Big News for Kristine!!!

Hey everyone!!!

Cliff here. I hope everyone is having a great Thursday so far. I wanted to take a second and let you all know that Kristine has some great news to tell everyone! She's busy at work right now but had just enough time to do a post about it this morning on her other blog. If you would, follow this link here www.kristineneeley.blogspot.com to her photography blog to find out the news. Have an awesome rest of the day!!

Cliff

Welcome Week

It's a fine, fine tradition. Towering Traditions Welcome Week, that is.

Which, as you know, is what I've spent the last little while preparing for and now, this past week overseeing. Just under 1000 Freshman, just over 300 Transfers, 1500 or so family members, 400 Opening Day volunteers, 120 upperclassmen student leaders (OC, Section Leaders, and Tower Team Leaders), and eight 15+ hour days straight of training/programming later, I am spent. And technically Welcome Week isn't even over yet - just my particular programs.

High energy. High effort. High attendance. High stress. All the sorts of things this season is about. And now classes have started and the students I've spent almost a year preparing for are here and sitting in classes all over campus (and taking up more parking spaces than one could think possible).

I took yesterday off and hibernated. It wasn't quite the refueling one needs after the journey I've been on over the last couple of months, but it'll do - I mean - at least until the weekend. And gosh, I must be crazy, but as worn out from it all as I am I miss it and I miss my student leaders.

I thought it might be fun, for anyone who's interested, to take a pictorial look at the last couple of days. Our University photographer didn't make it out to all of our events, but there's quite a few included!

First there was Opening Day.

Then there was the President & Trustee's Welcome Dinner.

A little while later there was Playfair.

And then SERVE.

Then fun times at Fresh Fest.

And the ever-wonderful Towering Tradition.

Don't Worry

We're alive.

June 1 was a big day around here.

Not only did I celebrate 6 official months on the job, but my job kicked into full gear. I thought last week was full gear, but I was wrong. Evidently.

We had a great quick visit to my dad's over the weekend, which was sort of my last hurrah before the craziness of June. Monday marked one week until our first Orientation session at Belmont, so this week my students and I are pounding away at all of the final planning details.

It's kind of like that one time Cliff and I worked with the students on the Habitat project and had to go back over all of the nailing on the floor trusses to make sure they were level with the boards - and not popping up and out all over the place. I feel like that's what a lot of this week has been.

My friends and family have been really supportive, and I can't thank them enough for that.

I'm not really sure how much you know about Orientation, but on any given day my life will be overfull. Starting tomorrow I'll be working anywhere from 12-16 hours a day at full-speed. For three weeks straight. With some down weekends, praise the Lord.

Our biggest class of Freshman yet (over 1000!) is coming to Belmont and my students and I have the task of making sure they leave campus, after their second day here, feeling ready for the fall semester. And by ready, I mean - informed and registered, excited about their time here, hopeful for new possibilities, and open to new relationships.

It's a big task and it's felt pretty remote, that is until my student staff started getting back and the "I'm so excited to be a Bruin! Can't wait to meet you next week!" replies starting coming back from all of the expert mass e-mailing to new students that I've been doing this past week.

So I'm excited, anxious, ready, you name it. I'm just so ready for them to get here.

In The Paper

They told me to "smile with my eyes" - unfortunately I missed the memo that everyone else was actually smiling. None the less, it's kind of fun to be in the paper.


The scoop on our California trip will be in the next post... promise.

Blidget

All our Belmont friends should get a kick out of this.



Did you ever think you'd see/hear the word Blidget in any context outside of conversations regarding a certain oft-seen character on campus?

Nope, neither did I.

Surprise Visitors

Aside from this dear lady, no one from the outside world has actually come here to the office to just see me. Which I'm not crying about or anything, I'm just saying how it is. I tend to see the same people everyday: co-workers, students I advise, the occasional involved-student passerby. So when someone comes with the intention of walking straight to my office and sitting down for five, ten, thirty minutes... I kind of get a little excited about it. In fact, it probably marks my whole day.

