She Gets It: Sadie Robertson

What first comes to mind when you see this?

---

The emotions associated with Duck Dynasty range from adoration to abhorrence. In our society, you would be hard pressed to find any American without an opinion falling somewhere on that spectrum. Very few people have remained untouched by this show and family, for better or for worse.

In case you aren’t familiar with the Robertson family and the Duck Dynasty franchise, here is a guide to catch you up:

– Duck Dynasty began its first season in March 2012 on A&E; it’s 7th season kicks off tonight.

– The show chronicles the daily lives of the Robertson family from Monroe, Louisiana. They own a family business, Duck Commander, where they create products for duck hunters, namely duck calls.

– The Robertson’s are devoutly and openly Christian and place a high value on family.

– Following is a family tree:

There has been plenty of controversy raised from the show stemming from the Robertson’s Christian values. The controversy that took the world by storm came last December in 2013. When questioned in an interview with GQ Magazine on his opinion about homosexuality, the patriarch of the family, Phil Robertson, using the Bible, specifically 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, stated the debauchery of homosexuality.

To be honest, I was never a huge fan of the show; I had only seen a handful of episodes, I’m not a country girl, and I’ve never been hunting. However, as a devout Christian myself, I took notice once the comments were released and the backlash began. In an effort to not revive this issue, I’ll just say this: Was he right? Yes. Was he Biblical? Yes. Was he graceful in his answer? Not so much.

However, what I really want to talk about is the granddaughter of Phil Robertson, Sadie Robertson. The dimple faced 17 year-old is on this season of Dancing with the Stars and let me just say, she is killing it. The girl can dance. But what has really grabbed my eye and blown my mind is who she is as a person. She is as sweet and down-to-Earth as they come. She has used her fame as a platform for Jesus. And it’s infectious.

Sadie Robertson

There are plenty of stars that claim, and are, Christians. But there is no one quite like Sadie Robertson. She gives the glory to God in every situation; she stands by her values in her dance moves and costumes choices. Her social media pages show her dressed in modest, but adorable outfits. She shares verses of scripture, prayers, and encouragements with her fans and followers. She recently released a book that has teenaged girls across the U.S. dedicating their lives to a faith and a God so much greater than themselves or any one person, even Sadie Robertson herself. How many people would write a book that brought them zero glory or fame? Not too many is my guess.

On Tuesday, the rising dancer took to her Instagram account, legitsadierob, to share the following thoughts:

After seeing this, it’s hard to believe she is only 17. If we’re being completely honest, there aren’t too many 17 year olds with this kind of spiritual maturity, I definitely wasn’t one of them. There is something incredible about her hearing the comment, knowing the scripture, and sharing that. She gets it. She really gets it.

And even though I’m just a few years removed from 17 myself, I see in her such greatness and such a potential to change the world just by being who she is. She believes the same things her family does and supports what her grandfather, Phil, said in GQ. What’s different is she does it with a little more grace and finesse and people love that. People love her. And Sadie really loves Jesus. You don’t need me to spell out what that means and neither does she.

She gets it and because of that. the world is getting Jesus. And for that, I am incredibly thankful.

Louisville Living

Somehow or another I have experienced all sorts of roommate drama and nightmares in my college career. I had to be secretly moved out of my first dorm room freshmen year in order to get away from my roommate. Like I said, nightmares. We all have a few stories to bring to the table when it comes to bad roommates. But most people they don’t end up moving around as much as I did because of roommates; I lived in four different dorms in my first two years at UofL. I am now a self-proclaimed expert about the on campus living options for UofL students. Here is a breakdown of these four residence halls.

1.) Threlkeld Hall

2/5 stars

Threlkeld is the honors dorm, which mainly houses first year students. You would think for being the place that houses the more academically elite students that it would be one of the nicest dorms, but it is in fact the worst dorm of all. The rooms are incredibly small. We are talking a walkway to get in and out; you can literally touch your roommate’s bed from your bed. Prison cell small. The facilities are old, worn down, unclean, and often broken. The only nice, updated area is the lobby. The students who live here are your quintessential nerds. I’m not just talking like students who care a lot about school and study a lot. Think more of kids who make their own videogames and them stream them to the lobby TV to play them.

