Fill the Dome

By far, my favorite volunteer opportunity every year is Fill the Dome. Fill the Dome is entirely youth led and the idea is pretty simple: fill the floor of the Fargo Dome with food donations to feed the hungry and homeless. For the past 4 years, youth around the the Fargo-Moorhead area have come together to do something spectacular. Collectively, we've raised over 300 tons of food and over $225,000 to support the food pantries in our community. It's so amazing what the youth in this area can do to really make a difference. I'm proud to be a part of Fill the Dome. It's something really special that makes a huge difference to many different people. It's how I use what Concordia has taught me about BREWing. :)

Harry Potter: More than Just a Fad

I’m still a bit tired from the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows premier but it was so incredibly worth it. My crew and I got to the theatre around 8:00 and it was both miserable and exciting. The wind was howling, the sun was set and the cold air was finding any way it could to break through my multiple layers of clothing.

Non-Harry Potter fans don’t understand. They scoff, say Mr. Potter is overrated and some even claim that Twilight is better.  But us hardcore fans know different. A lot of us (myself included) grew up with the characters and the cast. I still remember turning 11 and waiting for my letter to Hogwarts. It never came and I think a part of me is still waiting.

But okay, fine, we grew up with the series. A lot of us also grew up with NSYNC, overalls, fanny packs and Digimon and it’s probably pretty difficult to find people who still go all fan-girl over those things. That’s because Harry Potter is about more than something we know and something we’ve grown accustomed to. The truth is, it’s a little hard to explain to people who haven’t read the books and gotten sucked in, but I’ll do my best.

In a nutshell, JK Rowling (the author of Harry Potter) champions the unlikely heroes. The nerds, geeks, outcasts and losers are the real heroes of the story. Rowling also illustrates that love is more important and more powerful than hate. One of my favorite lines from the books comes from Albus Dumbledore: “Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living, and, above all, those who live without love.” The other common themes in the series are friendship, bravery, unity. All working together to fight a common evil. It’s uplifting as well as inspiring. Best of all, they’re well written and entertaining!

I feel like I could write pages and pages about Harry Potter and why I love it so much, but I won’t. I think I’ve already shown a little too much of my nerdy side . So I encourage everyone who hasn’t already to give the books a try! The first 3 are actually pretty short, so if you read them and don’t like them, you haven’t really lost much! Talk to me if you want to borrow a book or two. Or all of them.

Go here: http://cobblog.cord.edu/?p=4220 to check out the video I made and read about some other Concordia bloggers!

Let it Snow

As I was walking to my 1:20 class this afternoon, shivering slightly but still refusing to drag out my over-sized coat, I noticed some flakes begin to fall from the sky. My first reaction was, “No! It can’t snow before the premier of Harry Potter 7! I have to stand outside for hours!” Then I remembered: I’m from Minnesota. I know exactly how to deal with the cold! So for everyone who doesn’t come from Minnesota, or finds the excessive winds in Moorhead to be quite a shock, here’s a list of what I think is most important when trying to keep warm.

1. Layers.

-20 degrees outside, 70 degrees inside. It’s difficult trying to dress for such a huge difference in temperature, which is why layers are the best.

2. Hat/Gloves

There have been a couple really cold days this fall already, and I’ve gotten by with just a sweatshirt, mittens and a hat, because as long as my head and hands are warm, I’m generally pretty comfortable.

3. Hot Chocolate
Nothing like a hot beverage to keep a person warm!

4. Hand Warmers

Generally, I get these awesome things at Scheels or Walmart, but I think they can pretty much be found anywhere during the winter. They’re small little packs of heat that work for about 8-10 hours and I find that they can really help a lot. I like to stick them in my gloves, shoes and pockets.

5. Boots

I’m guessing most people from around here have some sort of boots. Whether it’s rain boots, legit snow boots or some form of Ugg-like boots, and there’s a reason for that! Having cold feet is miserable. Truly. If you don’t have boots or really thick, warm shoes, I recommend getting some before it gets too cold out!

I’m not a huge fan of snow and cold. I don’t mind it too much, but I’d always rather be too warm than too cold. I plan on implementing all of the above tips at the Harry Potter premier tomorrow, so let it snow, Minnesota. I’m ready!

Values

Today in my Inquiry class, we were learning about values. Values, in a nutshell, are ways of thinking and beliefs that drive our actions. This can be both good and bad. I never really thought about how sticking to values could be a bad thing, but then Dr. Covey opened my eyes. The German SS (Schutzstaffel) was a huge example of values gone bad. During the Nazi reign, the SS officers had two values that they stuck to: honor and loyalty. Seems pretty noble. Their motto was “my honor is my loyalty” and that’s partially what led to the extermination of so man Jews during WWII. They were loyal to Hitler and so morally, they thought they were doing what was right. That blows my mind.

During class, we were asked to think about our own values. After some thought, I came up with 3 that really guide my actions all the time. Compassion, inquiry and faith. As I mentioned in an earlier post compassion is very important to me and it generally drives my actions. Inquiry is basically the whole reason I’m in college. I love to learn. I’m always curious and questioning and I think that’s good. The world is so mysterious, one could never know everything there is to know, but I think it’s worth it to try. As for faith, I think it’s substantial. Not just religious faith, but a general faith in humanity. A faith that in the end, everything will turn out okay. This value not only drives my actions, but it also contributes to my mental health.

Values are meaningful and influential, when used correctly. What are your values?

Why I Voted

Today is Election Day in the United States of America, and I’m extremely jacked about it. Being part of the Campus Democrats means I’ve been involved in Get-Out-the-Vote activities since the start of school, and it’s fun to see the results. Throughout my adventures with the Campus Dems, I’ve encountered a lot of people who said they weren’t going to vote so I thought I would compile a list of all the reasons I voted today.

1. It’s my civic responsibility
Yes, voting is a right, but it’s also a responsibility. As American citizens, we are in charge of making sure politics and legislation go the way we want it to. But how are we supposed to make that happen without voting? The ability to vote is, in my opinion, the most important constitutional right, and I am proud wear my “I Voted” sticker.

2. Things won’t change without my voice.
I think a lot can be changed in America. Literacy rates, school quality, gay rights, energy efficiency and the economy are just a few of the things that I believe can and should be changed. The politicians in office aren’t going to know if I feel that way unless I speak out and vote. We were given the right to vote so we can make sure the government is doing what we want!

3. I want to help Moorhead Schools.
On the Moorhead ballot this year, there’s an option to vote yes or no fora tax levy that would go to help out the schools. I’m glad to have been able to vote yes!

4. The “I Voted” sticker
I mean come on, who doesn’t want that sweet red sticker to show off to the world?