And Dane's visit, today, carried with it a sort of air of nostalgia and meaning that I just couldn't help but feel the second I greeted him in the lobby. He wouldn't even let our office manager tell me who it was because he wanted it to be a surprise. And of all the people he could spend his time visiting with down this hall (considering he spent years here as an Associate Dean), his sole purpose was to, again (sorry for the emphasis), see me.

It helps that he's back on campus now, teaching as an adjunct professor in the School of Religion. So he's around. But, looking at him and thinking how much has transpired in the last couple of years I just felt really honored to have a piece his time. And also, humbled to know that a good part of the reason I was even here for him to visit is because of him.

Even looking at this picture, taken nearly three and a half years ago, I think of how young I look. And then I'm reminded of how young I still am. Thankfully I've had a lot of great wisdom, counsel, and advice poured into me over the years, enough to help me sometimes feel a little older and a little smarter than my age may show. Dane has certainly been the source of a lot of that. He's someone I look to on a relatively small list of people I might call heroes and think how fortunate I am to know him - and that this is, in a way, a sort of legacy to his leadership for me to be here.

I Was A Belmont Student

So occasionally there are days here at work that I am reminded that I was, in fact, a Belmont student. Oh, and so was my dear husband, Cliff. That's just something you don't escape. Sometimes the reminder, though, is more humorous (at least, to me) than others.

Today's exhibit:

While looking up some information on potential members of a steering committee I am putting together, I ran across this...


Notice any(some)one(s) familiar?

I'd recognize that cowlick anywhere. And as for me, though this was an actual photoshoot and not a candid shot, the windblown look is au naturel, thank you very much.

Three Things

1. Dr. John Gonas is the man. And here is further proof for that case. It's incredible that we have both had the honor of calling him teacher, boss, mentor, and friend. There are not many as deserving of the accolade as he. I spoke with him, today, while he was in D.C. and you could just hear the elation in his voice. For someone who really likes for his students to get the recognition, it's about time he enjoyed a little of his own.
2. I just put both of my degrees up in the new office. And I can't even begin to tell you how good that felt. After months (and years) of sitting on the floor framed and collecting dust, they now hang in a place where I am reminded not just of sacrifice and hard work, but of blessings and favor, as well.
3. Cliff will be back from retreat soon, and we will finally get to celebrate, tonight! You can't even know how difficult it was not to share yesterday with him. Although, I am incredibly thankful to have spent the evening with my dearest Molly. We've got the new job, the house goal met, and sixteen months (of marriage) under our belts as of today and that calls for a little celebration, don't you think?

Coming Full Circle

It's funny how life happens. How God orchestrates things you can't really understand, nor see as He is piecing them together. But I absolutely believe in His sovereignty and His faithfulness. Admittedly, now more than ever.

Eleven and a half weeks ago, my dream job in student affairs was posted. I spent that morning fielding e-mails from friends at Belmont about whether I'd be applying or not. After an important conversation with a mentor and my husband, I knew it wasn't my open door. At least, not at the time. And, boy, did I talk to God about that one; I remember that day so vividly.

In a fit of tears, curled up on the couch, with the mid-afternoon sun of an early September Monday streaming through the window, I pleaded with God to know why. Why all of this waiting? And what for? Why was I facing these walls everywhere I turned, and where was He in all of that? I think I faced more of my fears and shame in that span of an hour than I had ever cared (or dared) to. And I pleaded with God to give me answers, or to at least comfort me and show up somewhere in all of this.

And though I never felt the answers come, I believe He did show up. In the late-night text messages from that same mentor, just two weeks later, asking for my help with the Debate. Then again, in a phone call from the Dean of Students a week after the Debate, requesting my help with spring orientation starting the next week through the end of January. Three weeks after starting my work in that role, in a surprising opportunity. And now today, just a week later, in the offer of a lifetime: to fill that very role to which the door, I thought, had been completely closed.

