Mark '13 - Life in Orange and Blue

How do you manage extracurricular activities in college?

Mark Donkersloot — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 21:14:45 +0000

Even as a Senior I am still highly involved in a lot of different ways here at Hope. I am taking 5 classes, I am member of Mortar Board and the Baker Scholars, I intern at my home church in Zeeland, and I am leading an Immersion trip down to Tampa, FL, over Spring Break. This is one of the advantages of a liberal arts education, being able to pursue all sorts of different academic interests, but with it comes a lot of responsibility. I have places to be and things to do almost all the time.

The way I have learned to cope and thrive through all this, without going insane and still managing a social life, is by becoming a master of organization, or another way to put it, a master at juggling. In order to reach all my goals and not drop the ball, I have learned to look at my schedule in small increments, what is due immediately tomorrow that absolutely needs to get done, but also at weeks at a time, what is going to be due in a week that will require lots of time. I then allot my time in accordance to what needs to get done.

In my opinion, learning time management, discipline, and how to prepare ahead of time is imperative to being a successful student. For instance, last week I had a Tax test on Wednesday morning, a six-page reaction to a reading Wednesday afternoon, and a Youth Group lesson on Wednesday night. In order to complete everything on Wednesday, I worked ahead starting on Saturday because there is no way it could have been done all on Tuesday night.

If you are not good at this skill, I suggest making a mental list at night before going to bed about what you need to accomplish the next day. Run through every class you are enrolled in, run through all the activities you are a part of, evaluate what needs to be completed, and then execute your plan.

Being involved here at Hope is very fun and very possible, but it requires discipline and organization in order to thrive in all areas.

“Those who fail to prepare, prepare to fail.”

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”

One of Society’s Largest Problems – N.D.D.

Mark Donkersloot — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 04:21:37 +0000

One of society’s Largest Problems is N.D.D. – Nature Deficit Disorder. To my knowledge, this term is coined by my good friend Tom Gable, and it’s the belief that as a society we do not spend enough time appreciating nature. We sit inside of classrooms, offices, churches, bedrooms, etc. etc. etc., which are all good things, but at the same time the soul needs something more. The soul needs the silence of the woods. The soul needs the stillness of a walk. The soul needs a reminder that we are not the center of the universe.

This theory may sound goofy, but before you dismiss it, Try it! Go outside. Do something active. Go bird watching. Sit underneath a tree. Dig a hole. After a while I believe you will find yourself refreshed with a peace of mind. Nature will reassure and show you that no matter the circumstance, everything is going to be alright. Life will move on, and maybe what’s consuming our mind isn’t so important after all.

A few times this winter I have fallen victim to this disorder, and to cure myself I simply went outside. One time I went camping with my friends in the Manistee forest, yes in the middle of winter, another time I went sledding down The Bowl, a giant sand dune, and today I plunged into the chilly waters of Lake Michigan.

Today, I challenge you to do something for yourself. Enjoy one of God’s greatest gifts to humankind – nature.

Photo Credit: Tom Gable

P.S. If you frequently experience this problem, or are interested more in this topic, you should check out Tom's blog. It's incredible.

Do you like to Dance? Try Dance Marathon.

Mark Donkersloot — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 19:02:36 +0000

Every year Hope College does two HUGE campus wide fundraisers. The first is Relay for Life and the second is Dance Marathon; Relay for Life supports the American Cancer Society meanwhile Dance Marathon supports the Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids. Of course there are other fundraisers for different causes that happen all the time, but these two events in particular rally the entire campus. All sorts of groups of students such as Greek Life, Athletic Teams, Dorms, Clubs, etc. form teams and friendly compete to see who can raise the most money.

If you are wondering what a Dance Marathon is, it is a fun-filled, 24-hour event where all of the participants dance for 24 hours. It takes place in a gymnasium which is full of hundreds of students and it’s an opportunity to show support and fight cancer.

This year I am part of Mortar Board’s Dance Marathon team and we have already plowed past our $7,500 goal three weeks before the actual event. One fundraiser we did is called the Presidential Swap. This is when a student can buy a ticket, and if their ticket is pulled they get to go to a basketball game with the President of Hope, Jim Bultman, but also eat dinner and go to a meeting with him too. With the purchase of a ticket too, each buyer would receive a complimentary baked good. On Valentine’s Day we had an excessive amount of baked goods left over, so we went around the dorms selling the remainders and collecting change. Within 2 hours we made $170!

