I must say I have the best brother floor on campus. 41 is really awesome. I enjoy hanging out with them. However, this year I have not really hung out with them much because I have always been so busy. This semester, I am trying to make time to hang out with them.

I just have one complaint. This one complaint is why do people not hang out but make fun of 41. Just because a majority of the computer science majors are on the floor does not mean that they should be looked down upon. Yeah, a majority of them do like computers, but they are really nice people once you look past their love for computers. Just because they are computer geeks does not mean they do not like hanging out with others. They are normal people and should not be judged because of what they enjoy doing.

Last night we took up some cupcakes to them for Valentine's Day. It was a lot of fun. Just hanging out with the guys on the floor and enjoying the guys being silly. They do sooo much for us, but we really do not do much back for them. I think they would just love for their sister floor to come up and hang out and chat with them. Is that not a lot to ask for? I really want to do more for them, but when we do do something for them, they really appreciate it.

41 is the best brother floor on campus!!! Thanks guys

Today has been one of those days. Went to bed late and could not fall asleep at all. Tired all day. Had a workout at softball practice. Then returned to the room and everything changes because I actually have time to talk and hang out with my roommate. It was a strange night. Both my roommate and I were in a strange mood. I had told someone that my roommate and I were being weird. He was like "hope its not cantagious". Everything was crazy. Teasing each other about boys and about classes. Hitting each other with pillows. On the way back from 41 tonight, we were pushing each other into walls and things along that line. Right now, we both are pretty calm. Well, as calm as we can be.

Why can't weirdness be contagious? Being weird makes people laugh and allows people to relax and take a nice break from school and studying. I think everyone should have moments of weirdness.

Tonight while at 41, I had a really awesome time. I had the opportunity to meet the parents of a guy on the floor. They were awesome and a lot of fun. They told stories of this guys inventions and things that he built with his older brother. It is wonderful to meet people's parents and to learn about the guy before coming to LU. It is also good to remember your childhood because it helped to mold you into the person you are today.

Talking tonight with my roommate, we wondered why God messes up or changes our plans. For instance, you plan to do something with two other people, and one of the people did not show up. Instead of doing what you plan, you decide to talk and have a long conversation. This probably would not have happened if the other person would have gone. God works in our lives in mysterious ways. Sometimes we don't know why things happen at a certain time. However, later we understand why God did what He did. Or we don't know why God did something. Life is full of surprises which keeps us on our toes.

Have you ever had a professor you look up to and enjoying listening to, but you just don't understand what he is teaching? I have a professor like that this semester. I enjoy listening to his devos, and he makes physics fun (as much fun as it can be). He teaches general physics here. He knows that everyone is not big physics lovers like himself so he tries to make class fun. Today we got carried away talking about rockets and how they take off and orbit the earth. In other words, we were talking about centrifugal force. As he was talking about the take off of the shuttle, he said "They put it outside, plop, travel beside it for a while and then say buhbye and hit the engines and speed away." I guess you just had to be there to see why it was funny.

I especially enjoy his devos. He talks about what he is going through right now instead of what other people went through. They always come from his heart and shares the most wonderful things. Things that can apply to my life. As he shares, he is not afraid to tell things as they are. In other words, he is honest with us. I look up to him because of how open he is and how he is not afraid to share with others what has happened in his personal life.

Today has been a long day; just like most of my days since softball has started. I love playing softball and I love the team. I would not trade it for anything. A couple weeks ago, I hurt my arm. At first, I thought my muscle was sore because I was throwing a lot and I had not thrown in a long time. However, the soreness persisted. So yesterday, I finally had time to go to the trainer. He thinks I have a small case of tendonites. I have to take an easy on it this week. This makes me sad because we have our first games this weekend and I want to play in them. I still might be able to if I rest my arm right now.

Today, we received back our tests in American survey. Not many people were happy with their grades. They did a lot worse than what they thought they would. I had before offered to help them if they needed any help considering how much I love history. After seeing their grades, they want help. I am glad to be of assistance. I love sharing my love of history with others. I just need to watch and make sure my grades don't drop.