But it wasn't. At least, not in His eyes. I could not have planned that, nor weaseled my way into being at the right places at the right times. There was so much more to it, than that. So much that I had no control over it, nor had any expectations for.

And now, almost exactly six months to the date of my last day working on my practicum at Belmont and stepping into the unknown, I have come full circle. Oh, but now I see how much I didn't understand about who the Lord wanted me to be and how far I still have yet to go. Because there is always the unknown. And it manifests itself in different segments of our lives, from work, to learning, to relationships... because I think without it, what is faith for?

I am full of gratitude. To God and to so many people who have believed in, prayed for, challenged, encouraged, and supported me through this part of the journey. And I say "this part" because I realize, now, it's not a beginning and it's not an end, it's another step along the way. A step that He has shed enough light on for the moment, that I can learn to keep trusting Him for what is next. And I know that won't be without challenge or struggle, for sure.

But today, I feel the composure of hope, joy, and faith in such a way that I can't do anything but rejoice. I am just so thankful.

Okay, Okay

For the sake of transparency...

Today, I had an on-campus interview at Belmont (oh, the irony) for the Director of New Student and Parent Programs position that I have alluded to a couple of times. This was a really unexpected twist of events, as my only expectation coming into my interim position was that I was not qualified, because of experience requirements, to do the Director's job so I would instead offer my help with orientation programming in the meantime - specifically, as you all know, until the end of January.

My curve ball came in the form of a short afternoon meeting last Thursday with the Associate Provost and Dean of Students, a simple question from him, and the offer to submit my candidacy for the position. I gleefully accepted and worked at a rabbit pace to do what the other four candidates (who had been at Belmont on various days last week) had probably done more than two months ago when the position was posted. To keep things seamless, I had to apply quickly and be ready for an on-campus interview for early this week. Hence Thursday's post and my all-nighter. I had my resumé to review, a cover letter to write, an application to fill out, and supplemental essays to write to go along with my application - all in a handful of hours because we would be away for the weekend. And hence the compounded need to get away this weekend.

And thus my vagueness since then.

I've been a little guarded with this, I think only because it was what was necessary before going into today. This has been a whirlwind, and the dust on my proverbial composure is finally settling. I just needed to get through today.

And in case you're wondering, an on-campus interview can mean one of many things in the world of higher ed. But essentially the overarching theme is the same: one giant compounding interview with various constituencies over the course of a day. For me, the day looked a bit like this: breakfast at Noshville with the search committee, a morning meeting with faculty, lunch interview with student leaders, an afternoon meeting with various representatives from the Division of Student Affairs and campus administration, and a closing meeting with the Dean. In all, it was a long, but really great day.

No matter what the outcome, I am so incredibly grateful for having had this opportunity.

And thank you to those of you who knew or didn't know and still prayed. I really appreciate it!

Working (Together)

This has been what some might call a busy week. (And it's only Thursday.)

Cliff's got a lot of stuff going on at work as he prepares to be out for three days next week. I think he just might top his weekly record for hours on the phone making fee increase and sales calls with current and prospective ELPs. And what he's doing, next week well, both reasons for being out are pretty cool. The first of the week, he and his team will be out for the "Get Motivated" Seminar down at the Sommet Center. I can't really tell who he's more excited about seeing speak that day, but I'd tell you my vote would be for Colin Powell. Then, Thursday Cliff leaves for the Live Event in Portland which he's really excited about when he actually has time to think about it.

Me on the other hand, I've been settling into work-life at Belmont. This is a unique "assignment" that I'm on, not only in terms of the work that I'm doing but in how we transition my relationship in the office and with the students as they continue the search process for the new Director of New Student and Parent Programs. The new OC (orientation council, for those not "in" with the TT-lingo) has been selected and soon we'll be full-speed ahead on Spring Orientation. I'll tell you what, though. As much as a challenge as this kind of position is and will be, it is an honor to be there. To be learning and growing as a professional in new ways. To get to know some of the newer staff who never knew me as a student there. And to connect with some students who were still around and most whom weren't and have little to no preconceived ideas of who I am.

