My discussion on Second Life is back.
From a friend of mine who works in the Tech Department (the same one who draws Percent Man), a professor here at the University of Georgia has decided to hold classes in Second Life.
I have been a little worried about online classes (which are done in chat rooms). There are a few advantages to holding class on SL (accounts are free and textbooks can be distributed online for free), the idea of holding a class in The Sims on crack is still a little creepy and counter-productive. My English teacher said that computers in the class room are a win-win situation. Teachers don't have to teach and students don't have to learn. I would imagine that the same would apply to classrooms in computers, if not more so.
Rock on.
12 January 2007
09 January 2007
New Semester, New Classes, and No Used Books
I am two days into my second semester of college. Huzzah!
D-1 (Sunday): I was actually able to wake up in time for church. Not bad for my first morning back on campus. I grabbed breakfast and headed for St. James UMC. When I got there, I realized that I don't know what time services start and it looks like one is going on now (and by the lack of people sneaking in to the church, one has been going on for a while). So I ran across town to Athens First UMC (which, as it turns out, is where all of the Greeks go). "It's ok. This is the modern worship service, so nobody will notice the soaking-wet college students in jeans and a t-shirt coming in late," I convinced myself. Wrong. It was the traditional service and as an usher showed me to my seat, all eyes were on my. After church and lunch, I tried to buy my books. Nearly $500 worth. As it turns out, I only have a $500 credit limit, and that $25, the only charge ever put on it, put me over said limit. So after half an hour of holding up the line trying to solve this problem, it took another sprint through the rain, some rearranging of my checking account, and a near-stroke for me to actually be able to purchase my books.
D-Day - First day back and I'm up at 6:30 to make my 8:00 class. For maybe the fourth time since classes finished nearly a month ago, I actually ate breakfast. I go to my German class at eight, and half way through the class, the teacher switched to all German. Then up some stairs to my Political Science class. Meh. Boring. Philosophy, or as the professor (who behaved like William Shatner delivering a dramatic soliloquy) calls it, God 101, using classical arguments on God to examine the basics of philosophy. And here's the fun part: a guarantee from the professor that the highest grade on any of his tests will be a 70. Because tests are not supposed to test knowledge, but be learning experiences...silly me. I thought that's what lectures and discussion groups were. 11:00 rolls around and I get my first break all day. Lunch. Then Macroeconomics, with the professor who is an odd mix of my high school econ teacher and Michael Meyers (yes, the serial killer from Halloween). Two hour break until my History of Rock Music class, taught by the pot-head hippie...dropped.
D+1 = German, 8:00. Finished. With dropping the 3:30-4:30 music class, I am done with classes for today and it's only 9:15. Tuesdays and Thursdays are going to be fun.
Shalom,
Drew
D-1 (Sunday): I was actually able to wake up in time for church. Not bad for my first morning back on campus. I grabbed breakfast and headed for St. James UMC. When I got there, I realized that I don't know what time services start and it looks like one is going on now (and by the lack of people sneaking in to the church, one has been going on for a while). So I ran across town to Athens First UMC (which, as it turns out, is where all of the Greeks go). "It's ok. This is the modern worship service, so nobody will notice the soaking-wet college students in jeans and a t-shirt coming in late," I convinced myself. Wrong. It was the traditional service and as an usher showed me to my seat, all eyes were on my. After church and lunch, I tried to buy my books. Nearly $500 worth. As it turns out, I only have a $500 credit limit, and that $25, the only charge ever put on it, put me over said limit. So after half an hour of holding up the line trying to solve this problem, it took another sprint through the rain, some rearranging of my checking account, and a near-stroke for me to actually be able to purchase my books.
D-Day - First day back and I'm up at 6:30 to make my 8:00 class. For maybe the fourth time since classes finished nearly a month ago, I actually ate breakfast. I go to my German class at eight, and half way through the class, the teacher switched to all German. Then up some stairs to my Political Science class. Meh. Boring. Philosophy, or as the professor (who behaved like William Shatner delivering a dramatic soliloquy) calls it, God 101, using classical arguments on God to examine the basics of philosophy. And here's the fun part: a guarantee from the professor that the highest grade on any of his tests will be a 70. Because tests are not supposed to test knowledge, but be learning experiences...silly me. I thought that's what lectures and discussion groups were. 11:00 rolls around and I get my first break all day. Lunch. Then Macroeconomics, with the professor who is an odd mix of my high school econ teacher and Michael Meyers (yes, the serial killer from Halloween). Two hour break until my History of Rock Music class, taught by the pot-head hippie...dropped.
D+1 = German, 8:00. Finished. With dropping the 3:30-4:30 music class, I am done with classes for today and it's only 9:15. Tuesdays and Thursdays are going to be fun.
