hilarious

This was a great show.

As I reflect on the many concerts I have attended as a fan of the Dave Matthews Band (and the one that I will be attending this coming Friday), I can't help but remember one terrific show that I attended with my brother Pete back in 2003.

Dave Matthews had embarked a short tour to promote his solo album, Some Devil. Of course "Dave Matthews and Friends" (including Tim Reynolds, Trey Anastasio, and others) would be playing at Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, New York when I came home for Christmas break. It happened to be Pete's birthday, so we headed out there and enjoyed a nearly three hour set. Not included on the attached set was the Dave and Tim set which opened the show. We had a great time!

T minus

In about one week I head out on the road for about 8 weeks of significant travel. Don't get me wrong -- there will be breaks in there! I do, after all, come back to the office most Fridays for Visitation Days or to play catch-up. But I will be on the road most weeks Monday through Thursday. I think many people wonder what exactly I do when I am out there. For those who might be interested, here is a quick rundown:

High School Visits

The bulk of what I do each week is visit high schools during the school day. I meet with students who are interested in Hope, and share with them very concrete examples of why Hope might be the best-fitting school for them. This is something I discern as much as they do. I believe a student doesn't always know that Hope could be the right thing for them right away. It is my job to guide those students for whom it is apparent to me Hope is a good match. The part of my job: the word YES. You all know the worst part!

College Fairs

Many evenings on the road are spent sharing about Hope in the context of a college fair program. Most striking difference between this and the high school visit: parents are usually involved. This is a win-win for the college rep because parents often have a life experience that allows them to see things in a particular school that their student may not. Plus, I get to connect with many students as well.

Other than that, the bulk of my time is spent on the phone, building rapport with prospects and helping them to make an informed decision about where to attend college. It is a responsibility I do not take lightly, and I am thankful for the responsibility I have been given in this regard.

Travel is great! When else in your life will you get to eat at the same Applebee's four nights in a row (by yourself), have the Golf Channel on for 3 or 4 hours (just because it's there), and enjoy egg patties on a biscuit most every morning (Eggs, by the way, are never found in patty form in the wild). I love to be on the road because right now, I can.

One more thing...

Tuesday is an important day for 2 reasons:

"The Office" Season 2 comes out on DVD. If you have ever flipped past this while watching NBC, think twice the next time. This show may very well save NBC on Thursday nights, if it hasn't already.






Apple will hold a special media event to unveil what is expected to be a feature film download store. Watch out Netflix. Other rumors include a computer to TV video streaming device and the long-awaited sixth generation iPod. I will certainly update this site when the news breaks!

Every time...

Every time I think I am done with Blogger, something happens. I get some idea, some thought, some poetic rambling that I feel will ultimately mean something to someone somewhere. To add to this, Blogger comes back and integrates itself with my Google account, where it seems everything else in my life is housed as well. Then they add some really great editing functions for the blog's template and design. These were the features I was most interested in when I feebly attempted to transition to Xanga. Well, this change and the fact that I was mildly concerned about being perceived as a high school student on that other blogging site have led me to come back here with true excitement.

I head back out on the road in just a week or so, and I will be sure to bring you updates as I do. Bon weekend!

rain down on me

I am sitting in church this morning and within five minutes of the end of the service, the rain begins to fall. Before I left my house, they were predicting some significant rain, so the tempest came as no surprise. However, the rain seemed so poignant as we reflected on the sixth commandment, retitled "a beautiful life." It has been a scorching week in Holland, and in most of the country, and it seems that God always knows when to refresh the earth with life-giving rain. My attitude is renewed through the falling of the rain as I look ahead to what could be a life-changing month. My trust is in God and the life that he has blessed me with. A few drops of rain can mean so much...

A golden oldie

and they're off

and the random award goes to... me.

Last night some friends and I headed out Great Lakes Downs, a thoroughbred racetrack in Muskegon, Michigan. What for, you ask? To participate in wagers of sorts, to be sure, but also to enjoy the beautiful evening. And it was. I went in with a friend on each wager, and we both came out about $10 ahead at the end of the night. So much fun!

happy mother's day

Confession. This morning's service at RidgePoint has had me thinking about women. (I know what you are saying: Andrew, like you really needed a church service to inspire that thought pattern.)

To be quite honest I was most struck by the following verse, direct from the end of Proverbs 31:

"Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised."

Take the first half of the verse. The writer (King Solomon, thoughts inspired by him mom, Bathsheba -- check out 2 Samuel for more on this craziness) makes reference to the modern perception of women without even knowing it. Charm and beauty. Are these not the things on which American society (generally speaking) places great emphasis? The writer contends that they are both deceptive and fleeting, and yet our modern media would suggest that they are truthful and steadfast.