I'm also excited to get going with my photography apprenticeship which really gets underway this afternoon with a Bridal Portrait shoot. In the next coming weeks there will be a few weddings, too. It'll be great to see and be apart of what Zach and Jody have done such an incredible job of building over the last couple of years.

Cliff and I, in the midst of some of these full-plate moments, have been working hard to try to maintain a focus on our relationship to each other and more importantly to the Lord. It's incredible how sometimes it's when things get good that it's easy to, shall we say, "drop the ball." That our idea of maintaining any relationship can sometimes become so reactive and not pro-active.

A woman in our FPU class gave an example on Tuesday night, when talking about keeping up with your car maintenance, that I find parallels very easily with this notion of relationship maintenance. She mentioned that her husband has ingrained it in her mind to get in the car, not turn anything on except for the ignition, and just listen. When you get attuned to what things sound like when they're right, it's easier to know or sense when they're wrong. And when they are wrong, you do something about it - don't just let it go for months or years, because soon enough you'll have a pile of junk that was once a well-functioning car that just needed some upkeep. But without that foundation of listening and wholeness, you're standard will always be off.

So, all that to say, it's sometimes the big things. Like reading books. Taking an assessment. Seeing a counselor. Praying together. And more often than not, it's the small things. Like talking. Sending notes during the day. Working on puzzles together in the evening. Giving your full attention. Doing something - even the dishes - unexpectedly.

It's a challenge, but when it's a priority, you rise to it. And we hope to continue doing so as the days get busier and life just keeps moving us along.

A Job (of Sorts!)

As you all know, I had a two and a half week stint working (volunteering) at Belmont helping out with Debate stuff. Out of that has come a new opportunity that I'm really excited about!

Yesterday, I got a call from Belmont's Dean of Students offering me a job working on a new project; a certain "project" called Spring Towering Traditions Orientation. I will be the Coordinator of Orientation (an assignment created just for me!) through the end of January, as the Dean of Students Office is in the process of searching for, interviewing, and selecting the new Director of New Student and Parent Programs (which is a job I am unfortunately not yet qualified to take on).

This is a great step for me to take, as it gives me some actual professional experience beyond graduate assistantships, is in the place I want to work most right now with people I enjoy very much, and is something I am really passionate about.

So, that's exciting, right? It's all about the small steps and while it's not permanent or long term, I can't help but believe that the same lessons I've been learning over the last five months apply will apply as much in the next three months as they did before. Enough light for the next step ahead; that's all I need, Lord.

That's Our Alma Mater!

...Belmont and SNL. Awesome.

Debate Day Highlights... (Posting Live)

This is the "exciting life" of a volunteer Assistant Volunteer Coordinator...

• driving into work with the Straight Talk Express
• running with no umbrella in the rain to deliver ponchos (how ironic, right?) to some of our volunteers
• breaking and then un-breaking the law (ask me about it, sometime)
• almost getting to watch McCain's rehearsal (before having the opportunity swiped right from underneath us and our incredible volunteers on that post)
• watching both motorcades ride in a few hours apart in front of my freshman residence hall
• some of our student volunteers reflecting on their CBS Early Show experiences this morning
• seeing the look on the faces of the students who were selected to greet each candidate (and with McCain, Cindy) as they arrived, after their once in a lifetime experience
• Amy's reaction to unexpectedly getting to shake Obama's hand. "Wow, I didn't expect to I think it would be cool... but it kind of was."
• getting a CBS hat from one of my student network volunteers
• watching portions of MSNBC's "Hardball" live on the Belmont Quad
• seeing Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Sarah Palin (impersonators)
• finding out at the last minute that you have a ticket to the debate (and getting to the Beaman just after they've shut down the magnatometers and have locked down the Debate Hall)... but still having a ticket to the debate.
• having two really encouraging student volunteers to make the slow walk back to the volunteer lounge a bit less disappointing
• closing up shop knowing that despite disappointments, stress, and last minute changes, this truly was an incredible, once in a lifetime experience
  