Shalom,
Drew
02 January 2007
Auld Lang Syne
Another calendar year has come and gone. We are now in the two thousand seventh year of our Lord. I, like many people, paused at midnight to think about the previous year. What had I done with it?
I can say that I graduated from high school, completed a semester of college, and went on a mission trip to New Orleans. I can go on and on about the good I did. But not really. Because I can say that I wasted the year. I can say that I devoted far too much time to television, anger, lust, greed, and sloth.
For most of the world, this is where resolutions come in. I resolve to eat less, read more, wake up earlier, blah less, eat more blahs, blah more this, blah blah that. And in about three days, that's where resolutions exit, stage left.
But what about Christianity? What type of resolutions should disciples make? If Matthew 5:33-37 is any indication, we shouldn't. This isn't to say we shouldn't change. Just that resolutions, oaths, vows, and the like are pointless. The first reason is obvious. Why should you wait until the new year? But Christ reminds us to avoid any form of oath. "Simply let your 'yes' be 'yes', and your 'no', no'".
And now, the kicker. The application. The new year should be like any other day. Look at your mistakes. Experience "Godly Sorrow". Remember that Jesus took your mistakes to the grave. Accept his forgivness and let the Love of God help you to do better next time.
Rock on.
I can say that I graduated from high school, completed a semester of college, and went on a mission trip to New Orleans. I can go on and on about the good I did. But not really. Because I can say that I wasted the year. I can say that I devoted far too much time to television, anger, lust, greed, and sloth.
For most of the world, this is where resolutions come in. I resolve to eat less, read more, wake up earlier, blah less, eat more blahs, blah more this, blah blah that. And in about three days, that's where resolutions exit, stage left.
But what about Christianity? What type of resolutions should disciples make? If Matthew 5:33-37 is any indication, we shouldn't. This isn't to say we shouldn't change. Just that resolutions, oaths, vows, and the like are pointless. The first reason is obvious. Why should you wait until the new year? But Christ reminds us to avoid any form of oath. "Simply let your 'yes' be 'yes', and your 'no', no'".
And now, the kicker. The application. The new year should be like any other day. Look at your mistakes. Experience "Godly Sorrow". Remember that Jesus took your mistakes to the grave. Accept his forgivness and let the Love of God help you to do better next time.
Rock on.
30 December 2006
Reading List
I mentioned previously that I had a lot of new books to get through. For those intersted in what I'll be diving into (or am already in the middle of), here you go:
Currently Reading:
The bad news: With my schedule this semester, I wonder if I'll have the time to get through this list.
The worse news: I have to buy six new textbooks, the cheapest of which is $80. I wonder which organ I should sell to pay for all of them.
Shalom, Drew
*I read The Hobbit in seventh grade and failed to grasp what it was saying. This is round number two.
Currently Reading:
- Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
- A Problem From Hell: America in the Age of Genocide - Samantha Power
- The Cost of Discipleship - Dietrich Bonhoeffer
- Through Painted Deserts - Donald Miller
- Orthodoxy - GK Chesterton
- The Aboliton of Man - CS Lewis
- The Four Loves - CS Lewis
- The Problem of Pain - CS Lewis
- The World is Flat - Thomas Friedman
- God Is Here - Steve Case
- Searching for God Knows What - Donald Miller
- Under the Over Pass - Mike Yankoski
- A Generous Orthodoxy - Brian McLaren
- 1984 - George Orwell
- Mere Christianity - CS Lewis
- The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien*
The bad news: With my schedule this semester, I wonder if I'll have the time to get through this list.
The worse news: I have to buy six new textbooks, the cheapest of which is $80. I wonder which organ I should sell to pay for all of them.
Shalom, Drew
*I read The Hobbit in seventh grade and failed to grasp what it was saying. This is round number two.
25 December 2006
Merry Christmas
First and foremost, as the title says, Merry Christmas.
Second, here's the deal. It's the winter break and I'm still busy. I'm working my way through The Lord of the Rings, The Cost of Discipleship, and A Problem from Hell. And I just got two new Donald Miller books and The World is Flat. So I'll be reading a lot and then starting back with classes, and unfortunately not posting much. But when I do post, expect some really awesome stuff. Because nothing is cooler than a Miller-inspired post that ties into Friedman and is written to the Lord of the Rings soundtrack (probably the best thing I got this year).
Shalom, Drew
Second, here's the deal. It's the winter break and I'm still busy. I'm working my way through The Lord of the Rings, The Cost of Discipleship, and A Problem from Hell. And I just got two new Donald Miller books and The World is Flat. So I'll be reading a lot and then starting back with classes, and unfortunately not posting much. But when I do post, expect some really awesome stuff. Because nothing is cooler than a Miller-inspired post that ties into Friedman and is written to the Lord of the Rings soundtrack (probably the best thing I got this year).
