"The Past, the Present and the Future Are Really One: They Are Today"

The Owl's Cry

By Lydia Baker

I'm a person of question 

But question me not

I don't know where I'm going 

But I know what I've got

Who are you? Where are you going?

Where this road is taking me?

I don't know

New space, no time

New friends, everything's fine

But I was questioned, I was challenged 

Everything was falling out of balance

I know where I stand 

And I know who I am, maybe not

Who are you? Where are you going?

Where this road is taking me?

I don't know

I'll find my way, some day

On the road I was a meant to take

Cause even if I don't, God knows

Who I am, where I'm going

Where this road is taking me

even if I don't

Now when I first started this project, I thought I knew exactly how it was going to turn out. But just like my journey here, it morphed. I've always been a person that appears to have everything together and succeed in anything that I attempted. Unfortunately, I am not. 

The first verse describes who I was before I came to college. I love being curious and asking people about things, but when someone questions the things that I do in a negative attitude, my defenses automatically go up. I have always been confident in what I chase after, but during the chase, the doubt creeps in. The second verse simply talks about coming to college and the experiences I have had. I'm still a confident in where I stand in my morals and beliefs, but while at college, I have gone through some situations that have shaken up what I know to be true. The third verse finally states the ray of hope I will always have in my relationship with the Lord. Our relationship has grown even stronger than I realized it could be. I know that my future right now may seem really unsure, but I have no doubt that God knows exactly where I'm heading. 

I don't think I've changed much during my time at college, but I do feel I have undergone some extremely new experiences. Experiences are strange creatures. They either hurt you or help you. If we're all honest here, then I'll be the first to admit I have had a taste of both in the past couple months. Living in a dorm with a bunch girls trying to become women, it can be an extremely interesting, to say the least. 

The chorus is a bunch of questions not because I don't know where I'm going, but because I doubt my abilities. I know God has blessed me with a lot of gifts and I will always want to use them for His glory. Even with this thought in mind, I still don't think I'm "good" enough for others to enjoy my music. The songs as a whole was meant to capture this emotion. 

I still have my dream of hitting the road or simply sitting at someone's bedside and aiding them through their pain. The future is still twinkling bright ahead, untouched, and brand new. All that I can do now is pray, stay in His will and not my own, and wait to answer the owl's cry.

A Fiddler On The Roof

The first thing I think of when I hear the word "tradition" is the movie Fiddler On The Roof. The entire movie follows a Jewish family and the rich traditions of the Jewish culture as it is being attacked by the Germans. The community's traditions are alter and their whole world is turned upside down.

Now I didn't say all that to suggest that Converse's traditions are anywhere close to Jewish traditions, but like Dr. Vaneman said traditions do change over time.

Something I think would be a really funny tradition to start would be to kidnap the freshman and take them fountain hopping during Big Sis Little Sis week.

How do would you pull this crazy idea off,  you say? If you can follow what I'm putting down, this would be fun, just you wait.

Now, we all know Big Sis Little Sis week is pretty crazy especially with all the Bigs Facebook stalking and creeping, the Littles getting random gifts from people in weird costumes and anxiously waiting to find out if they got a good Big or not. To add to the chaos, I think it would fun if the Bigs came and kidnapped the Littles kind of late one night, dressed up in their crazy costumes, and took them fountain hopping across campus. This could possibly be done the first night of Big Sis Little Sis week because the Littles are too excited to go to bed soon after their gifts are given.

About 30 minutes after the gifts have been passed out, the runners who gave out gifts or the Bigs in disguises could run down the halls with loud horns and pots and make the freshman come with them. The Littles would then be taken to the different fountains on campus and be told to jump in along with the Bigs or runners. I think this would be a funny way to "initiate"the freshmen to Converse without being rude or bullying. It would be so fun to look at pictures of and to talk about later.

I know some people would think this would be too extreme and freak out the freshman too much, but I think it would be pretty funny. I know I would be laughing the entire time! Anyone want to help me out?

P.S.- If you haven't seen Fiddler On The Roof, I highly recommend you see it. Here's the opening scene of the movie where they first introduce some of the traditions of the Jewish culture.
           http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJO35zU5bXg

You May Say I'm a Dreamer, but I'm Not the Only One...

Although John Lennon is talking about world peace, I interpret this one line to mean that everyone has something that they dream about no matter who they are. Eleanor Roosevelt once said "the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." Beauty is only what you perceive it to be; our dreams are only as good as what we dream them to be.

