I feel as if we, as humans, forget that we are NOT living forever. We let each day go by without doing anything of significance. This picture/quote I found on Pinterest reminded me of that reality. While I do not find my “truth” from Pinterest, some of those quotes that show up on your feed can really get to you sometimes; which is why this picture is this weeks “Pick of the Week.”
Today during my devos, I read Matthew 22 and was reminded of the command to love the Lord with my heart, soul, mind and strength. This is the greatest commandment. AKA a non-negotiable. There’s really no option as a believer. So if I’m not doing this, if I’m not giving the Lord EVERYTHING that I have, how can I expect everything else to fall into place?
I feel like the summer is a great time to be unwillingly stripped of distractions. I mean, I just moved back home from college, my best friends are scattered around the US, and my busy life has come to halt. Honestly, it’s God’s grace that I am virtually alone, because it is during this time that I have no choice but to lean on him.
So, step 1 of the summer is to focus on the Lord. I want to dwell in His presence. If I’m seeking Him with my whole heart, I WILL find him. That is a promise He gives in Jeremiah. I don’t need to seek people or opportunities…I need to seek God and those things will come to me. And if you seek the Lord, those things will come to you too.
Lakeland, FL – It was One Big Night at Southeastern University on Thursday, April 26. Six hundred students, faculty, staff and administration gathered together to celebrate the past year and cast vision for the future. The night encapsulated three major festivities: Regale, Fire Awards, and after-party.
“The event was the dream of Chris Owen [Vice President of Student Development]. He wanted to close out the year with a night that would have so much hype and excitement that students couldn’t help but love our school,” said Brianna Kuck, the Executive Campus Wide Events Coordinator who oversaw this event.
While One Big Night went off without any noticeable hitches, it was no small task to pull such a large-scale event together. Over a month of preparation went into making One Big Night the success that it was. From the time that Chris Owen presented the event to the directors, many parties were involved in making One Big Night come to fruition. There was a group of students, with representation from all student life departments, who met several times every week for four weeks up until event day. The Student Body Leadership Council (SBLC), the Department of Spiritual Formation (DSF), the First Year Experience (FYE), Residence Life, and athletics teamed up on three different committees to execute this three-part event.
“I liked that we could plan something that could involve all the student development departments…It was good because we got different perspectives and ideas,” Liz Colburn, SBLC assistant project manager, said.
One Big Night began with Regale, a banquet dinner in Tuscana Ristorante, at 5:30 p.m. Kendall Altmyer, a student coordinator for FYE, led this endeavor. With the help of Conference Services and Chartwells, Altmyer was able to transform Tuscana from a university cafeteria with simple meals into a classy dining hall with sophisticated cuisines.
“I really liked the atmosphere and set up of the event. It was a lot nicer than I thought it would be…it felt like a wedding! And all I have to say is that Chartwells is holding out on us!“ Chloe Santana, a One Big Night attendee, said about Regale.
At the dinner, pre-Fire Awards trophies were presented, giving recognition to outstanding athletes and exceptional on-campus clubs.
Following Regale, attendees were escorted to Bush Chapel via golf cart for the Red Carpet Experience in which Fire Award nominees were given red carpet treatment as they entered the ceremony. With cameras flashing and interviews occurring, nominees couldn’t avoid feeling famous.
The first annual Fire Awards ceremony began promptly at 7:30 p.m. with Nate Fleming, Mr. SEU 2012, taking the stage to do what he does best: stand-up comedy. The hosts for the evening were SEU’s Homecoming King and Queen, Seth Spencer and Lizzie Charleton. The ceremony featured a variety of awards, including “Most Likely to Get Arrested on the Mission Field” and “Most Likely to Play Guitar on El Prado,” which were voted on by the student body. There were also special awards given to student leaders from each student life department, including “Best SBLC Event of the Year” presented to Arin Nicholson and his team who planned the Homecoming Bonfire.
There were also performance highlights of the year from Sarah Grinder, winner of Hard Rock Talent, and the infamous Shake-n-Bake dance from TNL.
“It was nerve racking [planning the Fire Awards ceremony] not only because it was the very first Fire Awards, but it was also my very first time planning an event as an assistant project manager…It was liberating though because there were no expectations to live up to [because it had never been done before],” Colburn said in regards to executing the Fire Awards show.
One Big Night was concluded with an after-party in the quad of Destino and Esperanza at 9 p.m. Corin Hoag, a Campus Wide Events Project Manager for SBLC and coordinator of this portion of the night, partnered with Res Life to produce one pumped up party. The party featured a dress up goofy photo booth, hotdogs, drinks, tug-of-war with slime, a volleyball tournament, and more.
“I’m so proud of everyone who pulled together for this event,“ said Kuck, “We hadn’t done anything like this before, so we didn’t know how it would go. But excitingly, it looks like Southeastern has made a new tradition.”
brikuck 