If Superheroes Joined Northland Societies

Ah, remember the old days when Northland had societies you had to join, and, like, some of us got really dedicated and wound up as officers because no one else would run?  Yeah, I miss societies.  In fact, thinking of societies reminds me of that one time my friend Sarah and I placed every superhero we could think of in societies at Northland.

So, in order for this to be realistic (because superheroes at Bible college is so realistic), three things must be kept in mind:
1.  All stereotypes of societies are taken from the years 2008-2011, when I was at Northland.  (Yes, I stereotyped your society.)
2.  Superheroes were not allowed to use their powers during society rush.
3.  I didn't bother to make everything equal.  Just whoever it best in a society, was stuck there.  I did try to make sure every society, or at least one half of the society, was covered.

So, in alphabetic order (and a few supervillains sneaked in):

Aquaman--Dreisbach.  He's virtually useless, kind of like Dreisbach.  (And I just lost the Dreisbachs, but I promise you, you do get some cool ones.)
Batman--Brainerd.  He's really a toss up between Carey and Brainerd, and I like to imagine he basically wound up in Brainerd because Carey is full.
Black Widow--Judson.  She and Hawkeye totally coordinated their society choices.
Captain America--Spurgeon.  Just, yes, Captain America is a total Spurgeon.
Cyclops--Carey.  He's kind of one of those more borderline Carey guys though, where you're not quite sure why they're in Carey, but you can't imagine them anywhere else.
Deadpool--Brainerd.  But really, I can also imagine him paying $50 every semester to switch societies so he doesn't stay allied with one group for too long.  But, really, he'd so join Brainerd to start off with.
Elastigirl--Carmichael.  Joined it because of where Mr. Incredible went.
Flash--Carey.  Because he's red.
Frozone--Carey.  He and Mr. Incredible are best friends, so they would join the same society.
Green Lantern--Champlin.  Basically, because he's green, and I don't know much about him.  Kind of like Champlin.
Hawkeye--Judson.  He and the Black Widow totally coordinated their society choices.
Human Torch--Carey.  Because wasn't y'all's mascot like the Flames or something?  Yeah, he'd totally join.
Incredible Hulk--Champlin.  Once again, the whole green thing.  Also, he totally accidentally Hulked out during Rush, which got him held back until he was calmed down.
Invisible Woman--Slessor.  She and Mr. Fantastic totally chose their societies together.
Iron Man--Carey.  Once again, this is a close call between Carey or Dreisbach, but the suit is red, so he's in Carey.
Jean Grey--Dreisbach.  She was basically placed here out of gratitude for Sarah granting me someone to my society.
Loki--Carey.  He totally broke the "no powers" rule and jumped to the front of the line, being the first to sign up for Carey.
Magneto--Brainerd.  Get it?  Join the Brotherhood.
Mr. Fantasic--Brainerd.  He and Invisible Woman totally chose their societies together.
Mr. Incredible--Carey.  Joined it because of where Elastigirl went.
Mystique--Slessor.  They're totally going to hate me for this.
Professor X--Spurgeon.  Just, yes.  He totally was in this.
Spider-Man--Carey.  But he's totally one of those Carey guys you wonder why they didn't end up in Spurgeon.
Storm--Carmichael.  Quite honestly, she was kind of hard to place, but I think she'd ultimately choose Carmichael.
Superman--Spurgeon.  Once again, no thought was put into this.  He would join Spurgeon.
The Thing--Dreisbach.  I don't know why.  Just, Dreisbach.
Thor--Dreisbach.  This was a tough choice, but I think Thor would spend too much time asking questions about what societies are and wind up at the back of the line, forcing him into Dreisbach.
Wolverine--Judson.  Does this need an explanation?  He lives in the woods and has worked as a lumberjack.  (Also, his placement is Judson is what got Jean Grey placed in Dreisbach.)
Wonder Woman--Slessor.  And...I've probably got a bunch of Slessorites (Slessorans?) mad at me for this one too.

