Christmas Break!

It's been a while since I've posted. My friends keep on telling me that I need to post something new, but I have tried to not post anything unless something significant has happened. I guess I'm going to try to break that habit and try to post more often, and really reveal myself. I wouldn't know that I have so many avid readers out there since no one comments on anything...HINT HINT.
Anyways, I have finished my first semester at Geneva College. It has been a sweet semester and I couldn't have asked for a better start to this new chapter in life. I still look back at it and think that I shouldn't be where I am right now. Being at a different Christian College has been a breathe of fresh air. It has given me perspective in the things that I should look for when seeking my next job at a Christian institution. I definitely loved my time at Covenant, and don't have any regrets. I learned a lot about myself, and gained valuable experiences, but hindsight is 20/20.
I think what has made my transition so easy to Geneva has been the RD's. You guys are great and have made me feel welcome, loved and appreciated. I've told some of you this before but I think I lost confidence in myself socially when I was at Covenant. My life was my job, and I had no social life outside of it. I didn't have peers to confide in and I felt like I was a burden to my peers. I couldn't be myself....it was weird. It's been the total opposite at Geneva and the RD's are the main reason for this change.

Totally switching subjects now. I am at home in South Pas. I love home and I'm proud that I'm from LA. I love that movies are filmed in my town. I love that I get to watch the Lakers on TV. I love my house and my bed. I love being able to sleep in everyday when I'm here. I love my Mom's home cooking, and all the great food here. I could probably write a whole post on different places to eat in LA. I love that I get to come home to sunshine and warm weather no matter what month it is.
(Preface: I can't believe I'm saying this but it's really how I feel.)
It's always bitter sweet though because I don't have too many friends here anymore. I definitely regret not keeping up with High School friends, but that is another post. There is SO MUCH to do here but there is no one to do it with...wow that sounds really depressing. I guess what I'm trying to say is, that I can't wait for the day I can bring my wife( God willing) and show her around. I want to take her to Disneyland and take pictures with Mickey hats. I want to go to the "Price is Right" and try to win "A BRAND NEW CAR!!!" I want to drive her in my mom's convertible with the top down and ride up and down Pacific Coast Highway. I want to take her on top of Mulholland Drive at night and stare at the LA lights.

So what does an RD do? Well, the picture to the left is a brief snapshot of a day in the life. This past Saturday the RD's in the apartments hosted Thanksgiving Dinner for our residents. We had about 150 students show up so thank goodness we made 5 Turkeys. I just want to say thank you to my mom for cooking Thanksgiving dinner all these years. It's no easy task, and carving a turkey is no easy thing either. Those things are hot, greasy, and hot....
Brian(another RD) and I went shopping Friday night and joked around about what it means to work in Student Development. In every job description for Student Development you will always see the following words, "any other tasks or responsibilities given to you by the Dean of Students and/or other supervisors".
This means that you will become good at random things. This list includes but are not limited too;
1. Buying massive amounts of food from Wal-Mart or Sam's Club
2. Trying to guesstimate how many students will show up for an event.
3. Carrying massive amounts of food and drinks into cramp spaces, in severe whether conditions.
4. Going to meetings with a smile...sometimes.
5. Setting up and cleaning up for events.
6. Closing off the month of August for some type of training, Orientation, or welcome week.
7. Grabbing "coffee" to catch up with students, co-workers and friends.

A list of things that I never thought I'd be doing for my last 2 jobs.
1. Cutting wood posts in a shirt and tie with a hacksaw.
2. Dressing up in 80's clothes while rollerskating with students till 3am.
3. Apologizing to Aquarium authorities for near deaths to fish, turtles and other exotic marine creatures.
4. Defrosting 5 turkeys in my bathtub and cutting 10 onions the next morning.
5. Taking multiple trips on a bus or in a van to and from the airport at ungodly hours.
6. Making students do stupid games that I created in college for Rec Classes, for bonding purposes.
7. Convincing people that I am not a student, but a worker at the college....Do I really look that young?
8. Hearing, an improve skit quoted to me EVERYDAY...."I'm Scott Hwang, you don't even know!" is so dead to me, but the students here don't realize it.

Back from NCMSLC

This past weekend I attended the National Christian Multi-Cultural Student Leadership Conference. I along with 3 other staff members and some 50 plus students made the trip to Eastern University near Philadelphia, PA. As soon as we arrived the students received a lecture from Tony Campolo. Tony spoke on different controversial topics like homosexuality and illegal immigration. His theories on these topics were outside of the box and something you wouldn't think a "Christian" would say. But that was the purpose of Tony's talk, to start conversation and a mentality of approaching things in a different way. Students were exposed to several different speakers and presenters throughout the weekend.

I attended a workshop on racism and was challenged by the speakers theories and philosophies towards it. According to Ernest Crosby, when we get frustrated or angry when we see or experience racism it is because we personally haven't dealt with the pain and sores that we have within ourselves. We have sores and scabs over our hearts, and when we get rubbed in the wrong way the sores and scabs are exposed. We need to come to peace with ourselves and begin the healing process. We also are called to speak up when we see or experience racism. If someone tells a racial joke or when a racial act occurs we need to call them out. We are afraid to offend or to cause trouble but without exposing racism it will always be a part our society. Racism will die if we talk about it openly, and more and more people begin to understand why something is offensive.
I was convicted by Ernest' words, because I often step back or don't say anything when something bothers me racially. I got to put this conviction into action when a student from another college said a racial joke about Japanese people while presenting to the larger group. I pulled her aside and told her that I was offended by the joke. I'm not sure how if she really understood why I pulled her aside but I was happy that I talked to her about it and got my feelings off my chest. Hopefully she will think about what she says in the future.

