! Straight to the garbage, is where any flyer I receive.

Technology!So after living in the prehistoric era for what felt like a lifetime I finally found something that proved to me that Hope does actually have a little bit of somewhat modern technology. An electric pencil sharpener! I was pretty pleased to find this gem in Lubbers hall in a room I probably was not supposed to be in (I was investigating, lay off me).  I also want to applaud whoever was responsible for labeling literally everything in that room. Look at it! They are everywhere! All around, a solid office with an amazing pencil sharpener to really make the room feel less like an office and more of a loving home.

After spending quite some time hunting down pencil sharpeners I realized just how outdated, useless, and pathetic wooden pencils are (except Ticonderoga pencils...those are awesome).  Just use mechanical pencils! Although chewing on a mechanical pencil is not nearly as enjoyable as gnawing on a fresh, wooden pencil, mechanical pencils are superior in every other category.

Here are some more photos of my journey around Hope.

The last photo is me being sad because I couldn't find any pencil sharpeners in Martha Miller.

I now have a great understanding and appreciation for everything that has to do with pencil sharpeners.

-cody

First, do not wait until the last minute.  Of course you have heard this before and maybe you got away with only studying the night before a big test in high school (I know I did), but it is important to space out your study time so you do not overwhelm yourself and this also allows you to have plenty of time to go over all of the class material and look over the things you feel the least comfortable with multiple times.  So, lesson number one: DO NOT PROCRASTINATE!

A cluttered futon. Yes, that is my computer. 

Second, use your time wisely.  What is the first thing you do when you open up your computer?   I usually go straight to Twitter or Facebook and then check my email and eventually get started on my homework/studying.  This is very unwise.  You lose track of time when scrolling through page after page of social media and before you know it you have wasted valuable minutes (hours) of study time.  I know all of you just love to read what I have to say on my twitter account @hopecody14, but you need to really concentrate on your self-restraint and realize that the Internet can wait.  Lesson number two: The Internet is bad.

Try to not have your desk look like this 

Lastly, stay organized.  The last thing you need while attempting to get that last hour of studying under your belt is to have to search for a certain spiral or binder.  Try and keep your classes in separate areas so you know where everything is.  This tip will also be useful for you to have throughout your college career and even out in the real world.  Being organized helps you feel in control and shows people you know what you are doing.  There is no worse feeling than tearing your room apart frantically looking for that one piece of paper that holds all of the answers to the test you have the next morning.  Lesson number two: Be organized and keep calm.

Do not fret over midterms. Just remember, finals are right around the corner ;).

-cody

Not a great photo, but the two people on stage are members of the "Republicans of Hope College."Well, I was still standing in the back of the bulk of the crowd, knees aching, stomach growling, feeling anxious about when Rick Santorum would finally show up when I decided to look around and see if I could tell if people were excited that Santorum was even coming to Hope.  I know I WAS excited he was coming even if I do not agree with everything Mr. Santorum stands for it is still cool to have a Presidential candidate come to such a small school in Michigan.  After all, there were quite a few students in this little room, the doors even had to be shut to some students who did not get there early enough.  People obviously wanted to see Mr. Santorum or at least hear what he had to say.  

The room was absolutely packedThe minutes kept passing by and there was still no sign of Santorum. I started to wonder if I was even going to be able to hear him talk.  "I have a meeting at 6:30 and I haven't even eaten dinner yet" I said to myself.  At 5:45pm one of Mr. Santorum's advocates, a reverend from a local church, approached the microphone and told us it would be only 3 more minutes.  Well, as you probably guessed, it took more than 3 minutes.  Around 5:58pm Rick Santorum finally pulled up in his black SUV.  Then, he went inside and went to a different room than the one I was in.  That was it. I could not take it anymore. My knees were killing me, I was hungry, and a little annoyed that I had to leave and did not get to hear Mr. Santorum speak.  So I left. After waiting around for over an hour and a half, I had to leave without hearing one word, without getting one picture, without hearing any of Mr. Santorum's stances on current issues.  To say the least, I was less than impressed.  I just want Ron Paul to come to Hope so I can take a picture with that sweet, old man.

We just need to figure out a way to get Reagan back!Thanks for reading. See you next time.

-cody

Hello, Bryan. Thank you so much for meeting with me today. How are you doing on this fine Friday?

            - Doing very well, Thank you.

What is your major here at Hope College?

            - Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.  Both of them have to do with cellular mechanisms and pathways.  Basically, I’m a nerd (laughs). Looking at things at the cellular level.

Did you know you wanted to be a doctor before you came to Hope College?  If so why did you attend Hope?

- Yes, I did. For research, small, school, and Hope has a very good science program.

How did you hear about Hope?

            - Through my High School AP Biology teacher.  He highly recommended that I check the school out and so I did and I really liked it.

When did you know you wanted to be a doctor?

            - Uhhh in…probably middle school.  I really liked science classes as a kid and I really like working with other people and being a doctor is a combination of both so I get the best of both worlds basically.

What kind of doctor are you planning to be?

            - Pediatrician, which is a children’s doctor and if I specialize I would probably go in to Oncology which focuses primarily on cancer.

Where are you attending Medical School? Why did you choose to go there?

            - University of Michigan.  It is a Top 10 school, I can receive in-state tuition, Michigan is known around the nation and is well respected, and they have a really good pediatric program.

How has Hope College helped you with getting in to Medical School?

            - The courses that I have taken have helped me study for the MCAT also the research I have done has helped solidify which position I want to be, which is a physician and the teachers have been very helpful and have guided me through the entire process.

Where would your dream job be located?

            - Either Chicago or Grand Rapids at Spectrum Health.  Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital is located in Grand Rapids and Grand Rapids is my hometown so that would be nice.  The benefits of living in Chicago would be it is a bigger city, I would probably get a different set of patients and it would be a good time out in Illinois.  Chicago would probably be a little more exciting than Grand Rapids also.

What was your toughest class you had to take in order to achieve your major?

            - Probably Organic Chemistry.  It was the first challenging class I had taken at Hope. I took it sophomore year and I was constantly studying and doing lab reports.

How did you balance school, applying for medical school, and your social life?

            - It’s hard.  Junior year was really tough because I was studying for the MCAT.  You just have to find time to enjoy the little things.  If you don’t, you will get bogged down and stressed out.  It is all about prioritizing!

Do you think going pre-med is the toughest major to achieve at Hope College?

            - I don’t know.  It is definitely time consuming, but if you put in the time you can definitely do it.  There are a lot of difficult majors here at Hope.  Like a Physics major? I do not think I could become a Physics major.  A good thing about Hope College is that you cannot major with a “Pre-Medical” major. They make you focus on one area, such as biochemistry and that is better for everybody.

How difficult is my major (Management) compared to yours?

            - Just depends on the person.  It is all on what kind of skills you possess.  My major may take more time to do little things, but if you put me in one of your classes I would probably have no idea what is going on and vice versa.

One of the smartest people I know

I would like to thank Bryan once again and to everybody who reads my blogs.

- Cody

A very messy closet

As you can see here, this closet is not in the best shape.  I also have to add that this is my closet. I like to say that I am a clean person, but if someone were to simply sneak a peek in to my closet, they would probably think otherwise.  Just looking at this picture makes me want to clean my room from wall to wall. Ok, give me a second I need to clean this mess.

Taking full advantage of the blacklightThis room is the opposite of my closet. The residents of this room reside in Kollen Hall and obviously put their heads together to come up with this design for their room. I had never seen a room use a blacklight to this extent before I encountered this gem earlier this semester. This is, by far, my favorite design of a dorm room I have ever seen.

Using the wall spaceAs you can see here, the people who live in this dorm room obviously did not want to see any of the off-white walls in their room.  Posters not only cover up the boring walls in a room, but they also let you show off your character and people can see what your interests are by simply taking the time to appreciate your artwork on your walls.

What happened in here?

From the looks of this room, the two men who live here do not want anybody to come in their room and hang out. It looks like a clothing-bomb went off in this room and the residents abandoned hope of ever cleaning the aftermath. All around, this room needs to be re-done. The desks are cluttered, the futon has become a closet, and you would have to tip-toe around the room to not step on anything. This room needs some major adjustments.

A simple Dykstra clusterSo I ventured out of Kollen to explore other dormitory's and I came across this simple, refined cluster in Dykstra Hall. Dykstra is an all girls dorm and instead of long hallways with rooms, it feature clusters with a common room in every one.  This cluster caught my eye because it had a little bit of decoration, but it was very clean.  Most clusters have papers, binders, and food laying all over them, but this cluster has been kept clean by the girls living here.