My ultimate dream is to be a traveling worship leader. I know, you're thinking then why are you going to school to be a music therapist? Let me explain:

First of all, I LOVE the Lord! He is my everything! All I want to do with my life is serve Him. I look up to women like Kari Jobe and JJ Heller who are currently living this dream. I would love to travel around the country and even the world leading others in worshipping our Creator. I want to be able to travel with my future spouse and a band if possible. If that's not what God wants then I'll do it by myself with His help. Economically, I would want to be able to provide for myself and a family but also be able to give to others. Socially, I would love to meet some of the musicians that I look up to and have a lot of connections in the music industry world. There would be so many new experiences to encounter and people to meet that share a common goal: to simply worship God in what they do! This lifestyle would be really exciting but not very fitting to raise a family in. It would also be kind of unhealthy considering all the traveling and lack of sleep, but the experience would be worth the lost hours of sleep!

Being a worship leader is my ultimate dream, but a more realistic dream underneath that dream would be to practice music therapy. Music therapy is an occupation that I would enjoy a lot. I would be able to minister to people's needs through music which is a perfect combination for me. I don't have a preference to where in the country I would do this, but hopefully it will be where I get an internship. I want to work with pain management and/or cancer patients. Again, economically I would like to be in a place where I could support myself and a family but be able to give to others. With this job, I would like to have all different types of patients but mostly ones that are dealing any kind of pain. The most difficult thing about being a music therapist is finding a place to work to begin with. Music therapy is a growing field, but many states have little education about it and therefore will not cover it with their state health insurance.

Right now, I am pursuing a degree in Music Therapy. All the music classes that are required for this program have made me a more diverse musician. When it comes to my worship leadership dream, I try to lead whenever an event arises. Also, the psychology classes within my degree program can help me learn how people interact with music. I used to lead my youth group praise band so that experience has helped. I'm actually looking into some leading opportunities now that I'm college as well. I'm also considering the possibly of doing both. I could practice music therapy during the school year and lead/ travel during the summer.

Sometimes You've Got to Flop Before You Can Flock

Hello, class of 2018! Wow, that is the weirdest thing in the world to say, but I guess that I'll be saying that one day. So much has happened in the past year that I can only imagine what it'll be like when I'm a junior. Here is what I would say to them:

Converse was my dream place to go to school so when I first came here, I thought it was going to be perfect. I loved what I was going to school for and every class was going to be enjoyable.  

I was proven wrong. 

Yes, I have enjoyed my time at Converse so far, but there have been some bumps in the road. First of all, It is so hard to know how to be organized for classes. They're not much different from high school classes, but the hardest part is keeping all of them straight. In high school, it seemed like all of your classes were related in some way, but in college, some days I feel SO scattered. The main thing to keep in mind is on to stay on top of EVERYTHING! Secondly, you have got to have passion. According to Dictionary.com, passion is "any powerful or compelling emotion or feeling". Music has always been a strong part of my life but I didn't realize how much until I got to college. College stretches your passion for something in ways you can't imagine. At Converse, I knew I was going to have to be in the music building a lot, but I never realized just how much! I practically LIVE in the music building now, which at times isn't so bad but other times it is miserable. So I advice you to go into something you're sightly obsessed with. 

One of the biggest surprises when I got here was how casually some aspects of college were handled but how professionally others were treated. For instance, the attendance policy is based on you. If you go to class, YOU benefit from the class. Professors normally don't care. When it comes to performances on the other hand, professors expect you to be professional, well put together, punctual, and responsible for your actions during the performance or recital. This is something a little different than how most high schools treat their students.

Socially, the biggest advice I would give would be to learn to say no. It's never fun to say no, but sometimes you HAVE to say no! If you say yes to every little thing, you'll end up so busy, you won't be able to get up and go with friends to get frozen yogurt or simply hang out with your hall mates. Also, college makes you rub shoulders with all kinds of people, so take the opportunity to learn from them. Be open to everything, but stand your ground on what you believe are right. Living with a roommate is probably the biggest challenge I have overcome. Everyone is different and has certain quirks. This can make living with someone else kind of hard. The best thing to do is like I said before, be open to everyone and be PATIENT with one another. 

The most important thing I would tell you, class of 2018, as cheesy as it may seem, is to BE YOURSELF! Don't let anyone change who you are. Make your own decisions and do your own work so that YOU can learn. Enjoy the decisions you make and be confident in them. 

Good luck, Class of 2018 and remember the Class of 2016 is here for you anytime you need anything!

Why Did The Little Boy Throw The Clock Out The Window? To Watch Time Fly!

       Time always seems to be chasing me or I'm chasing it. I don't know which way it should really go, but either way I never seem to have enough hours in the day! I always have five billion things on my to-do-list and somehow I still forget things. You know that feeling when you're going on a trip and you feel like you're forgetting something? Yeah, that's me. 