My favorite part of the weekend overall was that I got to meet several students from Geneva and bond with them. It's amazing how one weekend brings people together. It was great to laugh and joke around with students in a different setting.

Life and Death

I received a call this morning from my Mom. I knew what the call was about once I saw that it was her calling. My uncle finally lost his battle with cancer. After going in and out of remission, the cancer spread through his body and finally took its toll.
I got to speak to my uncle about a month ago on the phone, I kind of thought that it would be the last time I would get to talk to him. He kept on giving me advice and lecturing me on different things. Till the end he was still looking out for me.
When I was a little kid he use to reward me every Sunday for going to church. I would get a pack of baseball cards and a slurpee from 7-11. We would go over to his house and I would make him watch "Spaceballs" over and over again, but he would sit there with me every time. We use to go on hikes together and he would always have his whistles and hand them out in case someone got lost. He LOVED nature and being outside. He loved baseball. Maybe thats where I get my passion for the Red Sox. I remember watching the Kirk Gibson homerun with him in 88. Life was so simple then. Everyone in my family loved everyone and there was no complications.
As I grew up more and started putting things together, I realized that my uncle was at the center of lots of drama on my mothers side of the family. I have been pretty upset with him and placed a lot of blame on him for not being able to get together for holidays, and coming in between siblings, but I realize now that he was just a human and he made some mistakes.

I forgive you Sam-chun and I love you. Thanks for loving me and caring for me.

Picking Up the Pieces as I try to live redemptively

It's amazing how things in one aspect of my life can be going so well and how things in another are so broken. My weekend sums it up in a nutshell. I had a really relaxing day off yesterday which included hanging out with some of the RD's playing some video games, going out to Chipotle for dinner and doing some shopping at the mall.

I called my mom last night and she gave me word that my uncle who has been battling cancer for the last 3 years is finally conceding and will let the disease take its course. Mentally and physically he can't handle any more chemo and he just wants to be now. The cancer has now spread throughout his body and only time will tell how long he will last.
My Dad is thinking about taking a job in Florida which would mean that my mom would try to go back and forth from LA to check up on my our house and my sister who is currently living at home. This necessarily isn't a bad thing but it adds more complications into things. Like, where do I go for Christmas break? and my mom also said, "it would be nice if you could live at home with your sister during your summer off..." (Not my idea of a great summer...and my heart has been set to go back to camp this summer)
The final blow I took this weekend was that I got word that one of my old co-workers from Covenant, Rod passed away last night from a heart attack. Rod was an awesome man of God. He was in charge of facilities services and always had a smile on his face. I would see him working at 7am making sure the campus was ready for Orientation and at 12am cleaning up after a big event. I never say him not working hard. He empowered me and trusted me with decisions I didn't think I had the authority to make. He was so genuine and loved Covenant and loved people at Covenant. I know he is in a better place which softens the blow but he will be missed a lot. RIP Peace Rod. You're the man and I know you're smiling down on us now!

Life as an RD

I always wondered what RD's did during the day, or how they always claimed to be so busy. I now understand. Its difficult to explain but somehow your time just disappears even though you don't work from 9-5 or have set office hours. Although I can't claim that I have been woke up at 2am...yet. I do constantly feel that I am "on call". I never feel like my job is done and I can understand how RD's can get stir crazy.

If you ever wonder what people do in student development they are probably
A. In a meeting
B. On the phone trying to figure out when their next meeting is
or
C. In a meeting

So while trying to build relationships, being a "politician", making sure my building is functioning, and trying to live life. I definitely am enjoying it. There is no other job like it.

Following God's will

Lots of things have happened since my last post. I recently took a job as Resident Director position at Geneva College. About 3 and half weeks ago I received an email about a job opportunity at Geneva. The main benefit would be that I could receive free tuition towards earning my Masters Degree.
At first I ignored the email but for some reason could not keep it out of my mind. I decided to talk it over with my roommate Tim. We spoke for about an hour and by the end of the conversation he had motivated me to at least put my name in the hat. Things quickly progressed and I soon had a phone interview and before I knew what to do I was offered the job.
Leaving Covenant was one of the hardest decisions I have had to make in my life. After much prayer and many conversations with people I trusted, I came to the conclusion that God had opened this window and I needed to take the leap. I notified my supervisors and gave them only a few days notice. They were extremely gracious and were excited for me. I called students that I was close with and told them the news. Again, most if not all took the news graciously and supported me in my decision.
I packed up my belongings, loaded up a UHAUL, and towed my car 12 hours to Beaver Falls, PA. I was warmly welcomed and have hit the ground running. Since my move, I have been through RD training and am about to wrap up RA training. New Student Orientation will begin next week and the classes will begin in about 2 weeks.
Do I miss Covenant? Yes.
Do I feel like I'm suppose to be at Geneva? Yes.
Does God ask us to do crazy things and trust him? YES.