If you come to Hope, you should really consider joining a team or donating to Dance Marathon – It’s for the Kids.

If you would like to support me, please follow this link.

Presidential Swap

Change Collecting and Baked Goods Sale

Business Majors, do you want to go to New York? Join the Baker Scholars.

Mark Donkersloot — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 14:35:55 +0000

Are you intending to become a business major? Have you ever wanted to go to New York? Would you like to network with the president of Coach, or visit the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, or receive practical advice from Christian business leaders who have faced ethical adversity yet still keep their integrity? If so, you should come to Hope College and join the Baker Scholars.

The Baker Scholars is an honors business program that focuses on gaining experience outside the classroom by meeting with executives. This means inviting people to come speak on campus but it also means traveling to go meet with them as well. In this case, we went to New York for our winter break.

To be part of the Bakers and to go to New York is to be blessed immensely. I mean how could I not feel this way? Over the past 6 days we met with over 10 different professionals in all different fields, I tried over 6 different cuisines, I went to 2 different Broadway shows, and I had plenty of time to explore the other joys of visiting New York City. So, so, so, so, so much more could be said, but I think a few of these pictures can say more than I ever could.

NYC Skyline
The Bakers

The entire group minus our adviser

Sledding in Central Park
Floor of the Stock Exchange
Example Conference Room
Common Food Served at Business Meetings
Jersey Boys with Great Men

Writer’s Block, The Writing Center, and Writing in General at Hope College

Mark Donkersloot — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 05:01:08 +0000

For the past week and a half it has been on my to-do list to write a blog, but every time I approach the keyboard and try to dispense my thoughts of Hope or recent events going on on-campus, my brain comes up empty. None of this is due to a lack of material or fun ideas to blog about, but instead it’s simply a result for a loss for words; my brain has just been drawing and firing blanks. Now though, finally, I found something to talk about, and what I will talk about is a Writer’s Block.

A writer’s block is a reality that I, and many other students, have battled our entire college career. Although our fingers can flawlessly glide across the keyboard it always seems to be a struggle when trying to string a multitude of sentences together into a paper. The good thing though, is that at Hope the liberal arts curriculum will help develop your skills in this area. Even if you are not an English major, you are required to take at least one English, Religion 100, Religion 200, Cultural Heritage, Cultural Heritage II, First Year and Senior Seminar class. In each of these seven classes the most substantial part of your grade is writing.

For some of you that may seem quite daunting and you may be wondering how you “just get better.” One way I think I got better along the way was simply through practice. The more classes that demanded writing, the better I became. Another way my writing improved was from the writing process. Often times professors will allow you to submit drafts before turning in the final to make sure you are hitting the nail on the head but also to suggest on how you can strengthen your paper as a whole to better emphasize the main points.

If you don’t think you will get better through practice and you don’t want to ask your professor for advice, there is also another option called the Center for Writing & Research. It is located in a corner of the first floor of the Library and it is a place where students can go, free of charge, to have help on their paper in any stage of the writing process.

Finals Thoughts: If you fear writing, hate writing, don’t like writing, etc. etc. know that you are not alone and here at Hope help is available. As much as might disdain writing, it is an essential life skill and eventually through Hope’s educational process you will get better.

Random Writing Facts:

Longest Paper Written my Freshman Year: 6 pages. Double Spaced.

Longest Paper Written to Date: 10-12 pages. Double Spaced.

Longest Paper I am going to Write: 20-25 pages. Double Spaced. Every senior is required to write a life view paper for their senior seminar class. I am taking this class this semester.

The Veritas Forum – Courage and Crisis

Mark Donkersloot — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 02:19:29 +0000

Every two years Hope College hosts an event called The Veritas Forum. It is, in short, a lecture series that:

“seeks to explore the possibility of truth, beauty and goodness in every aspect of our academic and personal lives. The Forum is an opportunity for the college community to discuss life’s hardest questions together…”

This year the theme of the series was Courage and Crisis, and although most of the lectures were on the weekend and weekday nights, and not required by class, the series was well-attended. Students thirst to gain knowledge and the keynote speaker, Dr. Andrew White, was flown in from Baghdad, Iraq. In Baghdad White has led an Anglican church since 1998 and he seeks reconciliation in the Middle East. I had the privilege of hearing him speak twice, and each time he captivated my attention with his thick drawn out British accent and simplistic style of humor.

