Tuesday, September 25, 2007

I love to tailgate

So I've learned a new term over the last two weeks. A tailgater is not someone that eats b-b-q in a parking lot before a football game, it is someone that lingers outside a dorm waiting for a student to use their id to open the door so that they can sneak in behind the student. This is illegal according to campus security and I am waiting to get in trouble!

I stand outside, sometimes pretending to be on my cellphone and scan the quad for students walking up to their dorms so I can sneakily follow them inside. I don't do this often because it is ideal to know students inside the dorm that will come down and let you in but we are at a place in our ministry where we are investigating the campus and being around the students on their turf is one of the best ways to find out what they love and how they spend their time.

Going into the dorms to meet freshman is only a small part of my job. I am asked to be in one of the 28 dorms at least an hour a day. It is one of my favorite things to do. Students love having random visitors. I know I am usually being used as a new form of procrastination for these school-lovers but at least they talk to me!

Today was my first time eating in the cafeteria. Ashley and I sat down with a girl from Charlotte who was not very interested in getting to know us. Thankfully there was a table full of girls next to us. We started asking them about the food around campus and they gave us a ton of info! We laughed together and talked about their experience as freshman. They shared with us about walking the big hills to get to class, fears over deciding a major, the pressures they face in pledging sororities, and how they stay connected to one another during such a busy phase in life.
Tonight I'm going to do 3 different things to try to meet students!
1. Stopping by a Spike Lee movie and discussion called When the Levee's Broke, a documentary on hurricane Katrina
2. Checking out a meet and greet with TIME Magazine photographer Steve Liss for broadcast journalism majors
3. Going to a new dormitory to visit my new friend Lauren I met at lunch today. I won't have to be sketchy and sneak in :)
Everyday our amazing God reminds me of the ways that He is opening doors for the Gospel to be known at this campus even if it's in unexpected ways.

1 comment:

The Severances said...

Hey Ally - How exciting! I know there are gals on that campus who, even though they don't realize it, are just waiting to meet you and whose lives will NEVER be the same as they come to know Jesus! I am excited and will continue praying for ya'll. -Lia