Saturday, May 8, 2010

Emily Carlson "Things I'm going to miss about Union College."

Things I’m going to miss about Union College


 Room #173—my home for all 4 years. That has got to be some kind of record.

 A president that knows my name. He’s incredible, and 98% of the reason my other didn’t drag me back to PA the day she dropped me off. I can’t wait to shake his hand and get that diploma. He is a man of grace and wisdom, and a great leader who I respect immensely.

 Fresh $4 pineapple (I will miss not having to cut the yummy goodness, not the $1 per chunk price.

 Kathy Bollinger’s outfits. I swear they come with their own battery packs.

 Lovestopicnic.com… oh wait. That mug isn’t going anywhere. There IS internet in Kentucky.

 ASB events—I actually went to them, and they were actually fun.

 The Sabbath candle—it taught me Hebrew (“Shabbat means stop!”) and brought in every Sabbath I spent at Union.

 The gangster, albeit metrosexual, recruiters

 George Gibson’s stories about his father (If there is any one thing on this list that is not 100% true, this would be it. I’m really actually going to miss pineapple and Richard Young.)

 Free Panera bread every Tuesday. BYOB.

 Picnics at Pioneer’s… with half of the campus

 Pastor Rich’s loon clock. “Was that a wolf?!”

 Singing with Ben Yancer. I’m so glad our voices found each other.

 Vespers

 Theme parties—and people who understand why having a jungle party on Martin Luther King day is funny

 The clocktower

 Colby Ridge frozen yogurt

 CVC fashion shows—they start at 12:10 on Sabbath mornings.

 Making bets on how many Adventists will be at Super Saver on Friday afternoon

 Kathy Fogg’s cinnamon rolls

 Snoopy mail spam—oh wait, not really.

 The happy sounds of George Stone kids at recess

 Knowing 87% of everyone’s names

 “Slinga de Ink”

 Matchbox trips

 T’torias wraps bar

 Dr. Allison’s ability to seem omnipresent (that man is everywhere.)

 IRR kids climbing trees (or the clocktower) on front campus while the rest of us are studying

 Club Edify at People’s City Mission

 9 O’Clock worship

 Amazing, supportive faculty that became like family

 Holmes Lake (I was one of the few that actually DID go on WALK’S there. )

 Free food in the different divisions

 Saying “moodle”

 Petting Dean Caster’s dogs on the way into the dorm when I missed mine.

 Going to dorm parties in my PJs.

 Schroeder’s hair (he has NICE hair, man!)

 Union vs. Southern. Vs. Andrews battles. We always win, except for in gymnastics. But who cares about winning that. We have a singing clocktower.

 Ron Halverson’s sneak-attack prayers

 Cranking the heat and taking long showers. I’m about to be paying my own utilities, people.

 Saying “I go to Union College”. But now I get to say “I GRADUATED from Union College.” And I love being a part of a “family” that grows by the hundreds with every graduating class that can be found all over the world, to whom I am intensely loyal, and will never leave me as long as the words “slinga de ink” can be sung

3 comments:

YCY said...

Thank you for your tribute to Union. May the Lord bless the new path you are about to take.

Paradise said...

That was sentimental as a mug.

90% of that was true when I graduated...but Big Rich wasn't metro then...just gangster.

Scott said...

I remember making a similar list while I was in Ukraine. Though many of the details are different, a lot of Emily's list resonates with my own experience at Union. (One major difference is I would say I missed Dr. Gibson's stories without any hint of sarcasm.)

Now that I'm back as a staff member, it's funny to hear student workers complain about some of the same things we alumni miss the most about Union: "Slinga de Ink," Pastor Rich's vespers pre-sermon, Union Market, ASB events ... I just keep thinking, "wait a couple years and you'll be reminiscing about that instead of complaining."