Every year in the spring, Covenant holds a music festival called BakerTree. Students from all over campus come together to play music - whether it be original songs they wrote or songs from well-known artists and bands. Traditionally, it’s been on the chapel lawn with the musicians playing on the chapel steps. This year, it was on the held on the Dottie Brock Lawns with the musicians playing in the breezeway of Brock Hall.

It’s always a great time. It was such an incredibly beautiful day yesterday too… tables and chairs were set out on the lawn for people to sit and listen, and then dinner was moved outside while we continued to enjoy some great music. Covenant even brought in some bouncy castles for students/staff to enjoy.

The Economy of Sound (Asher Payne and Zach Terrell)

In the evening, a concert was hosted featuring the two student bands Left-Handed (Chris Nystrom and co.) and The Economy of Sound (Asher Payne and co.). It was phenomenal. The vast majority of the songs they performed were originals, including the song Ivory Ivory which The Economy of Sound performed at Mountain Affair last year (and won 1st place with). It was a great performance.

Blake Bozarth, a junior at Covenant, recently founded and is president of the Debate Society at Covenant. I thought I would share it with you avid and aspiring intellectuals who enjoy a good debate. Here is a little information about their recent successes in the tournament The Patrick Henry Communicator Classic from the Covenant website.

Two Covenant students finished in the top five overall as the newly formed Covenant College Debate Society competed in its first tournament, The Patrick Henry Communicator Classic, at Patrick Henry College on January 24, 2009.  As part of the National Forensics Association (NFA), the tournament hosted 33 students from four schools, including Covenant and North Carolina State. Covenant’s young Debate Society made an impressive showing. Zach Robbins ‘12 finished in third place overall and captured the first place speaker award. Blake Bozarth ‘10 finished in fifth place overall and earned the second place speaker award. Along with Robbins and Bozarth, four other Debate Society members competed: Hannah Vanbiber ‘11, John Rogers ‘09, Ali Morgan ‘11, and Rosemary Shelden ‘12.  Vanbiber received the thirteenth place speaker award. Click to continue »

I went to Knoxville last night for a concert called AFTERdark. It was hosted by Kanakuk Kamps. There was a speaker named Joe White, and Matt Wertz, along with a few other artists, sang and played worship music. It was right on UT campus… in the fraternity park called Fiji Island. It was incredible. I went with Olivia, Jen, and Pelts.. three good friends from school.

There is a group on facebook that talks about what AFTERdark is and what their mission is. Check it out here.

Every year, down on the beautiful lawns of Coolidge Park, Chattanooga hosts a swing dance festival for anyone and everyone to come to. It’s just an awesome night that is full of good jazz and swing music played by a live band, along with some pretty amazing swing dancing. I went down with my hall, the Five Points, on Saturday night… along with our sister hall, Chi Alpha. It was incredible.

It brought back a lot of good memories of my first few times being at Covenant… and actually being taught how to swing dance at some of the dances that Covenant threw - Jazz on the Overlook, Castle in the Clouds, Spring Banquet.. to name but a few of them. Good memories.

Be looking out for the CAMPUS PREVIEW WEEKEND that is coming up soon near the end of March!

On March 27-29, 2008, Covenant is hosting Campus Preview Weekend. The weekend provides an exceptional opportunity for prospective students and their parents to experience Covenant up close and personal, so that students may make informed decisions about where they might be spending four invaluable years of learning and living. Campus Preview Weekend is specifically designed to provide comprehensive and helpful answers to your questions regarding Covenant.

Tonight is Spring Banquet at Covenant. Every spring, we have a big dinner and dance down in Chattanooga. The last few years it’s been hosted at the Hunter Museum of Amercan Art. It’s always a beautiful place to have it. From the amazing dinner to the dancing and music to the fact that it’s held in a beautiful art gallery — Spring Banquet is always a lot of fun.

Jonathan, one of my friends, is coming over to my room in the next half hour to get spiffed up with me. I’m wearing a black pin stripe suit over a white button down shirt… Jonathan is going to let me borrow some of his cuff links and a tie — maybe pink? We’ll see. It’s going to be a good time. This year, we’re having a DJ play music on the veranda, and downstairs in the main lobby, we’re having a live jazz band play swing music! I’m excited - I learned how to swing last summer and since being at Covenant, and I definitely enjoy it.

I’ll put pictures up in the next couple days…

I pulled out the shorts and flip-flops today. It felt so amazing outside. Nothing beats the start of spring on the mountain. It’s so incredibly beautiful. I’ve had dinner outside the last two nights… just eating, relaxing with friends, talking, and enjoying being at Covenant. It’s nice to be able to appreciate where you go to school and to actually enjoy being in a place of work and school. I won’t deny that there are hardships, struggles, and times of discouragement here… but that’s part of life.

I had a Finite Math exam earlier this afternoon. Saying “it was hard” wouldn’t do justice… maybe it’s just my tendency to cramp up and forget information when I take tests, but it was definitely one of the harder and more frustrating ones. We’re not allowed to use calculators which is a frustration when the vast majority of the problems deal with algebraic equations. Whatever… it’s done, and I did my best.

I’m going to work on some Doctrine homework tonight, as well as try and get some research done for my Management project coming up. My group’s topic is “Offshoring.” It’s going to be an interesting project. I’m excited about it.

Yesterday was the start of Scholarship Weekend on campus. There are some 180 students previewing on campus, the vast majority (or all) of which are applying for a major scholarship - anything from the Maclellan Scholarship, the Donaldson Science Scholarship, the Business Scholarship, the Education Scholarship, and a vast array of other ones that I can’t remember..

It’s been a lot of fun so far. The junior varsity basketball guys played against the faculty and Covenant staff in a game of basketball tonight. It was funny - President Nielson refereed the game.

I should be in bed right now… goodness, I have six classes tomorrow, the first of which is starting at 8:00 a.m. I love Fridays.

Chorale is singing their final Christmas concert, along with the Covenant orchestra and Madrigal Singers, tonight at 7:30 p.m. in the Covenant Chapel. I’m excited… my parents are coming up to see me and Bets sing (along with the rest of the chorale, obviously). I do believe this will be the first time I have ever sung or performed on stage in front of my parents.

It’s going to be good, so be there. We’re singing four a capella songs — Joy to the World, Lux Arumque, Sing We Now of Christmas, and What Sweeter Music Can We Bring… followed by several other songs with the orchestra from “The Many Moods of Christmas,” suites 1 and 3.

Statistics exam tomorrow morning at 7:00.

Mac Movie Night tonight at 8:00 p.m. in the Chapel.

And Thanksgiving Break starting on Tuesday night…