One of the main lessons that I learned from White is that no matter what time it is, it is always a good time to pray. I also learned that no matter where you are, God will never leave you. He is always by your side and for this reason we never have a reason to be afraid. This is how Dr. White copes with living in one of the most hostile and dangerous cities in the world. He prays and trusts in the Lord.

Over the 15 years he has spent in Iraq, he has seen the Lord provide and He has also seen the Lord move. His church has expanded from just a couple dozen followers to over a few thousand. It is an incredible story and Hope College was truly blessed to have this man on campus, even if it was just for a few days.

Ready or Not

Mark Donkersloot — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 05:07:50 +0000

Ready or not, sometimes you are forced to move forward in life: this is how I felt returning back to Hope for my final semester. We had three weeks off of school for Christmas and New Year’s but yet this still didn’t seem to be enough time to process break.

You see, on break it felt like I experienced every emotion on the spectrum, and many were polar opposites. We obviously celebrated the birth of Christ and the blessings of another year, as if this isn’t already an emotionally abundant and hectic period, but my family also prepared and welcomed a new sister-in-law through the wedding of my brother Steve, but only just a few days after saying goodbye and mourning the death of my beloved Grandma Betty, who left this earth on Christmas Day.

To further demonstrate the vast array of emotions I experienced you should know that I gave two of the most personal/meaningful speeches of my life within three days. On a Saturday morning I gave a eulogy and watched in the cemetery as my Grandma was buried, and on that same Saturday night I attended a rehearsal dinner, and on the following Monday night I gave the Best Man’s speech. This was my first time being part of a bridal party and this is the first time I have lost somebody I had a mature adult relationship with, too.

Break was a lot. For two weeks straight, from the Friday before Christmas until returning here, I had high concentrations of time with family, which is great and fun, but it didn’t provide much time for simply relaxing, decompressing, and preparing. Therefore, coming back has been tough. I wasn’t ready for class, for homework, for 10-15 emails a day, for leading a mission trip, for leading youth group, for preparing for the CPA exam, for making some of my final college memories, but here it is and here I am. Slowly, I brace the challenge of another semester, another new year, and I begin to regain momentum. I begin to regain the edge, the mindset, and the excitement for what this year has in store. I know this will be another good year; it’s just taking off on a slow start.

Our Last Supper with Grandma on Christmas Eve. She knew how to have a party, even at 90 years old.

No-Shave November/Movember

Mark Donkersloot — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 15:12:02 +0000

The month of November is one of the most loved months by college men, but one of the most hated months by college women. It is a time where men unite and grow whatever facial hair they have in a cause called No-Shave November. It more recent years, it has transformed into Movember, or Mustache November, to raise men’s health awareness.

Some men on campus are too cowardly to grow for the entire month. They complain about their beards being patchy, itchy, or that it doesn’t look good, but that is not my house. Here are a few videos and pictures of the end results and this glorious month of which I am referring to.

Movember Informational Video

How to Kill a Mustache

Funny Manly Video

No Shave Pictures

He may have had a head start... only by about 5 months though...

I can't grow much... but ya still gotta try!

Thankful

Mark Donkersloot — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 23:27:49 +0000

I sit at the tail end of Thanksgiving break, the tail end of the semester, and really at the tail end of my college career. I only have one semester to go until I graduate and there are truly so many reasons to be thankful. I live in one of the most prosperous nations in the world, with a loving family and loving friends with the right to cast a vote in a presidential election where I can exercise my freedoms of belief as a result of courageous ancestors who died fighting on behalf of my country. I live in a land where supermarket shelves are stocked with food and one of my biggest worries is where will I find housing next September when I start working in Dallas; not will I die tomorrow in war, or from starvation, or from disease.

So often I forget—we forget—about the blessings which have been bestowed upon us and I love the holiday of Thanksgiving because it gives us an opportunity to stop, think, and reflect on all of our good fortune. It is a shame, though, that people no longer take this holiday seriously. Every year consumerism encroaches on quality time with family around the table and we are lured into long lines at even earlier hours in order to get the newest products at the lowest price. I wish this were illegal because I believe we reap what we sow and one day we may just have a culture as a whole which will lack gratitude. I could be wrong, and maybe people are still saying and giving thanks in different forms, but as someone who loves doing things the right way, it seems most appropriate to use a day or holiday designated to give thanks, to give thanks; not shop til you drop or meet the bottom line. I would love to see at least the day of Thanksgiving be a day of rest, not a time of stress.