Will we ever get this right?

one more thing!

Enjoy this video of "JTR" from Jazzfest 2006!

and so it begins!

The band played this weekend at the New Orleans Jazz Festival. The picture above shows "The Edge" from U2 sitting in on "Smooth Rider." If that weren't enough, the band comes out for the encore and plays what? JTR. That's right, for the first time in 5 years, they bust out a song that was for sure thought to be extinct. It makes you wonder what else could come out this summer!

almost spring!

What a terrific Saturday! I was invited to go out and play golf with some friends from work, and although a bit chilly and windy, we had an awesome time! I came out firing, and was really pleased with the kind of contact I was making from the get-go. We headed out Lynx golf course in Allegan and played 18, and you might think it is an easy-going kind of game, but if you haven't played a great deal, anything past 9 holes has you feeling pretty tired. Golf is a sport that is much academic as it is athletic. So you start to feel pretty tired in both ways after the first 9.

It can all be quite frustrating as a novice, but you find that one terrific shot in the whole round can make it all worth it. I am looking forward to a terrific summer of playing this wonderful sport, and the great camaraderie to be had among friends. Have a great week!

new york, new york

It has been a great week so far as I participate in a swing of college fairs throughout western New York. I spent Monday and Tuesday in Buffalo and then headed over to Rochester for some fair sessions at the Riverside Convention Center. Definitely some of the more social fairs I have attended -- last night I went out to local haunt the "Dinosaur BBQ" with several reps from other schools. Always cool to meet nice people in your same profession, although I am certainly not the representative to do that sort of thing at every fair I attend.

Tomorrow I have a session of the Rochester fair in the afternoon, and in the free moments I will no doubt be enjoying the third round of the TPC at Sawgrass (it should be golf's 5th major). Hopefully Tiger can get it together in rounds 3 and 4 -- he often does, as we have seen already this season. Too bad as well about Duke and Gonzaga -- SportsCenter this morning had an amazing statistic: in no year have all four #1 seeds made it to the Final Four. I guess when you think about it, that does make a lot of sense. The odds are not particularly in that outcome's favor.

Missing Michigan, but always thankful to come back and see family and friends -- to remember my roots, so to speak. Have a great weekend!

road trip take II

I probably should call it "air trip part I", but I kind of like the idea of having a part II of something. Feels like something has been accomplished. That's right, you guessed it, I am headed to the NCAA Division III Women's Championship in Springfield, Massachusetts. Pretty much the ultimate in Flying Dutch fandom if I do say so myself. My buddy from Admissions, Adam, and I will fly from Chicago to Hartford, Connecticut (pretty much home to my sister Kelley) and then drive to Springfield. Friday night is the semifinal with Hope playing at 6 PM and then depending on the outcome, they will play again at some point on Saturday. It will be a nice little vacation -- and I get to see my sister which is a total plus! Hope all is well with those who read this (and those who don't). Peace.

bon weekend

This was a terrific weekend! A couple of my buddies and I headed down to Springfield, Ohio to watch the Flying Dutchmen in the Sweet 16. Unfortunately, we lost, but it did give us the opportunity the next day to head over to Greencastle, Indiana. Yeah, we saw smalltown America for sure. Oh, in Greencastle we saw the Flying Dutch take on the tigers of DePauw in an Elite 8 matchup. They won quite handily in the end and now advance to the Final Four in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Already in the works is a Hope College Admissions trip to the Bay State to watch the Lady Dutch of Hope College take on the something-somethings of Scranton, PA (Dunder-Mifflin Paper Company regional office located here?). Our commitment to being number one fans for Hope basketball should be apparent at this point. So I head back to the office tomorrow looking forward to a Final weekend of basketball spectatorship for this year.

To think, it all started with a brand new fieldhouse back in November. Thirty-two conference home games later, the Dutch and Dutchmen were undefeated in that place. What a blessing for an already terrific college! For me, it has meant connecting with a side of Hope College once somewhat foreign to me. My experience is now the well-rounded one I sought beginning in late August 2001. I am truly thankful for what God has blessed me with in these last five years. Have a great week.

the year 2006

It is the new year and as I consider the prospect (usage of this word is ironic for obvious reasons) of returning tomorrow to life at the Admissions office, I reflect on what the last year has brought in my life. If you will allow me, I will take just a few moments to reflect on the year that was 2005...

January brought the beginning of my student teaching, first at the elementary level (those kids were the greatest) and I then moved on to the junior and senior high levels (also super kids at these levels as well). Highlights of my student teaching experience included preparing my high school Chorale and Chambersingers for an important concert with the Grand Rapids Symphony and attending Jenison's production of "Seussical" in which many of my students performed.

