Ask any college or high school student worth his salt which social networking website he/she uses, and I guarantee that person will answer either Myspace or Facebook.

It's interesting, as a college student, to see how socialization has changed even since I was a freshman in high school. The amount of information you can know about someone who goes to your school--even if you've never talked to them in your life--is amazing...and kinda creepy. Just by viewing their Facebook or Myspace profile, you can have access to photos, comments and all manner of personal information that, in the "olden days" of the early 2000's, you used to have to ask people about instead.

Someone's religion, relationship status, their current activities, friends, family, "free gifts," parties they went to, people they hang out with...you can know dozens and dozens of things about someone without even saying "hi" to them in real life.

Being at an Adventist college adds a whole new element to the social networking idea. Without the anonymity of a large university, and because of CUC's status as a Seventh-day Adventist school, I find myself cautioning my peers against posting anything they wouldn't want their parents or teachers to see, because face it. Everyone has a Facebook now. My professors and my parents and much of my extended family have Facebook profiles. Colleges are now checking on social networking sites like Myspace to see what applicants to their institutions are up to the summer before their first year of college. Wild parties? Underage drinking? A different guy or girl on your arm in every photo? Putting all that kind of stuff out into the world will only lead to regret and drama.

Partying and those kind of things might be "cool" for your friends to see, but I guarantee that it is definitely not a good idea to share them with the world via Facebook or Myspace. For my fellow CUC students, it's always better to make good choices than bad ones, bottom line. But if you do happen to make a mistake, don't advertise it. Be more mature than that. It might get you into more trouble than you bargained for, with your parents or with your school.

I think that most CUC students are pretty responsible when it comes to issues like this, but like I said before, it never hurts to repeat yourself...especially when it means talking about things like your schooling, family relationships and your education. Facebook and Myspace may be great tools, but they can also add a lot of problems to your life if you aren't mature and responsible.

Hope everyone has a great week! Talk to you tomorrow.

Labels: Jaclyn Wile, student blog

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This past Sabbath, the CUC Concert Winds visited the New Hope SDA Church in Fulton, MD (near Columbia) to play for the early and late church services.

I'd never been to New Hope before, but had heard rumors of it around school and at work. Some people said they loved it--the contemporary service and casual, friendly atmosphere--while others said they preferred the more formal services of the Sligo or Spencerville churches.

I grew up in a very traditional church. The service is always the same way: announcements, hymns, children's story, special music, prayer, sermon, another hymn, and then everyone leaves. It's regimented and safe.

So, you can understand why I was a little apprehensive about going to something completely different.

But, I was really pleasantly surprised by the New Hope SDA Church, and would certainly return there...maybe even make it my regular church. It doesn't look like your usual church from the outside: there's no steeple or stained glass windows, but on the inside, the people are warm, friendly and welcoming. The service wasn't ostentatious or impersonal, and the song service was upbeat and joyful. The overall impression I got was that the New Hope members all wanted to be there: they weren't at church to see their friends, or for political reasons, or to wear their newest outfit. They just wanted a great worship experience.

I found the entire thing to be very genuinely spiritual, and I really liked going outside my comfort zone (even though I had to be there to play with the band.)

I would recommend New Hope to anyone who is a little jaded or bored by church, and wants something to completely shake up their current view of a worship service. For someone like me, who often struggles with their spirituality and religion coinciding, New Hope SDA Church was a breath of fresh air.

Maybe you should try it too!

Labels: cuc spiritual life, Jaclyn Wile, student blog

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A lot of people my age are really busy. So busy, in fact, that voting seems to be one of those things that can slide until the next election, because hey! Getting some Chipotle over lunch is more important, right?

Wrong.

As delicious as Chipotle is--and it IS delicious--voting is a bit more long-term than your average burrito.

So, instead of taking your full lunch break, try taking 30 minutes to vote instead.

Sadly, yesterday was the last day to register in time for the Maryland primary voting, but you still have time to register for the November 2008 elections, so don't wait. Really.

Listen to my tale of woe: I'm getting married in November. And yet, I still plan to get my butt to the polls and place my vote. For young people to eschew voting in favor of an uninterrupted schedule is a complete slap in the face to everything this country's history stands for.

As cliched and corny as that sounds, it's the sad truth: people my age take for granted everything they have and are given and have forgotten what needs to happen to keep those privileges.

If I'm not convincing you, let Rock the Vote do it instead.

And, if you don't want to vote because you are overwhelmed by the issues, candidates and campaigns, take this simple quiz.

If you think you've already registered to vote, but you aren't sure, use VotePoke to determine when and where you registered.

Who do YOU want to be your next president?

Labels: Jaclyn Wile, student blog

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