All this being said, I do actually want to take a little bit of time to publicly give thanks instead of just talking about it, to a few people that deserve it (excluding friends and family, because they always deserve it.)

Thank you, God. Thank you for life, earth, forgiveness, and the opportunity You give me every day to know You. Thank you for creating this earth and all its splendors. You never cease to amaze me.

Thank you, politicians, for the time and effort you put into serving our country. Your job is tough and I appreciate your efforts in wrestling with some of the most complex problems yet to face humankind. I will do my best to continue to support and trust your judgments of what is best, even if it isn’t what I necessarily believe.

Thank you, strangers. Thank you for all your hard work that I don’t even know you do. You create products, harvest food, cure sicknesses, and so much more that I could never do. I don’t know you, and you don’t know me, but, thanks.

Thank you, Hope College (this is all encompassing, it goes out to faculty, administration, founders, and any other employee). Thank you for challenging me academically, socially, intellectually, and spiritually. I will always have fond memories of this place. You have changed my life.

What do you want to know – My Weekly Dilemma

Mark Donkersloot — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 04:59:59 +0000

Every week there is a giant question that looms above my head: what should I blog about? The opportunity feels so limited. Every day I face new experiences, create new memories, and I only have this one opportunity to capture the moment. If I don’t now, the experience, memory or moment will soon be lost due to irrelevance and new ideas that pertain more to my current life situation than the previous experience, memory or moment that should be posted about. At the same time too, I try to think about, what blog would be most useful to a prospective student? Which one of my experiences will best serve them in their life, and their college decision making? Which story best conveys the culture, spirit, and daily picture of life at Hope? Do you see where I’m coming from? Therefore because I have this weekly dilemma I figured it would most easily be solved simply by asking, what themes or topics would you like to see a blog post about? If you leave a comment, I will respond with a post with my thoughts or ideas.

If you don’t have any ideas, here’s a list of recent experiences I could expound upon.

Relay for Life. One of Hope’s biggest fundraiser. This past Saturday Hope students raised over $45,000 for the American Cancer Society.
BAM. Business As Mission and The Marketplace Revolution 2-day Conference held at Willow Creek Church in Chicago.
Private dinner with former Marketing Executive at Herman Miller, Dave, with the Baker Scholars or dinner with President Bultman.
My church internship. Leading youth group due to my youth pastor being rushed to the hospital because of 10 kidney stones or making over 13,000 pig in the blankets in 9 hours for a youth fundraiser.
Hope Spring Break (Immersion) Trips. This year I’m a leader heading to Tampa Bay, FL.
Balancing my church internship, extra curriculars, jobs, friends, and school.
The Gathering and Hope Chapel Services.
Life as an upperclassman outside of the dorms

Family Weekend – NYKERK!

Mark Donkersloot — Mon, 05 Nov 2012 21:51:16 +0000

Family Weekend at Hope College is always one of my favorites of the entire school year. It is usually the one last hoorah before snow settles on campus and students face the wave of remaining work to be done before semester’s end. It’s always good to see everyone’s family for a couple days but the true highlight of it all is what happens on Saturday Night – Nykerk.

Nykerk is Hope’s second longest tradition. It has been going on for 78 years following behind the pull which started over 115 years ago. There are three parts to the competition: an oration, play, and song all performed by females. It generally takes place at the Civic Center in downtown Holland and the building is so jam-packed that you see more human than infrastructure while in the gymnasium-converted-auditorium.

Every year the quest for the Nykerk Cup is the freshman versus the sophomores, even graduation year versus odd graduation year, and this year the freshmen won. I am odd year, because I am a senior graduating in 2013, and although we technically lost it was only slightly disappointing. Given I wasn’t a participant this year makes a big difference, but the main reason is the spirit of Nykerk. It’s nice to win, but either way it’s not the most important factor. It is really designed to be a friendlier event and simply have fun.

A Week in the Life of Mark Donkersloot

Mark Donkersloot — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 02:22:34 +0000

Some of you may be wondering, what does a typical week of college look like? After being in school for three years, I can assure you that no one week will be the same. However, although this may be the case, below is a schedule of this week for me. I think this will give you a pretty good idea.

Monday

7:45-8:15 – Eat, Shower, Get to Class

8:15-9:20 – Class, Corporate Tax. Smile, it’s Monday.