So, there it is.  I don't think this is evenly split at all, and it's definitely not exhaustive.  Some of them I just didn't know at all, so I didn't do them.  Others were left out because I forgot they existed.  If you want my opinions on any other superhero placement in societies, simply use the comments section below to suggest a superhero, and I will respond.  Or, if you want to suggest your own or totally argue with my choices, you can comment that as well.

What I Learned In Four Years Thanks To the Daily Grind

I was poking around on my computer, and I found this.  Apparently, I wrote this about six weeks before graduating college, and I honestly still believe every word I wrote.  Some of these are humorous; some are serious, but all reflect my absolute love for a little coffee shop at a little college in a little town in Wisconsin. :)

1. No matter how tired you are, do not drink a large latte right before chapel.
2. If you plan on getting a good night’s sleep, do not drink a latte after 9:00 p.m.
3. Lemon syrup + café au lait = not a good idea
4. The same goes for lime
5. Each Grind worker is amazing in their own special way; talk to them 
6.  Be where you are. 
7.  If you wear glasses, remove them before entering the Grind if the temperature is below freezing.
8. I no longer have a blood stream.  I have a caffeine stream that occasionally is too full of blood.
9. This place is a thousand times better than Starbucks.
10. Sometimes a walk to the Grind, even for something non-coffee, is the best way to clear your head when you have a lot of homework.  It’s not so much the drink, but the fresh air between your dorm room and the Grind and also just talking with maybe a person there, that can get you refocused.
11. Be spontaneous and mix flavors.
12. Show up at least half an hour before Masque, grab a cup of coffee, and chat with some friends while you wait.
13. Ask the Grind worker for a recommendation.
14. Thank the Grind workers.  Don’t take them for granted.
15. God can provide for even seemingly silly little things like a cup of coffee.
16. No matter where I travel in life, a college coffee shop in Dunbar, WI, will always hold a special place in my heart.

(Yes, I totally stole this pic from their Facebook page.)

Confessions of a Former Judsonite

So, basically, here's how it used to go:  You show up on Northland campus as a freshman, and next thing you know, you're learning about these things called societies, and how every non-married student needs to join one.  So, you peruse the list and talk with your roommates, and here was your rundown:
Carey/Carmichael--almost all jocks
Brainerd/Slessor--tough initiations
Spurgeon--the preacher boys and not-actually-preacher girls
Judson--the hicks
Dreisbach--don't really do anything
Champlin--also really don't do anything

And, of course, naturally, every single member of every society wants you to join their society...except for Dreisbach and Champlin, almost all of whom were in their societies due to being last in line.  They were kind of like the Aquaman and Hawkeye societies of Northland.  The ones where you think there might be a purpose here somewhere, but you can't see entirely what it is, so you just kind of go through life accepting their existence because getting rid of them would just make life seem incomplete.

So, anyway, I basically threw Dreisbach and Champlin out the window and narrowed my societies down to Judson and Carmichael:  the hicks or the jock girls.

I only made it to one society rush activity, and it was the Judson one.  I worked during the Carmichael one.  So, my entire experience of being rushed by a society involved running around campus on a scavenger hunt, getting soaked because it was pouring rain.

List of ways to make Katrina miserable #13:  Go out in the rain.

 I HATE GOING OUT IN THE RAIN!  And, oddly enough, I had the best time of my life doing this, and I was promised a future of something about bonfires and camouflage and guys playing Bloodball if I joined.

I was kind of trying to eat my cold ice cream and cookie sandwich after being out in the cold rain, so I didn't retain much.

So then came society rush chapel, and I politely sat through all the candle singing/canoe falling and skits and videos until finally came the Judson one.

The girl officers came out and said, "Hey, we're the Judson girl officers, and we hope you join Judson" and left the stage.

In that moment, I sold my soul to Carmichael.

Then some guys appeared on stage pretending to be vending machines or something like that.  I was too busy laughing to remember.

Then suddenly, a guy crashed through the ceiling, grabbed the donuts, and I died laughing.

Suddenly, I couldn't wait to be directed to the table.  My choice was made.  As soon as they gave us freshmen the "go" I was out of my bleacher, shoving my way to the front of the crowd.  I had to do it.