Threlkeld Hall

2.) Unitas Hall

3/5 stars

Unitas is an all freshmen, tower style dorm. The rooms are exceptionally larger than in Threlkeld. There are fewer showers per resident; however, the showers are much larger in comparison. The facilities are also old and worn, but there is some compensation in that there are additional nice areas that do not exist in Threlkeld. For example, Unitas has a small lobby/common area on all residence floors (2-11) and the main lobby, which is kept very well, has essentially three areas to it so more students can be doing different things simultaneously. The worst part of the facility is the elevator situation. There are two elevators, one for the male floors (2-6) and one for the female floors (7-11). It was inconvenient to have to wait on the elevator, but the real issue was when one or both broke down. It only happened a few times per semester and usually they are back up and running fairly quickly, but it was still very frustrating. The students who live here would be almost impossible to categorize; this is by far the most diverse dorm you will come across, which means anyone and everyone is accepted. It’s a much different environment to say the least.

Unitas Hall

3.) University Tower Apartments

2/5 stars

University Tower Apartments (UTA) is almost exclusively non-freshmen. As the name implies, these are apartments and not just rooms. While the space is larger, it is in much worse condition than anywhere else on campus. The beds were falling apart, there was rust and stains everywhere, and it took weeks to get a maintenance request answered. One bonus: every apartment has a balcony. There are only two elevators, but since the floors are not separated by sex, anyone can either one. The elevators were definitely in better working condition than those in Unitas. The students who live here are very diverse, but you would not be able to easily discern that because there is zero community or resident interaction in UTA. There is a fairly nice, although awkwardly planned, lobby that no one uses. Everyone pretty much keeps to themselves.

University Tower Apartments

4.) Community Park

4/5 stars

Community Park (CP) is a suite style dorm option available to any student regardless of year.  CP is one of the newest dorms on campus and therefore, one of the nicest. Everything is in really good shape and rarely will you come across something that is broken and when you do, the staff is very quick to fix it. CP has excellent bonus facilities also. There is a huge laundary room, a computer lab, study rooms, movie room, a full kitchen, and work out rooms. The students here are usually freshmen and sophomores. Again, there is not much community interaction, with the exception of suitemates, who you share a bathroom with. CP always seems empty because no one is out and about, everyone pretty much stays in their rooms when they are in the building. This is arguably the nicest dorm of the four discussed here.

Community Park

Celebrating Halloween in College

Halloween is when kids dress up in costumes and beg for candy. In Girl World, Halloween is the one day a year when a girl can dress up like a total slut and no other girls can say anything else about it.

-Mean Girls

---

College kids and Halloween is like matches and gasoline. You’re not exactly surprised by the reaction that takes place when these two mix, but it’s still quite an explosion. This Halloween is certain to be the biggest one in my time at UofL, as October 31st falls on a Friday; prime time partying hours. Even if you aren’t a college student or of college age, you can probably picture what goes on… not a lot of clothing (throw the word sexy in front of anything and it’s a costume; sexy nurse, sexy cat, sexy doctor) and a whole lot of alcohol. The entire Halloween weekend is a huge barf-scented mess (believe me, I lived behind Greek Row last year; the smell hangs around). If you need some help conjuring up an image, think of the popular movie ‘Mean Girls.’

Here we see Gretchen, dressed as a sexy cat, Regina dressed as a sexy rabbit, and Karen dressed as a sexy mouse.

To be fair, of course not everyone throws all inhibition to the wind on all hallows eve.  Some plan tamer evenings with a small group of friends, others pass out candy for the little ones trick-or-treating and a few will allow the last days of October to pass with no celebration at all. But, these are not the images that most quickly come to mind when our society thinks of Halloween and college students. To shed some light on these lesser recognized forms of celebration, I am going to tell you about my non-traditional plans to celebrate Halloween.

My church, as many churches do, has what they call a Fall Festival. It’s a time for kids and families in the community to come together at church for trunk-or-treat and to play fun games for kids of all ages. Trunk-or-treating is where dozens of cars, especially trucks, will park in the church parking lot and use their trunk or truck bed to pass out candy to kids who walk around to all the cars. The pull here is that it’s safe. It’s completely safe. Parents don’t have to worry about their kids getting hit by cars while crossing streets in the dark or about who their kids get their candy from and if it’s safe for them to eat or not.  The games are what you remember for your elementary school days, plus the timeless art of face painting and giant inflatables for running, jumping, and sliding out all that sugar induced energy.

But what’s in it for the college student? Well, you get to dress up. And not like sexy superwoman or sexy school girl, but like you did when you were a kid. You can be Cinderella, Barbie, Spongebob, or even Superwoman (minus the sexy). And ya know what? Those kids think you are super cool for it! AND you get to see one of the most special, rare, beautiful things in the entire world, kids having the best nights of their lives. Yes, this night eventually will be replaced by a birthday party, a trip to Disney, or presents on Christmas day, but for this night and this moment, nothing could ever compare.