9:20-3:00 – Trip to Shelby, MI to visit a friend. Essentially discretionary time.

3:00-5:00 – Group project about Class Warfare

5:00-6:45 – Lasagna dinner with friends at Pastor John Brown’s house. John Brown is the pastor of Pillar Church and is working to establish a strong relationship with Hope College. I do not attend Pillar Church regularly but was still invited.

6:45-12:00 – Finish the group project, respond to emails, short breaks in the library to chat with friends.

12:00-12:30 - Prepare for bed

Tuesday

7:45- 8:00– Eat, Shower, Get to Class

8:00-9:20 – Class, Financial Management. Turn in group project.

9:30-10:50 – Class, Cultural Heritage I. Learn about Hebraism. Turn in 2-page paper.

10:50-12:00 – Lunch at Cook Dining Hall

12:00 – 1:50 – Class, Advanced Accounting. Receive back test from previous Thursday. Snack provided. Woohoo.

2:00-2:30 – Meeting with the Vice-President of College Advancement, Dave Vanderwel, to discuss purchasing a sculpture of Albert Einstein from Art Prize for Hope College

2:30-5:00 – Help pumpkin carving for CASA supported by Mortar Board.

5:00-7:00 – Go out to eat with a friend. An annual fall tradition.

7:00-12:00 – Homework. Probably corporate tax, working on my team presentation due Thursday, responding to emails. If time, socialize.

12:00-12:30 - Prepare for bed

Wednesday

7:45-8:15 – Eat, Shower, Get to Class

8:15-9:20 – Class, Corporate Tax

9:20-10:30 – Nap. Probably going to need to catch up on some zzzz’s

10:45-8:00 – Church Internship. Go to middle school's lunches, prepare for middle school Halloween party, attend middle school Halloween party, clean up middle school Halloween party.

8:00-10:00 – Go to a fun costume party with friends.

10:00-12:00 – Finish group presentation.

12:00-12:30 - Prepare for bed

Thursday

7:00- 8:00– Bible study with guys in house, eat, shower, get ready for the big day. Put on suit and tie. Go to Class

8:00-9:20 – Class, Financial Management. Give presentation.

9:30-10:50 – Class, Cultural Heritage I. Learn about Hebraism. Turn in 2-page paper.

10:50-12:00 – Baker Scholars Meeting with special guest, Dana Barfield, who will speak on investments.

12:00 – 1:50 – Class, Advanced Accounting. Snack again. Woohoo.

2:00-5:00 – Meeting with local art gallery owner to discuss purchasing a sculpture of Albert Einstein from ArtPrize for Hope College

5:00-7:00 – Baker Scholars dinner with/at President Bultman’s house.

7:00-10:00 – Free Time. Relax? Homework? Nap? Look at registration for classes?

10:00 – 11:15 – Mortar Board Meeting. Kinda late huh? That’s just how we roll.

11:15-12:00 - Free Time

12:00-12:30 - Prepare for bed

Friday

7:45-8:15 –Shower, Get to Class

8:15-9:20 – Class, Corporate Tax. Breakfast provided every Friday. Woot Woot and officially the weekend!!!

9:20-10:00 - Meeting with advisor about registration for class.

10:00 – 11:00 – Chapel. Finally. Unfortunately missed other two on Monday and Wednesday during the week.

11:00-12:00 – Lunch at Phelps with fellow Seniors.

12:00-5:00 – Free Time

5:00-5:45 – Dinner

5:45-12:00 – Men’s Retreat through campus ministries. Paintballing. Pizza. Only $10 with 120 other Men. What could better?

12:00-2:00 a.m. – Bro out

Saturday

2:00-12:00 – SLEEP

12:00-6:00 – Free time. Homework?

6:00-10:00 – Nykerk. One of the best nights of the year. A must do.

10:00-12:00 – Nykerk after-party in the Kletz.

12:00-1:00 Chill time

1:00 Lights out. Week over.

Mortar huh? I’ve never heard of that.

Mark Donkersloot — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 18:13:57 +0000

This year I am part of a group called Mortar Board. If you are anything like me, you probably have no clue what this all means, and that’s okay because that’s how I was at first. I was first introduced to this club by receiving an email that I really just wanted to delete. Little did I know this would have been one of my biggest mistakes because Mortar Board is quite a big deal. There are over 240 chapters in the nation and Hope has one of its finest. The mission of Mortar Board is stated below and the three following videos will give you a grasp of what we are all about, and what you can be a part of your senior year here at Hope College.

