The Azusa Pacific Blog » High Sierra

APU Dictionary

Megan — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 20:58:18 +0000

Alpha: A group you will be placed in the day you move in that includes a sophomore (sometimes a junior) alpha leader and about 8-12 other freshmen. You will all be in the same beginnings class (its a 350 person class that usually just has people speak about current issues) and you will meet one other time during the week to get to know each other and have fun. Its a great way to meet people and as awkward as it may feel as first everyone really does end up loving the program.

Biola: ……..

Communiversity: Community + Diversity, a program that plans events and makes the school fun (simply said).

APU Track and Field Retreat

Staphon — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 23:54:18 +0000

This past weekend, our APU track team went up to Yosemite for a retreat. This is my 5th year going and… you know what, here is a video blog about the whole trip!

Click here to view the embedded video.

This was my first time doing a video blog, sorry about the quality, I’ll get it right on the next run for sure! But I think you got the general idea of what happened.

Aside from the hike, we had a lot of team bonding experiences, including a worship session around a bon fire on Star Rock under a full moon and a bajillion and two stars up above us. It will definitely be another great memory added to my chapter covering the last 4 years being on the APU Track Team.

halloween and homework.

Ellie Kipps — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:19:50 +0000

So today is Halloween, and I’m writing a paper. I’ve never been super into Halloween after about age 10, but it’s been great to see carved pumpkins and some ridiculous antics around campus. Last night a few of my friends dressed up like old people and there were trick-or-treaters in the Mods (a sophomore living area), so I thought that was funny.

Right now, I’m trying to gear back up for another challenging week ahead. Sometimes it is hard staying focused with all these events around, but it has taught me a lot about self-control. Though, right now, I’m really distracted by quite a few things, including my plans to study abroad next year, starting at High Sierra, and then possibly on to Australia. Unfortunately I don’t think I’ll be able to go to Israel this summer, but I’m so excited about studying in High Sierra… it’s ridiculous. Hah. I’m also distracted, in a good way, by thinking about the things I learned this week.

pumpkins and papers.

Ellie Kipps — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:29:19 +0000

My favorite season is fall, or at least it was in NorCal (where I’m from). I love when the leaves turn red and flutter down to the ground, and I love the crisp rain that speaks of hot cocoa and fireplaces and good books, but most of all, I love pumpkins: pumpkin soup, pumpkin bread, pumpkin ice cream, and most of all: pumpkin pie. This morning I woke up missing that fall feeling from home, and decided to make pumpkin bread with real pumpkin and a special blend of spices that my family uses. Now my apartment is filled with the smell of baking bread, and I’m feeling pretty homesick.

Preview weekend at High Sierra!

JP Park — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 16:51:38 +0000

Hey there, J.P here again! Last night, 4 vans full of preview students who wanted to get a taste of the High Sierra Semester came up and are staying here for a couple of days. I had a chance to meet Elli, one of the bloggers on here, and she is amazing, and highly intellectual and down to Earth.

Me and the other High Sierra students mingled with the preview students and we had a Bon Fire on Star Rock. Star Rock is not too far from my cabin. It’s basically a large strip of flat land that is made of solid rock. We had smores and then went back to the Dining hall and played board games, more particularly, Apples to apples. If you haven’t played Apples to Apples, I suggest you go out and buy it because it’s an awesome ice breaker game. For those of you who do play it, like my friend Ashley Darrow says, “Helen Keller is the trump card of Apples to Apples”. I concur

God’s got this…

Ellie Kipps — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 16:01:40 +0000

Many of the other bloggers have been talking about just how busy they are, and I 100% agree. As someone who love being academically challenged, I thrive in the demanding pace of my honors classes and my upper divisions. However… there is definitely a point reached (that probably has something to do with learning an extremely difficult language, not sleeping, and drowning in theology along with other life stuff) that you just want to say: I give up, Enough is enough.

I reached this point earlier this week but a blessed blessed thing occured: Study Day, which is a essentially a day off from classes to… well.. study. A lot of students used their ‘Study’ day to pontificate upon and studiously participate in the magical world of Disney (haha…) and some use it for… SHOCKER: Studying. I however used my study day as a much needed sabbath, a time to breathe and reflect and realize that I’m not surrendering the stress of school over to the God who holds All things in His hand. Right now, I’ve been personally going through Foster’s Celebration of Discipline and the coupled book of Spiritual Classics as well as daily devos with Buechner (my favorite theologian), so I spent time in those as well on Study Day. I say all this not in a spirit of flaunting or anything, but more as a reminder that despite the business of life there is first and foremost the priority to God and the priority of honoring Him with rejoicing in the day He has given. And sometimes that means taking a day off (weekends or study day), or if you really can’t manage a whole day, then at least a few hours of intentionally relishing in His goodness and His Word and surrendering over stress.

Key Points of the Year

Staphon — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:14:31 +0000

Well, it has been quite a while since I blogged about anything, and like JP said in his post, College is a BUSY BUSY Place.

First, there is RA, which I feel is mostly a recharge for me, I love spending time with my residents, if I could simply be an RA without everything else, I would be set for life! Just building relationships and planning events and just being creative and there for my residents is the most amazing feeling.

Then there is Class, which is… well work. However, its nice to go somewhere and actually know what it is you are learning enough to give input whenever you learn anything new, to actually be a part of the dialogue and be able to practice the skills right after learning them… is that what it is like for all students? I feel like I am one of the worst students ever, I have never really felt like I was a part of a class, just simply taking in information that was forced at me, but here, I actually feel like I’m taking in things, actually learning. And after 2 years of Gen Ed Classes, its nice to find a major that I actually enjoy learning about, and that is why I am in my second year of Graphic Design.

When we say we barely have free time in College, we mean it!

JP Park — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 01:51:04 +0000

Hey, its J.P again!! Sorry I haven’t been blogging much, but as the title says, College is extremely busy!!!!

In case some of you readers don’t know already, I’m studying in the mountains near Yosemite for a semester long program called “High Sierra”, which is sort of like a study abroad program. For my Leadership class I have here at the “satellite campus”(campus that is not on the legit APU college) the 22 students here had to go on a 6 day trek in Ansel Adams(sp?) which is part of Yosemite. For 6 straight days, we have no classes, no internet, no phones, no showers, and worst of all, NO TOILETS!! It was a great experience; One of those things that you do once n a life time.My trek group for the grueling 6 day trek consisted of 9 other classmates and professors.

Stressed as a college student?? Same here!!

JP Park — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 21:14:54 +0000

Hey there guys!! J.P here again with a few words of wisdom!

Well in case you didn’t already know, I’m a freshman here at Azusa Pacific University. Ironically, I’m not on the campus (The campus is pretty dope!), I’m at the semester long program called “High Sierra” where we study in the mountains and get to do outdoors-y stuff like go on a 6 day trek in Yosemite (We leave this Thursday which means no school for 6 days! hah)

Here’s a picture of the 23 students and teachers/mentors/friends here at the High Sierra program. It’s an amazing community:

high, sierra, freshman, experience, jp, park, yosemite, trek,

Greetings from a Freshman perspective!!!

JP Park — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 20:37:24 +0000

Me (J.P) at Yosemite!

Hey everyone!!! First off, my name’s J.P and I’m a freshman here at Azusa Pacific University! I’m from Virginia, so deciding to travel all the way to California was a HUGE decision, but I can say it has been the best decision I have made in my entire life.

For those of you who don’t know, there is a program at APU called the “High Sierra” program. For a semester, you get to live on the mountains at Bass Lake, CA with other students who can be in any grade level. You have the chance to rock climb, wake board, trek, hike, and even conquer Yosemite!!