Preface: This blog is intended to provide some information about general life at a christian post-secondary institution. It comes from my own experience, and results will most certainly vary. This article is intended to answer some questions, as well as lay to rest some myths and misconceptions.
While I was in Texas, I had the opportunity to interact with Christians from Michigan Tech. We got to talking about the college experience, and they asked the question, "what is life like a Christian college?" My freind Bobby put it perfectly... WEIRD. But there is much more to life at a Christian school than WEIRD. There are many upsides and downsides, but there are also some misconceptions. I am going to cover a number of items in this blog. I would like to stress that every school is different.
Rules: The first thing to note about attending a Christian school is that the rules will be different from a traditional post-secondary institute. These rules usually fall in line with scripture. One of the rules at my particular university which seems pretty consistent is the dress code. You are expected to dress in a manor that is respectful of yourself. (In other words, no leggings and no tank tops). Some schools are more laid back than others. For example, at my school, men and women can freely interact everywhere on campus except for the dorm rooms (there are a large number of common areas in each dorm building that men and women can interact). In fact, all except for one dorm at my school is co-ed. The last thing that one might find intrusive but really isn't that big of a deal is curfew. At my school, curfew runs form 1am-6am. Between those hours, you are unable to access your buildings (you can access any door INSIDE the building but you can't access the main doors). There are some RAs who will police this much more than what one would see as necessary, but most are pretty laid back. That seems like a pain right? Well, you will find very quickly that if you aren't a party person you usually fall asleep before midnight. Some schools have very strict rules, but others, such as mine are very laid back.
Education: A common misconception about christian schools, especially "bible" schools is that everyone who attends is attending to become a pastor or a missionary. This is actually not the case as many students attend to study things like education, social work, counseling, business, and even more specialized areas such as criminal justice. That being said, students will also take bible classes. At Lancaster Bible College, most students will not only graduate with a bachelors degree in their field of choice but also an AA in Biblical Studies.
Romance: Another misconception (and argued about quite a bit) is the idea of finding a wife at bible school. If that is the only reason why you are attending school.. JUST STOP. While it is true that a number of people who attend bible college get married to someone they met there, it isn't a guarantee, and it shouldn't be your primary goal. "Ring by Spring" is really only about 2% true. You see it every once in a while, but it isn't a regular occurrence.
Spiritual Life: Spiritual life on campus is significant. My RA for my first year was a pastoral studies major. He had section bible studies which always resulted in some interesting and quite entertaining conversations. Chapel is also a regular occurrence. For me it was 3 days a week, Tuesday-Thursday. Some schools have it once a week, some have it every day. It is a wonderful time to remove yourself from academics for a time of worship and fellowship. Also, being surrounded by a large number of Christians means that you have a lot of opportunities to engage in theological discussions, which happens ALL THE TIME. And for me, when I am trying to sleep and I hear one break out, I just can't help but join in. It's a lot of fun actually (as boring as it sounds).
The Bubble Effect: One of the most accurate assumptions made about going to a bible college is that you are stuck in a bubble. When you go to a bible college, you are surrounded by a large quantity of like minded people. Secular schools don't go without this effect either but the values are significantly different, and by that I mean a leftist student attending Yale University would be triggered to kingdom come if they spent 5 minutes at a Conservative Christian University. I had the advantage of working for an airline so I was constantly exposed to different people with different backgrounds with different ideas.
Tuesday, May 22, 2018
Saturday, May 19, 2018
Santa Fe High School Shooting
Preface: I was deeply saddened to hear about the events occurring at a High School near Galveston, TX. This is the area in which I spent my spring break. It is a wonderful area, filled with wonderful people, and it is truly horrific to see communities torn apart by these types of events. My thoughts and prayers go to the families who lost loved ones, the students who lost friends, the teachers who lost students, and anyone else impacted by this event.
The Incident: At 7:45AM (CDT), a gunman opened fire at the Sante Fe High School, in the general Houston area of Texas. As of today, there have been 10 confirmed fatalities, and additional injuries. Among the dead were two substitute teachers and several other students, one of which was a foreign exchange student from Pakistan. Several other people were injured in the incident, including the school resource officer who sustained a gunshot to the arm. According to the Houston police chief, Art Acevedo, the resource officer is recovering but will be okay.
In addition to the shooting, multiple explosives were also found on campus. It has not been reported that any of these explosives were detonated or resulted in any injuries.
