Wow, let me just say, it has been a whirlwind of a past few weeks. I started my final year of undergraduate school on August 26th, but about a week and a half before that, I moved into a house with 5 other people (and our lovely exit signs) as a part of Belmont’s 15th Avenue Community through University Ministries “Service Year” program. Basically, we all come together to live in community with one another, while also learning what it means to serve in the broader Nashville community. For me, that is doing after school tutoring at the Edgehill Public Library, just minutes away from campus. For others, it’s working with the feeding programs for the homeless around Nashville, and learning how those work, for some it’s being an urban gardener for a foodbank on the east side of Nashville. A lot of great things are happening in small ways around here, and I’m excited to be a part of it. So, not only have I had the pleasure of taking a bunch of classes I really like this semester (Yay for Gender Studies and Eco-Justice and Faith!), I’ve also had the pleasure of learning to live with 5 very different, but all very amazing, people. And we’ve only been at it for a few weeks now, but I already feel like I’ve learned a lot about myself and about community and what that means for Christians. In addition to serving the Nashville community, we also try to serve the Belmont community by having two nights a month set aside for discussions about issues: the Church, and it’s role in society and our lives; service and what that looks like and actually means; race and it’s pertinence in our lives, how it divides and how we can be reconciled; and whatever other issues may be on the hearts of our fellow students. Finally, we have a potluck once a month, where can all come together and simply celebrate being together in community over good food. I’m so excited for this year I can’t even put it all into words, but I will definitely try!