“Mortar Board, Inc., a national honor society that recognizes college seniors for their achievements in scholarship, leadership and service, provides opportunities for continued leadership development, promotes service to colleges and universities and encourages lifelong contributions to the global community. ”

The National Chapter History

Introduction to Hope College's Chapter

Description of Hope College's Chapter

One of Hope College's Differentiating Factors

Mark Donkersloot — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 20:26:09 +0000

One factor that differentiates Hope College from many other small colleges is that there is always something going on and we are great at having fun. Don’t get me wrong, we work and study hard and school is very important to us, but when it’s time to play it seems like EVERYBODY comes out. Our campus is alive with students who are active, who love to participate, and who support one another.

I became extra aware of this reality over the past week when talking with a friend from another school. He transferred there to play on their varsity basketball team this year, because he won’t be able to at Hope, and he told me he loved the basketball team, but everything else was tough: everyone keeps to themselves on the weekend and there are no big events on campus, and for this reason alone he is thinking about transferring back to Hope. Now I don’t say any of this to bash other schools, but to highlight the uniqueness of Hope’s campus. Hope is full of great people and great opportunities and it was ironic, too, because a day after our conversation it was Hope’s Homecoming and despite unfavorable weather, it seemed like everything was well-attended. For example, I personally had to wait for 3 shuttle buses in order to get to Hope’s Hoedown on Friday night, even though the event had already been going on for an hour and a half.

Anyways, what I’m trying to get at, the moral of the story is if you are college searching make sure you take this factor into effect. Check out the student body and what’s going on on-campus because if you don’t, you may just end up in a place where you are only partially satisfied. At Hope, without a doubt I know you will have a blast. If it weren't true, I won’t be saying so.

Homecoming Pictures

Fun on Fall Break. #Canada

Mark Donkersloot — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 19:04:11 +0000

Hope College may go to school on Labor Day, but after about a month we get two days off for what is called fall break. Some students during this time go home, some students stay on campus, and some students choose to go far away. I opted for the last option, and went up to a friend’s cabin over break in McGregor Bay, Canada. It was a joyous time reuniting with four guys with whom I lived with in the dorm. The drive was a little brutal, a total of 11 hours one direction, but it definitely was worth it. We hit the autumn colors in their peak, and it was one of the most scenic/beautiful drives of my life.

The Group

The major highlight from the trip included ridding ourselves of what we call N.D.D. – Nature Deficit Disorder. In college for me it’s tough to get outside. It feels like I spend the majority of my time inside whether it be studying in the library, hanging out with friends in the kletz, or going to a volleyball match in the DeVos. Not that there aren’t great places to study or hang out outside, such as the Pine Grove, but I find that if I study outside I am easily distracted and the outdoor elements aren’t always the most conducive for learning. Therefore, the three days spent up north was a great breath of fresh air, pun intended. We went hiking, canoeing, fishing (but I didn’t catch any), portaging, star gazing, and saw tons of wildlife. On one day we saw 16 bald eagles, a black bear, and to top it all off, the Northern lights.

The View From Our Cabin

It was definitely a much needed break, after all the interviewing and sorting through the future as I described in the future blog, and it was great to be in the outdoors once again. Being in nature is relaxing, and puts everything back into perspective. Upon walking through untamed wilderness past thousands of gigantic trees and overlooking mountains/lakes one is reminded how small/insignificant one is and how big our God is, and that we are not in control, but He is in control, and for that reason, we have no need to worry.

God's Creation

Fully Employed 8 Months Before Graduation... #TisTrue

Mark Donkersloot — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 04:15:30 +0000

One question that haunts every college student no matter their year in school is: What am I going to do with my degree after graduation? This question prods and tends to be more time consuming the further one advances through their college career and this is the question I just resolved after wrestling with it over the past two months. I just accepted a full time position last Friday auditing down in Dallas, Texas with a firm called Capin Crouse, whom I interned with this summer. Woohoo!