Things to Note: The first thing to note is the time of the incident. The incident took place at 7:45 in the morning, which would be the beginning of the school day. I do not know what the morning procedures are at this particular school, but the doors to the school are typically unlocked in the morning to allow students to enter, which would generally leave a school more vulnerable to attack.
Unlike the school resource officer in Parkland, the resource officer here did respond and was injured in his response. Several students reported that the fire alarm was activated, similar to the incident in Florida.
Prior to the event, it has been reported that the suspect did post images on social media that depicted gun use, as well as other unsettling things, such as him in a tshirt that said "born to kill". My Opinion: You would think that ESPECIALLY after the incident that occurred in Parkland, Florida, that this would be a reason to evaluate the suspect
Unlike the event in Parkland, in which an AR-15 rifle was used, in this particular incident, a shotgun and a .38 caliber revolver, which is a handgun was used.
Texas has some of the most lax gun regulations in the nation. In recent campaigns, gun violence was not a primary issue on either side of the aisle.
What to expect: The first thing that will likely happen will be the re ignition of the gun control debate. It seems as though everything had died down from the events in Parkland, however based on the political leanings of the state of Texas, it would be reasonable to expect a very different response from the survivors of the incident.
My Stance: 3 months ago I wrote a piece about the incident in Parkland and how I felt about some of the gun control measures that were being proposed. That article can be viewed in the link at the bottom of the page. However, banning assault rifles would not have prevented this particular incident because it was carried out with a shotgun and a handgun. The perpetrator was a minor. It is illegal to sell firearms to those under the age of 18 in Texas, however this is no minimum age to posses one. That should not change because minors do hunt, minors do also participate in sports involving firearms such as target shooting, which is an Olympic sport, done with rifles (air and bullet), shotguns, and pistols. There was enough reason based on social media posts that there was something going on here, and that was missed. There were a number of warning signs prior to the events in Parkland, that were ignored. The biggest thing that needs to change is our response to these warning signs. Fear mongering is not going to help, we must be cautious when responding to warning signs as to not impede upon others rights (i.e. suspending student for going to gun ranges outside of school hours).
We also need to make sure that there is a plan in place for violent incidents like this one. As I have said in the past, not all incidents like this one occur with firearms, but regardless a universal plan must be in place. Training teachers to respond to incidents (whether through a program like ALiCE or other program) is a must, as some districts still have the traditional lockdown plan. It is also important to educate not only students, but also office workers in office buildings, on making decisions during life or death situations like this one. Schools have monthly fire drills, and yet school shootings occur more frequently than fires. Why are we better prepared for a fire? That is a problem.
My Opinion: I do believe that the second amendment was written with the assumption that firearms would evolve over time. I do believe that it is very clear that the right to bear arms shall not be infringed upon. I do believe that certain regulations should be put in place to prevent those who have committed violent crimes from obtaining firearms, as well as those who have been diagnosed with mental illness.
Sources
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/texas-school-shooting-santa-fe-high-school-dimitrios-pagourtzis-latest-today-2018-05-18/
-For the story and things to note
https://www.olympic.org/shooting
-Shooting as an olympic sport
http://lawcenter.giffords.org/minimum-age-to-purchase-possess-in-texas/
-Age laws in Texas
http://thelatestgabe.blogspot.com/2018/02/school-shooting-in-south-florida.html
-Previous blog in response to shooting in Parkland, FL
The Incident: At 7:45AM (CDT), a gunman opened fire at the Sante Fe High School, in the general Houston area of Texas. As of today, there have been 10 confirmed fatalities, and additional injuries. Among the dead were two substitute teachers and several other students, one of which was a foreign exchange student from Pakistan. Several other people were injured in the incident, including the school resource officer who sustained a gunshot to the arm. According to the Houston police chief, Art Acevedo, the resource officer is recovering but will be okay.
In addition to the shooting, multiple explosives were also found on campus. It has not been reported that any of these explosives were detonated or resulted in any injuries.
Things to Note: The first thing to note is the time of the incident. The incident took place at 7:45 in the morning, which would be the beginning of the school day. I do not know what the morning procedures are at this particular school, but the doors to the school are typically unlocked in the morning to allow students to enter, which would generally leave a school more vulnerable to attack.