Shalom, Drew
15 December 2006
Happy Hanukkah
Yes, I know somep people are wondering why I, a disciple of Christ, am commemorating a Jewish holiday on my blog. First, let us examine the history of this festival.
The festival commemorates the Maccabee family's revolt against Antiochus IV and his imposing Hellenistic beliefs on the Jewish community. In 167 BC, Antiochus ordered a statue of Zeus to be erected in the Second Temple. Mattathias Maccabee, a priest, along with his five sons, led a rebellion against Antioch. This rebellion was succesful and the temple was cleansed in 165 BC. According to the Talmud, oil was needed to burn in the temple every night. However, there was only enough for one night. Through the grace of God, it is said that the oil lasted for eight nights. According to 1 Maccabees, though, Hanukkah is an eight-day celebration of the rededication.
This brings me to my point. Regardless of the reason of the celebration, it is still a commemoration of God's caring for his people.
And that is worth celebrating (even without the presents).
Rock on.
The festival commemorates the Maccabee family's revolt against Antiochus IV and his imposing Hellenistic beliefs on the Jewish community. In 167 BC, Antiochus ordered a statue of Zeus to be erected in the Second Temple. Mattathias Maccabee, a priest, along with his five sons, led a rebellion against Antioch. This rebellion was succesful and the temple was cleansed in 165 BC. According to the Talmud, oil was needed to burn in the temple every night. However, there was only enough for one night. Through the grace of God, it is said that the oil lasted for eight nights. According to 1 Maccabees, though, Hanukkah is an eight-day celebration of the rededication.
This brings me to my point. Regardless of the reason of the celebration, it is still a commemoration of God's caring for his people.
And that is worth celebrating (even without the presents).
Rock on.
13 December 2006
One Semester Looking Back
Finals are done. Life is now easier. But another sixteen hours looms just on the other side of the winter break. I stand at a point where, assuming it only takes me four years to get through my BA, I am 1/8 of the way through college. Now is a good time to look back.
It seems like just last week that I boarded a plane in Kansas City heading for orientation. And it seems like just yesterday that I headed to Christian Campus Fellowship (CCF, but more on that later). The semester has really flown by. But at the same time, it seems as if the friends I've made have been my friends since birth (I certainly pray that they will remain friends until death).
I started this year not knowing what was going on, and as such, went through three main stages. First came the excitement of being out on my own. Nights up until three, waking up only minutes before class. Enjoying the all-you-can-eat meal plan (four or five times a day). After deciding against ROTC in January, I singed up, intending on seeking a scholarship again. And I very quickly settled into the Wesley Foundation, the largest campus ministry with some 500 members. As it turns out, though, UGA is something of a party school. Short of drinking, there isn't much to do. And finding a group of friends out of 500 people is harder than it seems. ROTC was a disappointment, as UGA ROTC may be the best demonstration of the opposite of good leadership. So here comes the second stage, where I seriously considered transferring to a smaller school. Then, my heroic sister decided to introduce me to some friends she had at CCF here (yea for having a big sister within 60 miles). After attending three events with the sub-100 group, I very quickly found a group of friends (almost instantly with the other 11 freshman, and by the weekend with the rest). Enter phase three, which can only be known as awesomasity-rocious. I'm now quite happy at UGA, even without frat parties, and have never been closer to a group of friends. I would estimate that well over half of my free time is spent at CCF or with other CCFers.
And now, for the all-important lessons learned:
-You can skip class, but you shouldn't.
-Same with eating five meals a day.
-And staying up until three in the morning.
-Your dorm room is small. Even one sock on the floor makes it look and feel like a pig pen.
-All-nighters should only be pulled when absolutely necessary. Because by the end, a light bulb will make you laugh. And the fact that a light bulb just made you laugh...will make you laugh.
-Facebook is addictive.
-You used to be smart. When you get to college, you won't be anymore.
-Seeing spots means you need sleep. Or more caffeine.
-Dorms are scary places. It is best just not to ask questions of the drunk guy in the hallway.
-Exception to the previous rule: If he's passed out or puking, make sure he's alright.
-Your mini-fridge might explode on you.
-Coffee is good. Conversation is good. Conversations at coffee shops are great. They are even greater when it's after midnight.
-Finals are evil. Midterms are less evil, but only slightly so.
And I just got back from my last late night coffee shop run of the semester. I'm going to go try to sleep off the nine caffeine drinks I've had since seven this evening.
Rock on.