I love having conversations with certain people. They just remind you of certain things. For instance, yesterday I received my physics test grade back. I did not do as good as I had hoped to. The mistakes I made were silly mistakes. While I was talking about it to someone, he said "You can't change it by worrying about it. All you're doing by regretting it is worsening the situation by lowering your mental stability." He went on to say, "You had a bad test. There's no point in having a bad day about it because there is nothing you can do about the test grade. So get over it and get on with the day having a good time because when you've been in heaven for a million years a measly test grade isn't going to matter any." Its just one test grade. I can probably make it up by doing good on the rest of the tests. Just need to have the determination to do it. I just can't give up after one bad test grade.

I was having a conversation tonight with some girls, and we were talking about some issues that we see on campus. These issues ranged from chapel to not knowing about activites, and not doing stuff with their cornerstone group.

The main issue with chapels are the back corners of the assembly building. This is were all the athletes sit. For most of them the only reason they go to chapel is so they don't get on chapel probation. Because if they were on probation, they cannot play their respective sport. So they go because they have to, and they really don't care what is going on around them. They like to talk and make noise. Fellow students can complain about the noise, but most athletes don't care because they belive that they are better than the students around them. Why should they listen to those that are not like them and have a lower standing than athletes. To me, when they have the athletic meeting at the beginning of each year talking about the duties of an athlete, it almost seems to me that athletes are being told that they are better than the regular student because they are balancing a sport and school. We try to come up with some solutions, but none of them would really work. For instance, if you rope of the back area, they would just move closer to the front. With them moving, they would bring the nosie and the talking with them. I think addressing the athletes and talking to them about this issue might help. However, I have no idea how to solve this issue.

Someone also mentioned that they do not know about activities on campus. They want PAs and RAs to better inform those that they work with. However, this does not seem plausible because PAs and RAs already have a lot to worry about. They do not need more things to do. Activites are well advirtise. There are plenty of signs all over campus (ie in SAGA, in chapel, on floors). If you want to know what activities are going on, you would take the time to stop and read the signs. I do have to say sometimes YAC gets their calendars out late, but that should not be an excuse not to know what is going on. You have to ask the upperclassmen what activities are if you are not sure of them. More than likely, they would have had that activity sometime in their college career here.

You can't complain that your cornerstone's class does not meet anymore. If you want to see the people in it, YOU have to take the initiative. Don't just wait for them to come to you. If you want to have an activity with them, YOU take the initiative. A friendship is not one-sided and its not easy work. If you want to be friends with someone in your group, you have to work at it. I did not take cornerstones. Instead, I took precepts. After it was over, I did not let my friendship with those in the group die because we do not have class with them anymore. I took the initiative to go and see them and hang out with them. You cannot rely on your PA or your freshman mentor. You cannot blame them either. The only person you can rely on or blame is yourself. I guess your group does not mean that much to you to not put the effort into to stay friends. With the people in my precepts class, I still hang out with most of them. A couple of them are even some of my really good friends here. I even have the joy of working with one of them. Take the initiative and go out and see them.

I think that will be about all for tonight. I still have homework left to do. I am not finished with this yet. There are still more issues that we talked about. I will just blog about them later.

Something that has been bugging me the last couple of months is the whole situation with Iraq. Normally, I would think that war is ok, but lately I don't think that war with Iraq is a good idea. It seems like Iraq just wants to be up with the big countries. To be able to play with the big boys, you have to have the same toys (weapons) they have.

What right do we have to judge them? We really have no right to at all. The people elected Saddam Hussein so they must want him in power. If they don't want him in power, they will get rid of him. How do we know what is best for the people of Iraq?

We could just go in and fight Saddam Hussein and then leave. Then we will just leave Iraq and allow the different groups to fight out a war. So why shed American blood if we are just going to leave. We could support one side or just not support anyone at all.

I think this US is trying to be a bully to Iraq. Its like the high school or junior high bully that would force you to do something and if you don't do it they will beaten up. It somewhat the same principle here. If Iraq does not disarm, then the United States will go in and force them to. What would the United States do if a more powerful country tells her to disarm. Do you think the United States would disarm? You got to be kidding. They would put up a fight and try to hide all their weapons. Iraq is doing the same thing the United States would do if put into that situation.

Some people say this is a "holy war". Meaning that good (United States) is battling evil (Iraq). Who gives us the authority to say Saddam Hussein is evil? God must have put him as leader of Iraq for a reason. Why should we fight and take him out of authority. In other words, could it be when we fight Hussein, we are fighting against God.

Right now, I do not believe that war is the answer to this situation. Fighting is not an answer right now.

What do you think?