Unlike the school resource officer in Parkland, the resource officer here did respond and was injured in his response. Several students reported that the fire alarm was activated, similar to the incident in Florida.
Prior to the event, it has been reported that the suspect did post images on social media that depicted gun use, as well as other unsettling things, such as him in a tshirt that said "born to kill". My Opinion: You would think that ESPECIALLY after the incident that occurred in Parkland, Florida, that this would be a reason to evaluate the suspect
Unlike the event in Parkland, in which an AR-15 rifle was used, in this particular incident, a shotgun and a .38 caliber revolver, which is a handgun was used.
Texas has some of the most lax gun regulations in the nation. In recent campaigns, gun violence was not a primary issue on either side of the aisle.
What to expect: The first thing that will likely happen will be the re ignition of the gun control debate. It seems as though everything had died down from the events in Parkland, however based on the political leanings of the state of Texas, it would be reasonable to expect a very different response from the survivors of the incident.
My Stance: 3 months ago I wrote a piece about the incident in Parkland and how I felt about some of the gun control measures that were being proposed. That article can be viewed in the link at the bottom of the page. However, banning assault rifles would not have prevented this particular incident because it was carried out with a shotgun and a handgun. The perpetrator was a minor. It is illegal to sell firearms to those under the age of 18 in Texas, however this is no minimum age to posses one. That should not change because minors do hunt, minors do also participate in sports involving firearms such as target shooting, which is an Olympic sport, done with rifles (air and bullet), shotguns, and pistols. There was enough reason based on social media posts that there was something going on here, and that was missed. There were a number of warning signs prior to the events in Parkland, that were ignored. The biggest thing that needs to change is our response to these warning signs. Fear mongering is not going to help, we must be cautious when responding to warning signs as to not impede upon others rights (i.e. suspending student for going to gun ranges outside of school hours).
We also need to make sure that there is a plan in place for violent incidents like this one. As I have said in the past, not all incidents like this one occur with firearms, but regardless a universal plan must be in place. Training teachers to respond to incidents (whether through a program like ALiCE or other program) is a must, as some districts still have the traditional lockdown plan. It is also important to educate not only students, but also office workers in office buildings, on making decisions during life or death situations like this one. Schools have monthly fire drills, and yet school shootings occur more frequently than fires. Why are we better prepared for a fire? That is a problem.
My Opinion: I do believe that the second amendment was written with the assumption that firearms would evolve over time. I do believe that it is very clear that the right to bear arms shall not be infringed upon. I do believe that certain regulations should be put in place to prevent those who have committed violent crimes from obtaining firearms, as well as those who have been diagnosed with mental illness.
Sources
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/texas-school-shooting-santa-fe-high-school-dimitrios-pagourtzis-latest-today-2018-05-18/
-For the story and things to note
https://www.olympic.org/shooting
-Shooting as an olympic sport
http://lawcenter.giffords.org/minimum-age-to-purchase-possess-in-texas/
-Age laws in Texas
http://thelatestgabe.blogspot.com/2018/02/school-shooting-in-south-florida.html
-Previous blog in response to shooting in Parkland, FL
Friday, May 11, 2018
Living with an Autism Spectrum Disorder: My story
Fear, shame, regret, uncertain. These are 4 words that would accurately describe how I often feel about myself, based on my interactions with others. The desire to just seem normal to other people is nothing less than a fantasy. My story begins at a young age.
In 2002, my Father was relocated to South Korea, and me and my Mother moved across the ocean along with him. My earliest memory is actually of the plane that we flew from Atlanta, to Seoul. Perhaps that might explain my passion for aviation, that or the fact that my Father has been a pilot for most of my life. I was just 4 years old. I had my first go at education during that year. It was also during that time that I accepted Christ into my life. This was a decision that would prove to be quite important later on in life.
We moved back to the US in 2003, back to Alabama, where we would stay until 2005. At that point I had already exhibited signs of ADHD and was placed on medication. This did not last long however as it significantly messed with various aspects of my personality. It also very seriously impacted my appetite. At that point in my life it was already obvious that there was something very different about me.
We moved to Pennsylvania in 2005, a place that I have since fallen in love with. Whether it be the sweet chocolate smell of my hometown of Hershey, or the beautiful countryside of Lancaster, everything I could have ever dreamed of was in my reach. Not long after moving to Pennsylvania, I was officially diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, which falls on the autism spectrum. Many people with this disorder call themselves aspies. This disorder is defined as a developmental disorder related to autism and characterized by higher than average intellectual ability coupled with impaired social skills and restrictive, repetitive patterns of interest and activities. In other words, very smart but not able to experience natural social skills.
