Judson College :: Choir, FAITH, Ensemble

Everyone comes to college with their own idea of what will happen over the next few months.  Some may think they have it completely figured out, only to arrive and discover it was nothing like they planned.  Others have no idea what to expect, but find that it ends up being everything they ever wanted.  My experience at Judson so far has been one with ups and downs, but also one with valuable lessons I will not soon forget.

My best experience since coming to Judson would have to be the environment that surrounds me, or more specifically, the friends that I have found.  It has been a very positive experience to find other girls that share a mindset similar to my own.  A particular group of us have come to form a tight bond, and have even nicknamed ourselves “the clan.”  We have our moments, but we are always there for each other and tend to live by the motto “no question too stupid, no idea too weird.”

My most challenging experience I have encountered so far would be without a doubt a midterm I had for one of my classes.  I have never seen a test that covered so much material in my life!  Keeping the requirements for my other classes fulfilled while studying for a test that covered half a semester seemed nearly impossible, but add in the fact that it was the first test in the class, and I was one stressed out girl.  It is hard to believe that one test can consume so much of your time, energy, and thoughts until you have a class with few chances to earn a good grade.  I did make it through this experience though, and came out with a grade that made me smile.  :)

College life has both pros and cons, but for me, I plan to battle my way through the cons and find the pros worthwhile.  My memories here so far will never be forgotten, and it is good to know that I have a few more years of experiences ahead of me.  I am looking forward to the good experiences but I also know the bad-or challenging ones will just make me stronger.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and he will direct your paths 

-Proverbs 3:5-6

Brittany Hall

After countless practices and hard work to perfect dance moves, we finally had our chance to perform the Tango!  I was so excited that the day had finally come, but also a little nervous.  This afternoon, we had rehearsal with the band that came to play - The Tami Tango Trio.  They set up the stage with a piano, chairs, and music stands.  They had a pianist, guitarist, two dancers, and of course, the featured flute player.  We each practiced our entrance and went through the tango.  It was like a maze making sure we didn't run into any of the things on stage.  My partner and I had a little bit of trouble getting on the stage at the right angle to finish the rest of the dance without running out of room.  While we were rehearsing, I got to dance with the male "Trio" dancer, Antonio.  We learned that when a guy is really good at leading, it's as if you have no option but to go the direction he does.  When we felt comfortable with our entrances and the rest of the dance, we headed back to our dorms to get ready.  My roommate, Heather, fixed Miriam's hair and mine and put in flowers we had gotten earlier in the year.

Once we were all ready, we headed over to have a meal in the Dining Hall.  This year, they have been doing a theme night each week.  We arrived to find that they had prepared us a Latin themed night.  It was pretty neat, and very tasty!

After we finished eating, we headed over to Alumnae Auditorium for pictures.  Bill Matthews (also known as Uncle Bill), the campus photographer, did a great job getting a shot of each couple, as well as the group shots. 

The time for the performance finally came, and we waited backstage for the Tami Tango Trio's opening acts.  Antonio and Claudia were amazing dancers, and the musicians were all very gifted.   Our time finally came, and each of the seven couples took turns performing the tango on stage, then added their own personal move at the end.  The performance went very well, and we were able to enjoy the rest of the concert from the audience.

Learning the Tango was a lot of fun!  Everyone enjoyed learning, and we have plans to learn more dances in the future.  I'll be sure to fill you in on the dances to come!  :)

 There is a bit of insanity in dancing that does everybody a great deal of good.                                                                              

                                                                                      - Edwin Denby

Brittany Hall

 This weekend, my roommate (Heather), suitemate (Miriam), and I decided to go to the Alabama National Fair in Montgomery.  We all met in Montgomery on Saturday prepared to have a good time.  Miriam and I had never been before, so we were especially excited!  Once we got there, Heather informed us the tradition was to ride the Ferris Wheel before anything else.  We got in line, got on, and I found out exactly how high that Ferris Wheel went.  It took me a little while being stuck at the top to get used to how small the people looked . . . and remember to breathe!  After coming back to the ground, we tried our best to ride every ride there.  One particular ride, the Twister, had a wheel in the middle to spin while the ride spun you.  We decided after that ride that we had all we could take of spinning, being upside down, sideways, and everything else for a while, so the fair food sampling began.  Between the three of us, we enjoyed everything from a funnel cake to boiled peanuts!  Then we decided to head back to the Ferris Wheel for one last traditional night time ride.  We got in some pretty neat pictures, and found that the Ferris Wheel offers an amazing view at night with the different colors of lights.

My older brother is currently attending a school in Montgomery, so after we left, we headed to eat dinner with him and a few of his friends.  We arrived to find that the guys had all cooked us a 3 course meal, complete with a salad, steak, and strawberry shortcake.  Okay, just kidding, but they did fix us some pretty good hamburgers and homemade fries!  After we finished, they gave us a tour of the school, and sent us on our way. 

If you are wondering what a Judson girl does for fun, this is just one of the many things we have done since being here.  There is never a dull moment, and quite a few fun things to do!  Since my arrival, I have found that something is going on every week here.  If all else fails, you can always go mattress surfing, and that is an experience still on my list of things to do.  =)

"Live and work but do not forget to play, to have fun in life and really enjoy it."
-Eileen Caddy

Brittany Hall

 This weekend, I was able to experience my first ever Judson pageant.  Each year, the junior-sophomore class presents a pageant that represents the unity of the senior and junior-sophomore classes.  Everything about pageant, from the story line to who plays what part are kept secret - especially from the seniors.  While the jr/soph class works hard to prepare for Pageant, seniors try their hardest to break in to the practice area and discover as much about the play as they can.  This is where the freshmen get to help. :)  During practices, freshmen have the option of helping guard duty.  By guarding entrances, we can help protect the secret by not allowing seniors to enter the building. 

When Pageant weekend finally arrives, the song leaders each make up a song for their class, and each class sings a song about their participation in Pageant, whether it was guarding, getting ready for the performance, or trying to find out information about the play.

By the time the big day had come around, I was so excited!  I couldn't wait to see what Pageant would be like.  Since no one could say much about it, we weren't sure what to expect.  That night, we dressed up and headed over to Alumnae Auditorium to claim our seats.  When Pageant finally started, and it was obvious the jr/sophs had put a lot of time into their program.  The storyline, called "Into the Woods" was based around fairytales, from Cinderella to Jack and the Beanstalk.  We all really enjoyed the entire play, and can't wait to start on our own next year!

After Pageant was over, they held a reception in the Jewett Parlors with lots of food and pictures.  The parlors were packed full of friends and family, and we all had fun talking about our favorite parts of the play.  When the reception ended, Judson girls claimed different buildings around campus to finish off the night with some fun and of course, more food. 

One thing I love about Judson is all the traditions they have here.  I think it is one of the many things that make this place unique, and I'm already excited about participating in this particular tradition next year!

"Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much."  -Helen Keller 

Brittany Hall