It seems like just last week that I boarded a plane in Kansas City heading for orientation. And it seems like just yesterday that I headed to Christian Campus Fellowship (CCF, but more on that later). The semester has really flown by. But at the same time, it seems as if the friends I've made have been my friends since birth (I certainly pray that they will remain friends until death).
I started this year not knowing what was going on, and as such, went through three main stages. First came the excitement of being out on my own. Nights up until three, waking up only minutes before class. Enjoying the all-you-can-eat meal plan (four or five times a day). After deciding against ROTC in January, I singed up, intending on seeking a scholarship again. And I very quickly settled into the Wesley Foundation, the largest campus ministry with some 500 members. As it turns out, though, UGA is something of a party school. Short of drinking, there isn't much to do. And finding a group of friends out of 500 people is harder than it seems. ROTC was a disappointment, as UGA ROTC may be the best demonstration of the opposite of good leadership. So here comes the second stage, where I seriously considered transferring to a smaller school. Then, my heroic sister decided to introduce me to some friends she had at CCF here (yea for having a big sister within 60 miles). After attending three events with the sub-100 group, I very quickly found a group of friends (almost instantly with the other 11 freshman, and by the weekend with the rest). Enter phase three, which can only be known as awesomasity-rocious. I'm now quite happy at UGA, even without frat parties, and have never been closer to a group of friends. I would estimate that well over half of my free time is spent at CCF or with other CCFers.
And now, for the all-important lessons learned:
-You can skip class, but you shouldn't.
-Same with eating five meals a day.
-And staying up until three in the morning.
-Your dorm room is small. Even one sock on the floor makes it look and feel like a pig pen.
-All-nighters should only be pulled when absolutely necessary. Because by the end, a light bulb will make you laugh. And the fact that a light bulb just made you laugh...will make you laugh.
-Facebook is addictive.
-You used to be smart. When you get to college, you won't be anymore.
-Seeing spots means you need sleep. Or more caffeine.
-Dorms are scary places. It is best just not to ask questions of the drunk guy in the hallway.
-Exception to the previous rule: If he's passed out or puking, make sure he's alright.
-Your mini-fridge might explode on you.
-Coffee is good. Conversation is good. Conversations at coffee shops are great. They are even greater when it's after midnight.
-Finals are evil. Midterms are less evil, but only slightly so.
And I just got back from my last late night coffee shop run of the semester. I'm going to go try to sleep off the nine caffeine drinks I've had since seven this evening.
Rock on.
06 December 2006
Happy Saint Nicholas' Day
Today is the feast of Saint Nicholas, patron saint of a lot of things (but not of winter holidays and reindeer).
Shalom,
Drew
Shalom,
Drew
28 November 2006
Hiatus the Second
Finals. Projects. At some point, hopefully sleep.
I'm busy again, so don't expect anything until the thirteenth.
I know, my three loyal readers are heart-broken, but my grades (and scholarship) need rescuing.
Shalom, Drew
Edit: One assignment down, two to go, plus finals. Two nights in a row at the library til 1:30. Bleh.
I'm busy again, so don't expect anything until the thirteenth.
I know, my three loyal readers are heart-broken, but my grades (and scholarship) need rescuing.
Shalom, Drew
Edit: One assignment down, two to go, plus finals. Two nights in a row at the library til 1:30. Bleh.
23 November 2006
Happy Thanksgiving
Praise the Lord.
I will extol the Lord with all my heart
In the council of the upright and in the assembly.
Great are the works of the Lord;
They are pondered by all who delight in them.
Glorious and majestic are his deeds,
And his righteousness endures forever.
He has caused his wonders to be remembered;
The Lord is gracious and compassionate.
He provides food for those who fear him;
He remembers his covenant forever.
He has shown his people the power of his works,
Giving them the lands of other nations.
The works of his hands are faithful and just;
All his precepts are trustworthy.
They are steadfast for ever and ever, done in faithfulness and uprightness.
He provided redemption for his people;
He ordained his covenant forever -
Holy and awesom is his name.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
All who follow his precepts have tood understanding.
To him belongs eternal praise.
- Psalm 111
I will extol the Lord with all my heart
In the council of the upright and in the assembly.
Great are the works of the Lord;
They are pondered by all who delight in them.
Glorious and majestic are his deeds,
And his righteousness endures forever.
He has caused his wonders to be remembered;
The Lord is gracious and compassionate.
He provides food for those who fear him;
He remembers his covenant forever.
He has shown his people the power of his works,
Giving them the lands of other nations.
The works of his hands are faithful and just;
All his precepts are trustworthy.
They are steadfast for ever and ever, done in faithfulness and uprightness.
He provided redemption for his people;
He ordained his covenant forever -
Holy and awesom is his name.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
All who follow his precepts have tood understanding.
To him belongs eternal praise.
- Psalm 111
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