I know midterms are here when..

1. I'm wearing glasses (instead of contacts), sweatpants and the gray Penn sweater..

2. I'm only found at Huntsman Hall or Van Pelt Library and nowhere else (not even at my home)

3. I'm always carrying a cup of coffee, Vitamin water, Diet Coke or Enviga

4. Instead of John Mayer and Evanescence, my iPod is filled with Dr. Robert Rescorla's psychology lectures

5. I actually wish I was running and sweating at Pottruck Fitness Center (for once)

6. My debit card is used even more frequently at Wawa

7. Feel guilty about updating this blog instead of studying

... oh Fall Break, when art thou coming?

Being religious at Penn

One of the biggest concerns I had before coming to college was that I will not be able to keep up with my faith and end up losing touch with my spirituality once I get drawn into the college world. However despite my worries, I was surprised by the presence of numerous religious groups on campus and its religious diversity. One's religion and faith is certainly respected here at Penn and from Penn Hillel to Penn for Jesus, there are ample resources that can help you maintain your spiritual life.

When I was checking out Grace Covenant Church for the first time at their annual beginning of the year Intro Night, I was really going for the free cheesetakes and Rita's Water Ice advertised in their flyers. However I ended up meeting a community of believers who helped me through the Freshman roller coaster and found many of my closest friends. To this day, I head down to David Rittenhouse Labtortories on Friday nights (yes, Friday as in the day before Saturday) to listen to practical and college-related sermons and on Sundays I attend worships at Meyerson Hall, the same lecture hall where I survived Calculus.
Most of all, I love the fact that I do not have to compromise my faith because I am far away from home at a college and feel even more blessed to be here at Penn.

Our church has a weekly bible study groups called family groups in which we not only investigate the bible but hang, eat, study, play games, bond and really live out the name to become a true family. Last Saturday, our church held the annual "Mini-Olympics" in which different family groups compete on games and activities to win the much-desired Covenant Cup. On a hot Saturday at the Highline field near Drexel University, this is what went on...Bridging the gap where a girl has to crawl on all the other teammates back.. I heard this fun-to-watch game leaves long-lasting side effects for some...

Tug War!! My favorite (to watch, certainly not to play)...

This is when the games get intesne...



My family group TREASURE HUNTERS!! Also the very proud winner of Best Banner... (after our long and difficult attempts to mitigate an actual treasure map)

The winner out of the fourteen family groups "Finding Nemos" (notice the Nemo basking in victory on the Covenant Cup)

Ah, what a day.