I had to get my name on that paper.  Something about the promises of duct tape and donuts lured me to have my name be written down on that sheet of paper.

I, the girl who had never shot a gun in her life, who could barely climb a tree without a lot of help, joined Judson.

This:  absolutely out of the question for Katrina.  An oddly enough, Judson could probably have talked me into it.

That first night, I began to question what I was doing here.  I mean, I got through the Keys Partner thing just fine (I was one of those people who ended up with great Keys Partners.)  But then came the "stand on a table and initiate yourself by telling a random fact" part.  Favorite guns?  Four wheeling?  What was this strange language?  I mean, I knew this was the hick society, but...why are the girls doing this to?  Um...I don't have a single strong hick characteristic about me.  Okay, I watch The Red Green Show.  Oh, good, we finally connect on something.

Ooh, bonfire.  This is nice.  Hotdogs and marshmallows and donuts.  I could get used to this.

Foot washing chapel?  What in the world...

BEST CHAPEL EVER!

Soon, it began to absorb me.  Okay, I'll come to the skeet shoot.  Uh...which gauge should I use?  Why do I have to use the bigger number?  So that's what happens when you don't hold it tight in your shoulder...  Okay, not doing that again.

Uh...awesome...a mud pit.  I hate getting messy.  Why am I cheering for this?

Wait, what do you mean because I'm a girl, I'm not allowed to catch the greased pig?  I should SO be allowed to do this too. I AM A JUDSON GIRL!

No, I have absolutely no dancing skills at all.

Of course I'll line dance to introduce the society.

Wait, who banned the line dancing?  That was so much fun.  Now I'm just going to have to stand up there and clap while the guys play some bluegrass song I've never heard of.

I LOVE MY SOCIETY!

"Girls can play Bloodball, as long as they are off campus."

Best sport in the history of ever.  Well, aside from the sprained necks, broken collarbones, and sundry other maladies it's caused.

Hey, let's borrow the Hoffman brothers' truck to go pick up condiments for the flag football tailgate party.

Yeah, and by the way, there's not as much food as there used to be because we had to pay eighty dollars for that broken ceiling tile.

DONUTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hm...this Judson thing is quite fun.  Nominate me for vice president.

Or activities' director.  That works too.  And no one else is running?  Perfect.

This will be the best year of society ever!

Thanks to you guys, I got a knife.  I love my knife (which is currently misplaced, which saddens me greatly).

More skeet shooting!!!!

"Do you realize how talented Judson actually is?  I mean, virtually every musical instrument out there can be played by someone in our society.  Plus, look, like almost the entire cast of this play is Judson."

Let's make gigantic Valentine's Day cards for the guy officers.  I'm sure they'll love this.

Wait...they're getting rid of society?  But WHY?  I love my society.

I cried for two days after that announcement.  Society had basically become my life, and I hated to see it go.  Judson had turned a girl who knew next to nothing about life out of the city into someone that actually enjoyed shooting guns and listening to bluegrass and roasting donuts over the fire.

And I therefore now find myself in some odd place of being able to say that in college I was considered both nerd and hick.  Talk about a weird place to be.  Every three weeks, you find yourself screaming and doing hick things and then going to lunch and discussing computers and the problems with plays.

But I guess that just made me a well rounded college student instead of just sitting over at some jock table discussing basketball all day.  Or something like that.

An Easter Post

"Oh to see the dawn of the darkest day
Christ on the road to Calvary
Tried by sinful men,
Torn and beaten then
Nailed to a cross of wood."
--"The Power of the Cross" Stuart Townend, Keith Getty

I still remember hearing this song for the first time at Northland.  We were probably in our first or second week of classes, and I was learning a bunch of stuff, but one thing I looked forward to was the new songs we were learning in chapel.  As soon as I heard this song, I knew I wanted to learn it and remember it.  The song painted such a vivid picture of the day of Christ's crucifixion.  I could almost see Christ, struggling under the weight of a cross, needing the help of another.  He, the perfect man who had done no wrong, was accused of wrong by sinners and convicted for doing nothing wrong.  He was beaten beyond recognition and condemned to die the worst death imaginable.