I know his probably sounds super lame and gushy to the 18-24 crowd and that’s okay because it kind of is. But don’t you remember how much fun you had at stuff like this when you were just a little thing? Some of our best holiday memories are only made possible because other people chose to make them happen. It’s not heroic or impressive to volunteer to make a little kid’s Halloween, or any holiday for that matter, special. It’s just a good thing. Just like it was a good thing for someone to do it for you way back when.

So however you choose to celebrate, stay safe, have fun, and Happy Halloween!

Pop Tart Pandemonium

Recently I discovered a very startling fact about Pop Tarts. While there are two pastries in each little packaged sleeve, the intended serving size is only one Pop Tart. I feel as though there is no way I could be alone on the misconception and here’s why…

1.) Who gets full off just one Pop Tart?

The answer is new born babies and ferrets. All joking aside, one Pop Tart does not contain the caloric value the average person needs to start their morning. According to livestrong.com, a person should consume 25% of their daily calories at breakfast. When considering an average diet of 2,000 calories a day, you need to intake 500 calories at breakfast. One pastry is approximately 200 calories, with variation among flavors. *You can check out the full list of calories by flavor at http://www.poptarts.com/flavors/nutrition. Therefore, if you only ate the recommended serving size of one pastry, you would be 300 calories short of what you need. You are taking in less than half of the necessary calories.

2.) Why are they packaged in twos if you’re only supposed to eat one?

I don’t know about you, but when I eat Pop Tarts for breakfast, I’m on the go. I’m either in class, walking to school, or riding the bus. So when I eat my recommended one Pop Tart, the age old question arises, what do I do with the other Pop Tart? I literally have nowhere to put that other Pop Tart. I’m not in my kitchen, I don’t have access to plastic sandwich bags, and here I am left with a lone, exposed Pop Tart. What doesn’t make   sense to me though is why they are packaged as twos in the first place. Almost exclusively are items packaged by the company’s suggested serving size. In fact, I truly can think of no other product where the packaging is not based on serving size. It’s quite an inconvenience then for the consumer who desires to eat the recommended serving size because they must have a secondary item to store that second pastry in.

In summation, I hope you know you are not alone in this Pop Tart swindle. Now it’s not time to start a coup against Kellog, the man behind the pastry, but it is time to grieve this misconception and remember you can and will overcome. Pop Tarts are your friend, a slightly misguiding friend, but a friend none the less.

Begging for Fandom

Last night one of the greatest rivalries in Kentucky sports history met face to face on the field. The Louisville Men’s soccer team traveled to Lexington, Kentucky for the Battle of the Bluegrass. Pitted against the boys in blue, the cards pulled out a 2-1 victory. This marked the third straight victory for the cards and the third consecutive victory over UK men’s soccer program.

Fan and player alike celebrated the exciting victory. But how those fans got there is the real story. For a mere $10 any UofL student could receive a ticket to the game, bussed transportation to and from the game, a t-shirt, and a boxed dinner from Penn Station. FOR $10! That’s not a deal. That’s a steal. It actually costs more for the athletic department than for the fan. How does this happen?

The UofL Men’s Soccer Team celebrate with fans after their 2-1 victory over UK.

Well, when we pause to look at what is going on here, it makes total sense. University students go crazy for big name sporting events, like football and basketball. However, the hype dramatically decreases when it comes to sports like soccer, lacrosse, and volleyball. But as anyone who has played a sport on any level knows, cheering fans can make all the difference come game time. When the stakes are high, such as they were Tuesday night; coaches have to get creative in ensuring the best atmosphere for their players. So, they get fans there.

However they can.

No matter the cost.

This might seem like no big deal to some, but for me, a tried and true soccer fan, it’s much deeper than loosing money to get fans to a game. It means that Louisville sports teams, with the only exceptions being football and basketball, have to bribe and beg students for their fandom. Sure, some of those student fans would have made the drive to Lexington anyway, but not the majority. The reality of this evening reaches so much further than just Tuesday night. It speaks volumes of the lack of true fandom all of our sports deserve.

Why I Didn’t Drink on My 21st Birthday

I didn’t drink on my 21^st birthday.

I know, I know, the first thing people think of when they hear you’re turning 21 is alcohol. And lots of it. However, I chose not to drink on my 21^st birthday. I’ve been met with every type of imaginable reaction to this statement, from “that’s probably smart” to “are you crazy?!” So here to clear the air, I present to you: Why I didn’t drink on my 21^st birthday.