The spring season saw my return to the single life. At the time, it was pretty devastating, but quickly I realized that it was very much for the best. At this point, I really realized that there is contentment in singlehood.

May brought my graduation from college and a tour to France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. It was a real treat--an awesome trip to cap off my college years. From there, I would return to Holland and begin my search for a teaching job. I found myself at the Orlando Convention Center in Florida, where I would have interviews, visit schools, and eventually be offered a position which I did not take. Incredible that I went all that way really for nothing, but it was as if I needed to go down there to find out if it was the place for me.

A position as Admissions counselor at Hope became available and I pounced on it. At that point, I had had no other options come up in the Holland area, and I needed a job that would provide me with good experience and a positive financial situation. This was it! I spent the months of September, October, and November traveling across Michigan and New York recruiting students at high schools and college fairs. Since then I have been working on recruitment programming, attending Hope basketball games, and enjoying a restful winter break.

I am excited to know what the next twelve months will hold for me and what thoughts I will have at the conclusion of this year. For now, I will enjoy every minute of every day and hope that my every action glorifies my God. I am thankful for a loving family, caring friends, the ability to establish myself as a professional in the working world, and the hope that reminds me that someone is waiting who I will someday be able to share my life with. I won't lie--I am excited for the person God has waiting for me, and I pray that he will prepare me for her to enter in my life.

To borrow the lines from one of my favorite songs:

Someone is waiting...


Would I know her even if I met her?
Wait for me,
I'm ready now,
I'll find you if I can!
Did I know her? Have I waited too long?
Maybe so, but maybe so has she.
Wait for me--I'll hurry!
Wait for me--I'll hurry!


Wait for me.

Scholars Day

Yesterday we invited the best and the brightest of our applicants and inquiries to campus for our annual Scholar's Day. It was great to have about 82 families on campus. They attended academic sessions, took tours, and enjoyed some great meals. I really thought it was an excellent day and I am just reminded every day about how much I enjoy working with students and their families. You know, I don't think anyone really goes to college with the exact intention of becoming an admissions counselor, but no one should doubt the tremendous impact that a person in this position can have. It is a worthwhile and exciting profession, a job to which I look forward every single day.

a real treat...

I had a real treat this week in attending the Dave Matthews Band concert at Assembly Hall at the University of Illinois in Champaign, Illinois. The band was as good as I have ever seen them, and by the end of the show it was running so long that "Louisiana Bayou" was actually cut. The crowd was certainly not the loudest or craziest I have ever seen (at least in my section), but it was a great show nonetheless! This band just seems to keep on going in their tours year after year! I'll look forward to maybe taking a road trip to see several shows next summer!

Big night for Hope!

Last night was huge for Hope College as the brand new DeVos Fieldhouse opened for regular season play. Both the men's and women's teams played in the same place on campus for the first time in many, many years. I was able to be there, and what a treat it was! I really think this is great for Hope and probably will inspire a number of new athletic recruits in the next couple of years, not to mention the positive effect that it has as part of our campus in general. It really feels like home, and it was so great to be there. Both teams look excellent, and I look forward to attending many of the games! Sweet!

Michigan's little Bavaria (click me)

In the last nine weeks of traveling around the great states of Michigan and New York, there have been many wonderful moments happenings where I have chuckled to myself primarily because no one else was there to laugh with me. There was the angry counselor at that yuppy private school, the numerous counselors who asked me "are you a student?", the many individuals at various retail stores who were convinced that since I was wearing a tie I must be employed at that location. I am not sure one of these events can hold a candle to that which I experienced yesterday.

I had heard of the great village of Frankenmuth; after all, there are about 27 billboards advertising it as one travels across Michigan via the major highways. However, I never had made the trip up there to visit although it seems I was quite close in proximity every time I drove through Flint. That all changed yesterday when I was due to make a visit to Frankenmuth High School. It was every intention of mine to sample the "local flavor" of this well-noted city of Michigan, so I made every attempt to do so. As I was driving down the main stretch of the town, I just had to stop at the following location:

That's right. The Bavarian Inn. Owned by a wonderful local family called the Zehnder's. Let me tell you, these people own the entire town of Frankenmuth. Everywhere you look you can see their name on buildings and whatnot. I had a wonderful German chicken dinner (replete with stuffing and mashed potatoes). It was a real treat. With the meal was a generous allotment of breads including the traditional holiday Stollen bread. Talk about a real treat.

What a wonderful way to kick off the last week of this travel season.