Pre-Debate Day Life in Highlights

• getting USSS credentials
• seeing the Town Hall built, from huge curtains to red carpets to tiny sets and fake candidates
• watching Cliff own the golf cart detail all weekend
• life outside and inside the chain link fence
• living off Sonic drinks
• a visit to the Media Canteen pre-operation and seeing Anheuser-Busch neons and signs all over the place (...at Belmont)
• helicopters circling the campus non-stop
• roof-top "surveillance"
• Tom Brokaw sightings
• working with incredible students
• seeing your alma mater on every major network and then looking outside and seeing every major network (and hundreds from all over the world!) on campus

...and today has only just begun...

This is Kristine, Reporting Live

So, things are happening here at Belmont. I mean, they have been happening, but today was the day for our Volunteer Lounge to begin operating and for shuttles and security to begin their rounds. CPD is finally here, which makes this thing all real. (As if the United States Secret Service wasn't enough.) But CPD makes it happen, so it kind of feels like we've been setting up house for them to come in and host their event while we run about like a little minion of volunteers and do-gooders who are still in such a state of surreality about the Debate being here at our university.

Everyone's in generally good spirits though around here, and I can't blame. One view from our "office" is of the Nashville skyline (did I mention that earlier this week?) and the other is of the portion of campus where most of the action is taking place (i.e. the media compound known as "Spin Alley"). There was even a bit of protesting already! Can you believe it?

Cliff was supposed to be joining me here this evening for his first shift with Transportation Headquarters, but unfortunately (for me, not for him) they canceled his shift. Tomorrow and Sunday though, we'll be camped out here, which eats up our weekend (and time to clean and get laundry done), but I guess that's what Wednesday through Friday will be for me next week.

Sorry there's nothing news-worthy to report on, but when you're four days away, what can you expect? Thanks for checking in, anyways!

The End of an Era

I am officially out of the Vanderbilt system, now. How weird...

And I am entrenched, without fully being entrenched, in life at Belmont and I love it. It's busy and I get home later than usual and we have to juggle things like going to the bank and the grocery store and the post office in ways we're not accustomed to. But - and here's the biggest thing - I come home happy. Happy in the way that it felt as an undergrad when my whole life was Orientation and another hour in the office was not even something I'd blink an eye at.

Nowadays, Cliff and I sit at the dinner table for an hour and a half talking about our days, telling stories, and revelling in the stresses and joys of being where we are. Starting tomorrow, I will spend more than twelve hours a day on campus and I couldn't be happier. Seriously.

"But then, what about next Wednesday?" is what I keep thinking. And then, well, then I feel a little down. Except that little spark inside of me has been lit again and I have discovered this whole time I have been as passionate and as excited about this field as I was four years ago... it's just about the place and the people and the purpose. And I know it's out there. I just do.

Kristine is Working (For Now)

So, I've got a job. Well, sorta. It's kind of temporary and doesn't pay. At least not completely in the financial sense. But I wake up knowing that within a couple of hours I'll spend the rest of the day working on spreadsheets, attending meetings, and being quite administrative. And it helps that I'm in the place I consider a second home in this area.

You see, there's this debate coming to Belmont. Yeah, that one. The one that will happen. A couple of months ago, I volunteered to volunteer as a Belmont alum for the event. Then, a couple of weeks ago, I was asked to volunteer to shadow the volunteer coordinator for the three days leading up to what we like to call D-Day, and then of course, D-Day itself. (No, we are not going to the Debate). And then, well, then I got recruited to actually work in assistance with the volunteer coordinator with all of the logistics, details, and masses of tasks that need to be accomplished for the two weeks leading up to D-Day. So, essentially I'm the Volunteer Volunteer Coordinator. Sweet.