I entered the realm of public education going into the 4th grade, but struggled significantly with social interactions. I would often find myself playing alone on the playground, mostly because I just didn't (and still don't) have the ability to just walk up to people and start talking to them. Those that I did interact with had come to me. However, those that did come to me, thought I was weird. At the time, I had a fascination with weather. Today, my passion is things that fly, that and roller coasters.
Another passion that I discovered while I was in the fourth grade was music. I saw that the elementary school I attended had an orchestra and I really wanted to play the violin. However, when I got home and talked to my parents, they suggested I try cello (had no clue what a cello was at the time). I gave it a shot, and a couple of months in, everything just fell into place. I have been playing cello since, now for 11 years.
Going into middle school was especially challenging. This is the time where people begin to experience changes, and are therefore quite hostile to others if they aren't confident in themselves. Me having a social disorder made me a very easy target for bullying. I had what I guess you could call friends at the time but for the most part I was alone. I was constantly picked on for being different. When it came to things I excelled at, I was actually made fun of for being an "overachiever". Looking back at that one, I shouldn't have been offended by that, because having drive leads to success.
Dealing with all of this lead to depression, something that to this day I have told very few people about. I had even at some times considered taking my own life. However, as I said earlier accepting Christ into my life would prove quite important, because I did have a church family. I had people that I could openly interact with. I also had my music, which did bring me a lot of comfort. Another challenge that I began to face in middle school was anxiety. This would become much worse in high school.
Toward the end of middle school, things had progressed to the point where I ended up moving into a cyber classroom setting, away from other people. This did end the problem of bullying, but you see less of that in high school anyway. I went into high school in the same cyber classroom setting but as I continued to go through high school I began to return to the regular classroom setting. My senior year of high school, I met someone who would become my first actual friend. This is someone who I also attend college with.
At the end of high school I began to overcome some hurdles that come with having an ASD. The first one being social interactions. I began to make friends. I had a positive outlook on the future. I had plans to attend Johnson and Wales University to major in Travel and Tourism Management. That plan ended up falling through due to finances, and I ended up taking a gap year. Unfortunately that put me behind everyone else in my own class, which for some reason bothers me now that I am a freshman in college instead of a sophomore.
During my gap year I overcame another significant hurdle. I found a sustainable career. I became a customer service representative for United Airlines. This was a job that I took a lot of pride in. I also take pride in having had the opportunity to represent United. It was in February of 2017, after several months with the airline that I decided to return to school. I was accepted into Lancaster Bible College, Capital Seminary and Graduate School as a Worship and Performing Arts student. But little did I know I would change to Business Administration shortly before the first term began.
I walked into the doors of the Good Shepard Chapel at LBC during my WEEKEND of WELCOME, and overcame my next hurdle. Post secondary education. I very quickly began to interact with many people, and made a number of friends. Social barriers began to fall. The only problem was that I was not open about my disorder, and because of my disorder, I often miss many social cues. This lead to many friendships being broken off. I had shared with some people who I did trust about my disorder, but was then treated differently because of it.
In fact, less than month ago, I had a friend who I had trusted, completely betray said trust. There were social cues that I was missing, but that person was not able to communicate to me that I was missing them. It ended up leading some feelings of betrayal, lost confidence and humiliation. The lesson to be learned from this is that with people with Apserger's, you need to be open and honest with them. We would rather you tell us that we are doing something that you don't find socially acceptable, than for you to just treat us like we are special nutcases.
I share my story today, because I feel as I am being called to do so. Having asperger's syndrome doesn't make me particularly different. There are very few if any things that I am unable to do that others can.
In 2002, my Father was relocated to South Korea, and me and my Mother moved across the ocean along with him. My earliest memory is actually of the plane that we flew from Atlanta, to Seoul. Perhaps that might explain my passion for aviation, that or the fact that my Father has been a pilot for most of my life. I was just 4 years old. I had my first go at education during that year. It was also during that time that I accepted Christ into my life. This was a decision that would prove to be quite important later on in life.
