I Am A Part Of The Wesleyan Singers At North Carolina Wesleyan College

Each year in the fall semester, Christopher Newport University’s six a cappella singing groups put on a glow-in-the-dark showcase event in the Ferguson Center for the Arts called “Glow in the Darcappella.” These CNU student groups include: Expansion, Extreme Measure, The Newport Pearls, Take Note, Trebled Youth, and University Sounds. This year, the event was held on a Friday night, October 23rd, and was a sold out

As the only white individual entering the church on Sunday I felt extremely out of place and very uncomfortable, at first. Upon entering the church, before I could even find a place to sit, the pastor came to welcome me and showed me a place to sit for the service. The pastor was very kind and so welcoming that my nervousness and worry started to vanish. Once I was seated and more people entered the church, I was treated as if I had always been there and was part of the group. Although I was the minority at the service I did feel very comfortable with my surroundings and with the people in attendance. The whole experience was very interesting and broadened my perspective on the African American culture.

It is a very well known church that is in Indiana that I’ve never been to before. When I first walked in everyone was so welcoming and friendly. It is a Baptist church with a lot of people in it. During the service the pastor asked if there were any visitors and he asked us to stand. All the members clapped and smiled and the people around me shook my hand and were very kind. The church was very nice before going into the sanctuary there were paintings all over and going in you could tell they were technically savvy. Because it’s a big church, they have big screens so people way in the back can see. They even have a tech station where they do mic checks and they project stuff on to the screens. It was a very nice church and service and I would like to

To join this group from the first place, I used my ethical appeal to gain the group leader’s trust by showing how I’m willing to commit myself and my time for the church. I also went to every activities that our church hosts such as, Wednesday night worship, Friday night bible study, Saturday night choir practice, and Sunday worship service. From the very beginning, I knew that spending every weekend in church; practicing song will not be as fun comparing to those who spend their weekend at park, beach, lake, movie, and shopping. I also

I also help out my church extensively with benefit dinners, and I will provide my singing talents to them whenever they need them; I was even asked to join their church board as a Junior Member.

The first thing I noticed was how small the room was; more than two dozen chairs were lined up against all the walls of the room and in the center was a special table with a microphone on top of it. The meeting I went to was a speaker meeting, which meant one individual told his story of his life and how he came to be in AA. So sitting there in the centered table was the speaker. I made sure to not make eye contact as my eyes roamed to inspect the room. I felt a little tense, but then realized no one else did. At the moment I thought of how devastating what these people were going through was. I suddenly felt a pang of sadness as I scanned the room and noticed how completely ordinary the individuals in the room

For an observation of an AA meeting my classmate and I made arrangements to go to an open meeting at Our Lady Star Of The Sea Church, which was held in a basement during a Tuesday afternoon session at 4:00 p.m. I first looked up the sessions online on a website where it held all the meetings on Staten Island and this one fit my schedule well. Its not unusual for me to be attending or visiting churches but for this assignment it did feel a little out of my comfort zone, because I didn’t know what to expect or what others would think of me. I chose a seat in the back corner that wouldn’t be too obvious yet it seemed like a typical seat for a newbie to sit at. The room was fairly large and I was surprised at how big the crowd got at least 30 plus people attended.

My classmate and I managed to find each other in church parking lot and made our way through the cloud of smoke and into the building. We entered a large hall filled with people of all ages. There were at least 50 people there; sitting, standing, hugging, talking and laughing. A couple of people were running a raffle in a corner. Coffee brewed in the small kitchen. I grew up catholic and this had the distinct feeling of being a church function.

When we had first arrived at the church, I found it was in an odd location. The building connects with a Crossfit gym, that is between two other buildings. As we entered an old man held the door for the three of us and welcomed us. We walked in, having two other gentlemen welcoming us and referring to us as ladies. The room was a lot smaller than I had expected. There was around twenty people at the meeting. We sat in the fifth or sixth row. The front of the room is where the pulpit stood, which is where the pastor taught. There was also a table with the word “Remember” engraved in it. On the table sat two plates for money donations. I looked around the room and noticed all the posters on the walls. Many of them reference the crucifixion of Christ, with a scripture on it. The room had fake plants everywhere! They were on the ground, hanging on the walls, etc. It was to invite spring into the

As ridiculous as it may sound as a white male my services are rather well dull and boring so the service I attended was an African American service. Needless to say they are rather vibrant and exuberant. I have a rather long beard but dressed for the occasion with a suit and slicked my hair back to look as professional as possible. Upon walking in I was of course asked why I was there I simply told them that I was wanting to try a different church and I had come across their church. I was informed to sit anywhere I like so I just sat towards the back in the corner as to not draw to much attention to myself and simply take in all the things that they do.

A church had agreed to lets us live in their church for three days. The church was beautiful. It was a large, looming, castle like, church that on it’s own would have seemed huge. But it wasn’t on it’s own. It was right in the middle of the city, right next to a bunch of skyscrapers, which is a shame because it muffles the awesomeness of the church. The church looks old from the exterior but the inside proves just how new it is. It has three stories, and a basement. It has mounted tvs everywhere, and two full elevators. It was a pretty cool place, but it didn't have those windows I loved so

As a musician I want to learn as much as I can in order to excel in music as a trade after college. I have recently been accepted to the Interharmony Music Festival in Acqui Terme Italy to sing and collaborate with other young musicians. I would like to be considered for the Fort Dodge Choral Society Scholarship because it would allow me to grow as a musician by helping me to afford the program tuition in Italy for summer music study. I believe this music festival will greatly enrich my musicianship and further prepare me for graduate studies auditions in the coming year.

On the first evening of service, I was prepared, yet scared that I would say something wrong or the children there would

We had just moved across town from League City, Texas to Cypress, Texas, and my husband Mark and just moved his business from Downtown, Texas to Cypress, Texas. And this is the part where God was working, as we were seeking the place where He wanted us to be. I had been talking with my sister, who was helping me settle into our new house, and telling her that we were interested in finding a non-denominational church, and wouldn’t it be wonderful if it could be close by. While my sister was reading the “subdivision newsletter”, and this was all taking place while we were talking about where to attend church, she jumped out of the chair she was sitting in, ran over to me and said, “Bunnie, here is the church you are looking for, it is right in the neighborhood”. Of course, I was so excited, and promptly told my husband we have to go and check this church out. So, that Sunday we went to what started out as Fairfield Christian Fellowship, and today is known as Fountain of Life Church of God, pastored by John and Kerry LaLonde. The church met at that time in the pastor’s home, so it was a smaller church body, with about 30 people in attendance that particular Sunday. Everyone was welcoming and friendly, the praise and worship was wonderful, the uncompromised word of God preached, that is when we knew this is where God wanted

I entered into the worship service, unaware of what to expect. I was not familiar with this church, it was a non-denominational church, but the pastor had his roots in the A.M.E. Zion Church and branched out to establish his own church. I walked into the sanctuary prepared to participate in the Sunday School. I found a seat and readied myself to engage in some meaningful discussion. After sitting for several minutes, I asked one of the gentlemen who was standing at the front of the church if they had already started and where was the lesson coming from. He looked at his watch and indicated that he didn’t know if we had time for Sunday School. A puzzled look came over my face and I couldn’t help but express my confusion as I looked at