Most seniors in college don’t have it this easy, though. They don’t have a job lined up 8 months before graduation, but I do because of a couple different factors. The first one goes down to my major. I am an accounting major and there is high turnover in this job sector. Therefore since there is a high demand for employees, there is constant recruiting that occurs every fall on college campuses. However, even though there are a lot of jobs available, I would attribute a big portion of my success for obtaining a job to Hope College. Hope has established a great reputation and has a big network. Therefore, accounting firms come to Hope seeking employees. To prove my point, this year I had 3 on-campus interviews, 2 declined on-campus interviews, and 3 phone interviews as a result of fall recruiting from all different firms. Wow, right? So if you can’t tell, Hope has been a huge blessing to me and my life finding those opportunities and it feels great to have this decision made.

All this being said, making the decision to move down to Texas wasn’t easy, especially with all the different options on the table. I was forced to do a lot of thinking, evaluation, and prayer because there was most certainly another job I could have received that was closer to family and friends but what it really came down to though was I needed to follow my heart. I see accounting as one function in the body of Christ and Capin Crouse would allow me to use my talents to serve Christian non-profits. Besides this, the hours will most likely be more manageable than other big firms so I won’t lose three of my months every year to accounting, the pay is still competitive, and if there was ever a time to leave home for a while, it would be now when I don’t have a family or a house because I can always return later.

Anyways, that is my life update for now. September 2013: Texas, here I come!

Another ODD Year.

Mark Donkersloot — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 19:35:11 +0000

Tradition without passion is not tradition, it is simply habit, and for this reason I absolutely love The Pull. The Pull is raw passion, filled with die-hard commitment to a cause that will push oneself past their limits. The Pull, in all reality, may seem simple and crazy to the outsider because it is a tug-of-war, really, just a tug-of-war, between freshman and sophomores, even year and odd year, that takes place for 3 weeks, with three hour practices weekdays, 8 hour work outs on Saturdays, and countless meetings in-between. Many ask why would anyone dedicate so much of their time to pulling on a rope, injuring their bodies, digging pits, and getting dirty, but that’s because they don’t understand. They haven’t experienced it. They don’t realize it’s more than a tug-of-war, it’s more than the pain, it’s more than the time, but it’s a battle of overcoming oneself, and coming together as a team. It’s a battle to go further, work harder, and push oneself to as close to perfection as possible.

The Pull is a tradition that has been part of my life for the past four years of college, and it took place once again this past Saturday, September 29, 2012. Although my commitment has waned out over the years because my time as a puller is over, it was still very exciting to watch. I still got a little nervous as the pullers plopped into the pits at 2:59 because it’s always a mystery to see which team will come out as victor, and which team will leave looking for vengeance the following year. Fortunately, for the third consecutive year, odd year came out on top. This year, the class of 2015, the sophomores won in a little over 2 hours by close to 80 feet. The reward, a refreshing cool dip in the Black River, bragging rights for the rest of the year, and most importantly, the satisfaction that all their hard work paid off.

In my opinion, everyone needs “a pull experience." Everyone should be stretched so that they may learn they are capable of more than they ever imagined. If you are ever around Hope College during Pull weekend, I would highly recommend you stopping by to watch. You may walk away slightly scared from what you witness, but I think you will may also walk away inspired, inspired to make sacrifices and inspired to do great things.

Baker Scholars Trip – chicaGO!

Mark Donkersloot — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 01:10:14 +0000

At the end of my sophomore year, a year and a half ago, I applied to be a Baker Scholar. This is an endowed program that is for business students. Our goal is to obtain experience outside the classroom by visiting different companies and their executives to learn how they achieved their success and hear their advice. Being part of this program is a huge blessing filled with countless opportunities; for example, this past weekend when we took our annual fall trip down to Chicago.

The trip lasted from Thursday night through Saturday afternoon… yes this means I skipped class on Friday… whoops… haha… but really it was fine since all the professors understand there is a solid reasoning behind skipping… and in total we had four visits, three on Friday and one on Saturday.

BMO Harris Bank – Learned about the Banking Industry, the crisis back in 2008, and how to advance from the entry level positions, such as a financial analyst, to relationship manager.
West Monroe Consulting – Met with a panel of consultants and discussed the roles, advantages, and disadvantages of the industry.
Cook County/Rush Hospital – Visit given by former baker scholar president, Adam Simon, learning about the city of Chicago, the differences of public versus private health care, and saw the largest ER in the United Sates.
Red Frog – One of the fastest growing companies in the U.S. Their product is “experiences” such as the Warrior Dash, and The Great Urban Race. Their company is currently being compared with Google, Youtube, and Facebook.