We moved back to the US in 2003, back to Alabama, where we would stay until 2005. At that point I had already exhibited signs of ADHD and was placed on medication. This did not last long however as it significantly messed with various aspects of my personality. It also very seriously impacted my appetite. At that point in my life it was already obvious that there was something very different about me.
We moved to Pennsylvania in 2005, a place that I have since fallen in love with. Whether it be the sweet chocolate smell of my hometown of Hershey, or the beautiful countryside of Lancaster, everything I could have ever dreamed of was in my reach. Not long after moving to Pennsylvania, I was officially diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, which falls on the autism spectrum. Many people with this disorder call themselves aspies. This disorder is defined as a developmental disorder related to autism and characterized by higher than average intellectual ability coupled with impaired social skills and restrictive, repetitive patterns of interest and activities. In other words, very smart but not able to experience natural social skills.
I entered the realm of public education going into the 4th grade, but struggled significantly with social interactions. I would often find myself playing alone on the playground, mostly because I just didn't (and still don't) have the ability to just walk up to people and start talking to them. Those that I did interact with had come to me. However, those that did come to me, thought I was weird. At the time, I had a fascination with weather. Today, my passion is things that fly, that and roller coasters.
Another passion that I discovered while I was in the fourth grade was music. I saw that the elementary school I attended had an orchestra and I really wanted to play the violin. However, when I got home and talked to my parents, they suggested I try cello (had no clue what a cello was at the time). I gave it a shot, and a couple of months in, everything just fell into place. I have been playing cello since, now for 11 years.
Going into middle school was especially challenging. This is the time where people begin to experience changes, and are therefore quite hostile to others if they aren't confident in themselves. Me having a social disorder made me a very easy target for bullying. I had what I guess you could call friends at the time but for the most part I was alone. I was constantly picked on for being different. When it came to things I excelled at, I was actually made fun of for being an "overachiever". Looking back at that one, I shouldn't have been offended by that, because having drive leads to success.
Dealing with all of this lead to depression, something that to this day I have told very few people about. I had even at some times considered taking my own life. However, as I said earlier accepting Christ into my life would prove quite important, because I did have a church family. I had people that I could openly interact with. I also had my music, which did bring me a lot of comfort. Another challenge that I began to face in middle school was anxiety. This would become much worse in high school.
Toward the end of middle school, things had progressed to the point where I ended up moving into a cyber classroom setting, away from other people. This did end the problem of bullying, but you see less of that in high school anyway. I went into high school in the same cyber classroom setting but as I continued to go through high school I began to return to the regular classroom setting. My senior year of high school, I met someone who would become my first actual friend. This is someone who I also attend college with.
At the end of high school I began to overcome some hurdles that come with having an ASD. The first one being social interactions. I began to make friends. I had a positive outlook on the future. I had plans to attend Johnson and Wales University to major in Travel and Tourism Management. That plan ended up falling through due to finances, and I ended up taking a gap year. Unfortunately that put me behind everyone else in my own class, which for some reason bothers me now that I am a freshman in college instead of a sophomore.
During my gap year I overcame another significant hurdle. I found a sustainable career. I became a customer service representative for United Airlines. This was a job that I took a lot of pride in. I also take pride in having had the opportunity to represent United. It was in February of 2017, after several months with the airline that I decided to return to school. I was accepted into Lancaster Bible College, Capital Seminary and Graduate School as a Worship and Performing Arts student. But little did I know I would change to Business Administration shortly before the first term began.
I walked into the doors of the Good Shepard Chapel at LBC during my WEEKEND of WELCOME, and overcame my next hurdle. Post secondary education. I very quickly began to interact with many people, and made a number of friends. Social barriers began to fall. The only problem was that I was not open about my disorder, and because of my disorder, I often miss many social cues. This lead to many friendships being broken off. I had shared with some people who I did trust about my disorder, but was then treated differently because of it.
In fact, less than month ago, I had a friend who I had trusted, completely betray said trust. There were social cues that I was missing, but that person was not able to communicate to me that I was missing them. It ended up leading some feelings of betrayal, lost confidence and humiliation. The lesson to be learned from this is that with people with Apserger's, you need to be open and honest with them. We would rather you tell us that we are doing something that you don't find socially acceptable, than for you to just treat us like we are special nutcases.
I share my story today, because I feel as I am being called to do so. Having asperger's syndrome doesn't make me particularly different. There are very few if any things that I am unable to do that others can.
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