---

I’ve never had anything to drink, not even a sip. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like I’ve never been offered a drink. I certainly have. And it’s not like I’ve never considered taking someone up on their offer. I certainly have. But God never tempted me beyond what I could bear (1 Corinthians 10:13) and I endured through those moments of temptation with Him.

If you didn’t already know from my previous posts, I am a devout Christian. Most people who know me assume my opting out of drinking on my 21^st is in someway tied to my faith. To a certain extent that is correct, but not for the reason most people would guess. Let’s clear something up now: Nowhere in the Bible does it say that drinking alcohol is a sin. In fact, Jesus enjoyed a drink every now and again. Heck, his first major miracle was turning water into wine to keep a wedding party going (John 2:1-11). To recap: I’m not abstaining from drinking because it’s a sin or the Bible tells me not to.

*An important note, however, the Bible does tell us that drinking in excess and coming to drunkenness is a sin (Ephesians 5:18). *

The real reason then that I abstained on my 21^st birthday is because I didn’t see anything good coming from me drinking. Something I really took to heart my sophomore year of college was this verse: “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial” (1 Corinthians 6:12). Basically this is saying that just because I can do something doesn’t mean that I should do it. In all that I do I must ask myself, it is pure? Is it right? Is it true? Most importantly, will it bring me closer to God? And if I can’t say yes, then I really have to reevaluate what that action would mean for my life.

When I asked myself these questions about drinking, I couldn’t say yes. So I said no; no to alcohol on my 21^st birthday. This doesn’t mean I’ll never drink or that I look down on anyone who does drink, it just means that now is the time for me to drink. There is nothing of benefit being added to my life by adding alcohol into the mix of my crazy, busy schedule. Maybe one day, but not today.

And just so you know, I did have an awesome 21^st birthday. Completely sober.

The Principle of the Thing

---

I am biased.

My judgement is clouded.

But let’s be real, whose isn’t?

Everyone has their thing. The thing that affects all other things. Whether we are consciously aware of our “things” guiding factor in our lives and daily choices, it is indisputably present. If you haven’t already, hit the pause button and figure out what your thing is.

Got it? Good.

Don’t got it? That’s okay, it’s a hard question.

Either way, let’s keep going…

So what’s my thing? (I know you must be on the edge of your seats in anticipation!) My thing is so basic and yet so complex; cliché and yet so individual. My thing is God.  More specifically, my thing is my relationship with the Creator of the Universe. It’s kind of a big deal to know the one entity that causes each individual rain drop to fall and each individual human being to breathe. Simultaneously. Every day. Strike that kind of a big deal, it’s the biggest deal ever.

My day to day life is centered on God. In the mornings I read my Bible and have quiet time with just Him. I pray at every meal, before every test, when I walk between classes, before I go to sleep and whenever I am reminded of someone I love. I observe the Sabbath; every Sunday I go to Church and Sunday School, then I spend the day with family and friends enjoying the rest God has made. (Yes, that means I try my best to do my homework on Friday and Saturday, not Sunday). I am the president at the Baptist Campus Ministries on the University of Louisville’s campus (uoflbcm.org). I spend some portion of every Monday-Friday serving there. When I work out, I listen Christian rap… you can judge me for that. Heck, 90% of my tweets are in someway related to my relationship with God.

Click to hear one of my favorite Christian rap songs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1aULF0MDHtU

I don’t say all this to brag, as if I have got it all figured out. I promise that could not be further from the truth. Seriously, I promise. I say all this because it’s my thing. It’s how I live my life. You can never understand how someone’s thing affects their life until you can grasp what their thing truly looks like in practice.

So when I’m faced with certain things, my bias helps to explain the decision I make. Let’s check out a few:

1.) Marriage: I legitimately don’t understand the point of marriage outside of a Christ centered relationship. Marriage is an illustration of God’s love for the church. It is a holy and sacred vow. (Ephesians 5:21-32)

2.) Problems: If you have a problem with someone, you talk to them about it. If that doesn’t work, ask a trusted third-party for help. Never gossip, that helps no one.  (Matthew 18:15)

3.) Possessions: You can’t take em with you, so don’t worry about it. If you need something and I     have it, I can just about guarantee I will give it to you without provocation. (Luke 3:11)

For me this is all no brainer stuff in my life, but for many others some of these ideas are illogical, silly, or maybe even offensive. But the thing is, that’s okay. Just because it’s my thing, doesn’t mean it has to be yours too.  Read it, love it, hate it, but respect it. And I can promise I’ll do the same for you too.