Not only am I a little forgetful sometimes, I also have a lot on my plate. (My plate should probably be a Dixie ultra-plate because they're supposed to be the sturdiest kind.) First of all, I have 18 hours in my schedule along with all the homework that goes with that. I also have three instruments to practice daily which is crazy hard on some days. I have a job back at home that I have to go to on some weekends, a boyfriend that goes to school in Anderson (yes, boyfriends are great but you do have to fit them into your schedule) and friends at school and home. Even by just listing all these things, I get nervous about not being able to keep them all straight. My absolute biggest problem is just that, keeping everything straight! I'm not the most unorganized person in the world, but I know for sure I'm not the most organized either. One thing I have found useful during college so far is to write something down the second I think of it. This way I have a nice organized list that can await me while I'm finishing what I'm currently doing and I get the satisfaction of striking through it when I finish it.

Some other smaller factors that probably contribute to keeping me from doing my work are simply not planning enough time to do something and socializing. It's probably all three put together that get me into trouble. Somehow I always ends up taking 30 minutes on something I only planned to take 15 minutes on. Then my friends start cutting up and laughing down the hall and I can't resist.  It kills the little time management I try to do which in turn discourages me from even trying to manage my time. I haven't exactly found a solution to this problem yet so any suggestions would be appreciated. I've tried building in extra time as a cushion and for some reason that never works. And the socializing? I don't really know if there's a solution there for this butterfly.

Another big problem I have with time management is having a tendency to love sleep but at the same time love staying up. (Don't even ask how that works.) I know a lot of people have the same kind of problem so here's my advice.  My way to combat this is to set 3 alarms. Some people are like "are you kidding me? Three ALARMS???" And I simply say, yes three alarms with a smile on my face. For instance, if I need to get up at 7:30, I set my my first alarm for 7:15 and then another for 7:25. This way I have ten minutes to be in the sleepy state, you know where your eyes will barely open. Then I have five more minutes to be awake and enjoy my bed, think about what I have to look forward to in the day, and plan either what I'm going to do that day or what I'm going to wear. This method really does help motive me and still gives me that nice slow wake up everyone enjoys. 

Hopefully, all of the freshmen can find our own groove of how to manage our time so that we can be the most organized, well rested class Converse has ever seen. Here's to Sweet dreams, Happy Mornings, and Good Managing!

A Toolbox and A Dream

      “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” 

                   ― Nelson Mandela

College we all know has a pretty hefty price on it. But isn't it worth all we pay to be able to leave with a tool box of knowledge and resources and be ready to change the world? I came to college to get those resources to be able to change the world. In beginning to study music therapy, I have had the goal of wanting to change individual lives with a future goal of eventually changing the world. I also wanted to come to college to work  on my people skills, believe it or not. I want to be able to connect with others on a personal level. College is also a great humbler and somehow a confidence booster at the same time. We get humbled when we don't know as much as we think we do, and when we succeed, we gain the confidence we need to keep going.

The funny part about me choosing Converse is that I had no idea the school even existed until I first discovered my calling in life. Music Therapy. Once I finally discovered the career of music therapy, I began my search for schools. I knew I wanted to stay in South Carolina. Of course, the first look was Charleston Southern, being I AM a Southern Baptist and it IS a Southern Baptist school. As soon as I arrived on campus, I hated it. The college had no character whatsoever. Not soon after I visited Converse and I fell in LOVE! I felt welcomed the minute I saw my name written in chalk on the sidewalk for my personal tour. The professors were excited to see I was interested in music therapy and embraced me with open arms and smiling faces. THAT is when I knew Converse was the place for me. My parents were a little concerned about me putting "all my eggs into one basket", but I continued to push forward to where I am today, sitting in the study room in a dorm at Converse College.

Aahhh, music. Why? It's a part of the fiber that makes up my being. I have always loved it, from dancing in my living room acting like I was a ballerina to joining the high school band and chorus. I have heard many wonderful things about the Petrie School of Music so that also played a role in picking Converse as well. I have no idea where my musical talent came from besides the Lord because bless their hearts, but my parents have no extraordinary musical talents. Also, music is a strong field and a universal language that connects us all. So studying music in college is another way to put resources into your toolbox to be able to go into the world and form deeper relationships with others. That is exactly what I want to do with my life!

If I were a muppet, I would be a mixture between Animal and Fozzie Bear. I can be crazy at times but I genuinely love to have a good time and make others happy while doing it. And the banjo? I would TOTALLY play the banjo!