"This the power of the cross,
Christ became sin for us.
Took the blame, bore the wrath,
We stand forgiven at the cross."

Wow...a perfect God took on my sin.  I know I'm classified as a "good kid" most of the time, but, honestly, I'm not.  I'm very selfish and prideful; I shoot off my mouth when I shouldn't; I argue when people don't have my exact views; I get frustrated and throw stuff.  Christ took all of that on Him, and He took my full punishment of death.  God hates sin, and He should by all rights kill me, but He doesn't because He sees Christ in my place.  Christ's perfect sacrifice and forgives me.

"Oh to see the pain written on your face
Bearing the awesome weight of sin
Every bitter thought,
Every evil deed
Crowning your blood-stained brow."

Do we really understand how terrible crucifixion was?  I'm sure not even the most graphic movie can do it justice because we all know it's just a movie--the blood's fake, and the actor is in no danger of actually dying.  But Christ was hanging on that cross, separated from God.  God is a Trinity--three people in one.  He, the God who can be anywhere and do anything, choose to live in one location on earth and die.  He could have rescued Himself from that cross, but he chose not to because He had the most important task in the universe--to give people a chance to live their lives in close fellowship with Him.  But in order to do this, He, the perfect God who cannot sin, had to feel the guilt and pain of human sin.  He was beaten and bloodied already--weak, and now he carried the weight of the world on his worn out body.

"Now the daylight flees, now the ground beneath
Quakes as its Maker bows his head.
Curtain torn in two,
Dead are raised to life,
'Finished' the victory cry!"

 As Christ hung there on the cross, sin staining the sinless, God couldn't stand to look at Him.  And so God turned His back on Himself.  God the Father cast darkness in the sky in order to blot out the sin staining His Son.  Sinless God--stained with the sin He wanted to save the world from.  Creation trembled under the horror of this paradox.  But, this was all because God was making a new way to allow humans to unite with Him.  No longer would people have to sacrifice lambs and bulls and shed blood.  Perfect blood had been shed.  The Old Covenant was over; a New Covenant was coming into effect; and to symbolize this, God tore the curtain that separated the Holy of Holies from everyone else.  No longer did people need a priest to go between them and God.  Now, we can approach Him and talk to Him ourselves through prayer.  That was what was finished!  Man could now fellowship with God!

"Oh to see my name written in the wounds,
For through your suffering I am free.
Death is crushed to death,
Life is mine to live
Won through your selfless love!"

Because I, at age seven, confessed my sin to God and told Him I wanted to live in my life, I now know I have a guaranteed home in heaven.  Before I was born as a slave to sin.  Now I have chosen to be a slave to God, but this is not a slavery of oppression.  No, instead, I am free.  I serve God by choice because I love Him.  In ancient Israel, a slave could choose to belong to his master forever rather than be freed, and that is what I have chosen.  Unless the Rapture comes first, I will die one day.  However, my death really will bring me eternal life.  Because of my acceptance of God's gift of salvation, I will experience eternal life in heaven after I die.  On that day nearly two thousand years ago, God won the ultimate victory over Satan.  Yes, Satan still controls the multitudes of people who are unsaved, but those of us who accept Christ's sacrifice on the cross--the sacrifice He made because He loves every single person on this planet so much--should have different goals for our lives because we serve a new Master.

"This the power of the cross,
Son of God, slain for us,
What a love, what a cost,
We stand forgiven at the cross!"

God--the undying, forever living God--was killed that day.  But He rose again!  He paid the ultimate price of His life so He could rise again so I could live forever.  And all I needed to do to accept this gift was say I was sorry for offending Him with my sin and telling Him I wanted Him to control my life.  And He did forgive me!  And it is wonderful!  I am constantly in awe over what Christ did that day.  I don't deserve this, but I have it anyway.  Christ died, and then He rose again!  He ascended into heaven, and there He lives, constantly interceding for me to God.  He is the only High Priest I need to go to God--and He is God!  He did not stay dead!  He is alive!  That is why we have Easter.  I do not serve a dead God; I serve a living one!  He arose; the tomb is empty!  And that is what Easter is about!