Judson College :: Choir, FAITH, Ensemble

I got to go home for the first time this weekend since coming to Judson!  It was so good to be back and see my family.  While I was there, my Mom, little sister and I all went shopping for a dress to wear to the President's Reception this Tuesday.  I actually found two, and I can hardly wait to wear one Tuesday night!

Over the weekend, I found out our room was going to have some maintenance work done during the week, and we would need to stay in another room until they finished working.  They found a room my roommate and I could both stay in on the third floor - we were happy to know we could stick together!  We just finished moving what we would need this week to our new room, and have had a good time getting to know the girls up here a little better.

Things are finally starting to slow down to a normal schedule a little here at Judson.  The first week here was so much fun, but quite busy!  One of the biggest events the first week was Marion Matters.  This is an opportunity for Judson girls to get involved with the community.  There were several places available to help, so on Friday we signed up to help at the place of our choice.  Some of the options were construction work with self-help housing, painting, cleaning up a cemetery, and helping at the local nursing home, schools, and clinics.  The group I chose to go with went to Sowing Seeds of Hope, which is a clinic here in Marion dedicated to helping others.  While we were there, we cleaned tables, floors, and bathrooms at their job-training center, then took flyers for free cancer screenings to post around town and hand out to people in the community.  It was good to interact with the people here and see a bit more of Marion!  After our group finished, we headed to J&R's to try their famous peanut butter and Oreo milkshakes, and soon learned why they were so popular here.  Our last stop was the old train depot for pictures and a review of the day from each group (In the early 1900s, they reserved this depot exclusively for Judson girls traveling by train).  We had a chance to hear what each of the other groups did, and see a slideshow of the pictures taken throughout the day.  It was very satisfying to see all the work we were able to accomplish in one afternoon just by working together!

"Greater things are still to be done."

My first Saturday here at Judson was a busy one for sure!  We started the morning off here by weaving the Ivy Chain the seniors would walk through the next day.  We took some ivy seniors picked earlier and wove it together, bit by bit, to form two long chains on either side of the front walk.  It sounds like a process that would take forever, but with everyone working on a section, it came along rather quickly.  After we finished connecting the Ivy Chain, we spent the rest of the morning making sure everyone knew what to do on the big day.  So much preparation goes into Rose Sunday!  We even had a practice walk to Siloam Baptist Church, where the service would take place the next day.  After everyone understood what to do, we headed back to Judson for a little bit of downtime until the Judson/MMI picnic that afternoon.

When someone mentions the word "picnic," I usually think of a blanket spread out over green grass, casual clothes, a cute picnic basket, lemonade, and outdoor-friendly food.  Sounds normal enough, right?  Well, for this picnic, that was not the case! We all dressed up and headed over to MMI to have a meal with the cadets there.  Cadets lined a staircase just inside the door and escorted us to our table.  I have to admit, I wasn't sure what it would be like to have a meal with a bunch of guys I didn't know, but it ended up being a lot of fun getting to know each of them!  After the meal, we were dismissed and headed back to Judson to get ready for the Step Sing.  We waited on the front steps for the guys to march from MMI to Judson - it was quite a sight!  Once they lined up on the lawn, we serenaded them with our lovely voices, then headed to the dining hall to mix and mingle at the reception.  I've never seen the dining hall so full!  The whole night was a lot of fun.

Finally, the big day came: Rose Sunday!  Seniors were finally able to walk through the Ivy Chains and lead the way to Siloam Baptist Church, with the rest of us following close behind.  I'm already looking foward to the day I'll be a senior here at Judson.  There are so many privileges and honors you have as a senior, and I'm sure by the time I achieve that status, I'll know I've earned it too.  I'm certainly looking forward to the years to come!

"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"  Jeremiah 29:11

Welcome to my blog!  I'll be letting you in on the inside scoop of Judson, and filling you in on several of the things happening on campus while I'm here.  I hope you will come to love Judson as much as I already have in the short time I have been here!

A little about me: My name is Brittany Hall; I'm 19 years old and a freshman music major here at Judson College.  I live about 3 hours from here in the small town of Dadeville, Alabama, and have been homeschooled my entire life.  I have a big passion for Christ, music, and people.  Before I came here, I spent much of my free time helping with my family's book business or working at my Dad's law office.  I love enjoying the little things in life and learning new things.  I have an older brother who is 22 and a senior in college, a younger brother who is 14, and a little sister who is 10.  My family and I have always been very close; I already miss them so much, but we've kept in touch regularly.

My roommate and I met during S.O.A.R. in June, and we kept in touch all summer.  During that time, we got to know each other, discussed who would bring what, bought matching comforters, and even made a pact to eat healthy.  Since we have moved in, we have laughed, cried, kept each other sane, learned some dance moves, and studied for classes together.  We are getting along great and have a good time no matter what we're doing.

My first week at Judson has flown by, and I'm starting on week number two!  Welcome Week was a lot of fun, and kept us busy with everything from getting to know the campus, to participating in traditions and Step Sing rehearsals, to helping in the community with the Marion Matters program.  It was a little overwhelming at first to have a new schedule and learn how to manage my time, but I'm starting to get the hang of it.

So many changes are happening.  I'm looking forward to meeting more Judson girls and getting a feel for the classes I'm taking this semester.  I can hardly wait to see how things will turn out!

Stay tuned for more on my first few weeks at Judson!

"What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." 

-Ralph Waldo Emerson