Overall impressions from the visits: Amazed by the passion behind every employee at each company. After each visit I was left thinking… maybe I could be a consultant, banker, or events coordinator. Haha. I was also surprised by the informality of Red Frog and West Monroe Consulting. One must take into account though that both of these visits were on Friday, but either way it took me back. We were overdressed wearing a collared shirt and slacks, which makes me wonder what the corporate culture will look like in the next 20 years. Will people still wear suits, or will everyone come to work however they feel most comfortable?

Chicago Skyline

Rush Hospital

The Red Frog Office. Yes, this is a tree-house used as a conference room in their office. The same people who designed Google's offices designed these.

Breakfast on Saturday morning - a small taste of heaven. Chocolate French Toast at the Bongo Room - the best breakfast restaurant in Chicago but this truly is just one picture of the many good meals from the weekend.

Reconciliation

Mark Donkersloot — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 19:56:01 +0000

Reconciliation is one of Hope College’s themes for this fall semester and it is being carried out next week Wednesday by the cancellation of all classes so we can conduct our annual Critical Issues Symposium (CIS) on this topic. This means a whole lot of speakers will come to campus to share their experiences and stories about reconciliation so we can learn from them, but besides just having one day devoted on Hope College’s campus this fall semester to reconciliation, we are also having people speak during the Chapel services. So far two people have spoken about reconciliation: Professor Ernest Cole and David Beckmann.

Professor Ernest Cole is part of Hope’s English Department and he is from Sierra Leone. He lived there during their civil war and talked about forgiveness, even from war crimes such as cutting off civilian limbs, which can always be made through the love of Christ. David Beckmann, the president of Bread for the World, is part of a Christian advocacy group that follows our governmental activity that encourages citizens within the United States to stand up and respond on behalf of the poor/hungry. David believes that this is vital because 92 percent of all aid for the impoverished comes from our government.

Personally, I struggle with reconciliation/poverty. It angers, frustrates, motivates, pains, encourages, and so much more to me. In a perfect world, none of it would exist… but we don’t live in a perfect world. We live in a broken, sinful society, and for this reason, since poverty and the need for reconciliation is a very real reality, I’m excited to learn how we can live into it, work through it, and maybe, maybe just one day, have no need for it, due to everyone living harmoniously together.

Stained Glass from Dimnent Chapel

Semester Overview

Mark Donkersloot — Fri, 14 Sep 2012 15:48:57 +0000

After three weeks of class, I’m still having a tough time gauging what my semester is going look like. Of course I fully expect to have lots of homework and lots of fun, but I keep asking myself: is it going to be really busy? Am I going to have some free time?

Usually I have a good read by now, because I’ve gone through the same process for six semesters, but for some reason everything seems uncertain. The future remains elusive, so I am left taking it day by day, one step at a time. It is teaching me a great deal of patience, and to trust in the Lord… which hasn’t been easy… haha… I just want to know! However through it all, I know that it is extremely easy to overcommit oneself here at Hope due to an overabundance of awesome opportunities and that I have done this many times in the past, so this semester I have intentionally left open time slots in my schedule to relax, attend random events on campus (such as the Mitt Romney campaign tour bus that came to campus on Thursday), and continue building friendships.

If you are curious, on my plate this semester I have…

16 credits. This is a typical course load. This is equivalent to 4 classes. I am taking Advanced Accounting, Individual Taxation, Financial Management, and Cultural Heritage.

The Baker Scholars. This is a business group on campus. We have a full schedule of events; about one every week for two months. For instance, this week we had a business etiquette dinner, and next week we are going to Chicago.

Mortar Board. This is like National Honors Society in high school, except for college seniors. Hope’s chapter is one of the best of the nation. We earned over 15 awards at the national convention last year, which was more than any other school, and there are over 240 chapters around the U.S.

Work at the DeVos. I greet people at the basketball arena 10 hours a week… But when it’s not busy I get to do homework. Some people claim this is the best job on campus… and I’d probably have to agree.

Spring Break Immersion Trip Leader. This past week I applied. I should hear back shortly.

In short, this is what my life looks like right now. Of course there is other stuff too that I do, such as attend Chapel, go to sporting/on-campus events, and help out where I can, like hosting two Japanese students for the first two weeks of school, but all in all, that’s it. Life is good. It’s the weekend. Whether I know what is going to happen or not, God is in control, and I know His plan is good.

The Romney Bus

My Housemates plus the two Japanese students we hosted.