But really, I'm enjoying it a lot. I'm working with people I love and admire. I'm using my ridiculous spreadsheet skills. I'm in meetings with people who make Belmont happen (and consequently, the Belmont Debate, as well). And though I'm nowhere near the celebrity or glamorous aspects of our nation's presidential candidates coming on campus, I'm getting to see all of the behind the scenes stuff that's making this all possible. It's a crash course in college and university management, student engagement, political discourse, and event planning all in one.

And it doesn't hurt that it's nice to feel useful.

Atlanta and Back Again

Random Thought: I still think it's funny that I live in a place where it's not uncommon to see people like the member of FFH who just walked by my table at the coffee shop. (I don't think it's funny, though, that I would admit to even recognizing a member of that group.)

Atlanta was great! Belmont SIFE won Regional Champions for our league, so we'll be going on to compete at the National Competition in Chicago in May. Besides that, our team placed as finalists in three individual topics (Success Skills, Market Economics, and Business Ethics), which means we're a top 20 team in those categbories. At Nationals we'll see whether we've placed in the top 3. All in all, a quick but great trip. The presenters were excellent and really did a great job of representing the work that all of our students have been doing to impact and serve our community.

On our way home last night, we got rounds of calls about the Belmont-Duke game from a variety of individuals (including my dad, my grandpa - who was in attendance at the game, Cliff, everyone's friends, and Marcia's boyfriend). It was crazy those last ten minutes or so. We've never been so close to something so significant, and riding in an eight passenger van with four current students and a professor was a fun place to be. The other van actually stopped to watch the end of the game in a motel lobby. Die-hards. But alas, we came a hair (not Hare) short and gave Duke a good run for their money. I am still very proud.

When we got back last night, some stranger came to pick me up, when I was expecting my husband. I had to admit this stranger was quite handsome and had an uncanny resemblance to Cliff, minus a great deal of hair. So, I hopped in the car and went back to his place and spent the night with him. It wasn't until the morning when I woke up to the lull of a familiar snore that I realized that stranger was, in fact, my husband. (Lucky me!) Here's what I mean...


Whenever Cliff starts growing his beard in the fall, people rag on him and pester me with quesitons about how I feel about it. I love it, of course. It grows in well, he keeps it trimmed, and he looks like a rugged mountain man. But I'll admit after four and a half months, I get a brand new, clean-shaven, younger looking husband that reminds me of our younger dating days and that's exciting. Then, come November, I get the other one back. Keeps things interesting, for sure!

Baby Love

I know we've mentioned the numerous babies that our Sunday School class has recently been blessed with. It's so fun just watching how they grow and how their parents grow and change with the addition of a new little one. We've recently had good times with Ava, Caden, Elise, and Miss Hailey who's pictured here with me at the Larews' going away party on Sunday (notice Andy's handy PhotoShop skills?).

Just thought I'd show you how ridiculously cute she is and is just one of many lovelies that have come along and are still yet to come! (Baby Elliott, Jackson Larew, Baby Faught, Baby Jones, Baby Capurso, and Baby Krehbiel... one every month from May through October/November!).

In other news, I'm off to Atlanta today and tomorrow with the Belmont SIFE team for Regionals. Wish us luck and lift up some prayers. There's a lot of pressure riding on these students to live up to the precedent set by our teams from the last two years, and I believe they can do it - but there's a lot of great service being done in this country and we're one among many. Besides that, I've been walking in Cliff's shoes from last year and they're pretty big to fill... no pressure though.

Pray that Cliff survives the night, morning, and day with me away. You'd think I was leaving forever the way he's going on about it. I can't deny, though, it makes me feel pretty darn special. Sigh :)