A sample of a cottageNo so cleanSo here we have an example of what a typical room looks like in a cottage. A cottage is an on-campus house that is owned by Hope College. You can tell if a house is a cottage or not by checking to see if there is a small brwn triangle on the front that has a name on it. Living in a cottage is nice because the room are bigger than a dorm room and they all have at least one kitchen.  This room, however, could use a little work. I mean, come on, they could not even make their bed for this photo? 

Well, that's all I have for now. Hope you enjoyed this little tour!

-Cody Brant

Q: What position do you play?

R: I play defense. I’m not really sure how to expand on that.

Q: Have you always been a defensemen?

R: Ever since I started playing at the local YMCA…which is a local outdoor rink.

Q: Where did you go to high school?

R: I went to York community High school, which is based out of Elmhurst, IL; a western suburb of Chicago. Go Dukes!

Q: Why did you choose to go to Hope?

R: Hope was a school that fit my academic needs with their highly qualified education program. Also factoring in to the equation was that I could play competitive hockey at the DIII ACHA level. And the attractive Dutch females.

Q: How is college hockey different from high school hockey?

R: The college level has about 50% fewer games which means there is more at stake during each collegiate game.  Hope’s progam is a much more competitive program than my high school team. Hope hockey has a target on their back each and every night we skate.

Q: How do you warm up for hockey games?

R: Usually I go to the Kletz for some chicken quesadillas, then I take a half hour nap to some soft instrumental music, play a couple games of FIFA 2012 with my buddy Jon Workman to get my mind racing and yea that’s about it.

 Improving the skills

Q: How do you mentally prepare for hockey games?

R: Most of my mental preparation elicits itself by playing FIFA 2012, but I also take a few minutes to visualize game scenarios once I am at the rink.  Prayer is also important.

Q: Where is your favorite place to play and why?

R: The Jolly Roger, which is Calvin’s home rink in Grand Rapids.  Although I love playing at home with our fans, I like to play against fans who haze the players because those games are more emotionally charged and there is nothing like walking out of the visitor’s barn with a “W.”

Q: Am I your number-one fan?

R: Absolutely

 Just a reminder. I am Steven's number one fan.

Q: What do you think you need to work on in order to improve your skills?

R: Lets see…obviously strengthening my legs is a necessity.  I also like to improve my stick handling by dangling in the Kollen hall basement in the wee hours of the night with some tunes bumpin’.  Also, practice helps Nick Cornicelli (Steven’s defensive partner) and I develop our already strong chemistry.

Q: Will Hope win the National Championship this year?

R: I’m not one to make guarantees, but our slogan this year is “burn the boats,” which means we are not coming back without our rings.

Q: What do you think of my new haircut?

R: Looks great, but in hockey terms, the flow is severely lacking.

Q: Is there a secret to keeping your flow raging?

R: Absolutely.  There are critical points during the season where you need to trim it up; Thanksgiving break, fall break, and winter break.

Q: Do you have a most memorable goal?

R: My only collegiate goal against Detroit Mercy.  It was a wrister from the point that beat the goalie low, glove-side to break the 0-0 tie less than a minute in to the game.

Q: If/when you score your next goal, what will your celebration be?

R: I like to act like I have been there before, but if it happens to be a key goal I might do an ice drag and throw some snow in to the air.

Q: Is it difficult to balance school, social life, and hockey?

R: Yes, but since I do not need sleep it’s not too bad.

Q: If you could change positions, which position would you switch to?

R: Left wing. I consider myself an explosive player and playing left wing enables me to get loose on a break away.

Q: Which NHL team would be your dream team to play for? Why?

R: As a Chicago boy, I would have to go with the Blackhawks. I would love to be on the same line as Duncan Keith.

Q: Which fraternity has the best fan-base?

R: The Fraters (OKE) show enthusiasm at the games they attend. Also, they were the only ones who showed up to our morning semi-final game for the National Championship last year.

Q: Do you ever get nervous before a big game?

R: Of course, but nervousness in moderation helps improve performance and I keep that in mind.

Q: Would you like to include anything else?

R: I am extremely excited for the remainder of the season, in particular the comeback of Kevin Deane aka the Golden Boy of Hope College hockey.

Game Face

I know this was a long post, but I encourage you to read through the whole thing.  Steven has some great things to say about Hope College and their hockey team, who are currently ranked #1 in the Nation.

-Cody Brant