Jennifer: Why we rock :)

Hi there all,

I feel like Ubuntu is a pretty cool group of folks - just thought you should know.

Ubuntu just sent in over $200 which we raised by making solidarity bracelets and pins. People still wear them - myself included. I love mine. It was especially cool to be wearing when I was working with Haitian displaced persons in the Dominican over spring break.

Tonight Kristen gave a presentation about the creation of a safe zone on campus. She did a great job getting people talking - we filled a whole white board with ideas! I'm sooo happy it went so well and that so many people came. I think it's easy for LGBTQ alliances to get swept under the rug here at Bluffton but people were really respectful today and it is obvious that people want to change things on campus. The presentation was in Stutzman and it was way over 1/2 full.

Friday is "Cabaret for a Cause" - we're putting on a great show of student and faculty musical talent complete with a house band and refreshments. In case your interested in coming its 9 pm in Bobs and we're asking for a $3 donation but if you want to give more that's great. All the money is going for MCC.

Coming up in April Karla is in charge of a walk to raise money for the West Ohio food bank. Last year FCSA sponsored a walk and it was incredibly successful so I'm sure this will be no different. Ubuntu is planning on walking.

On the same day as the walk Shawn is helping raise money for Young Life through a pancake breakfast. He's got signs all around campus so I hope he gets a lot of support!

Plus like 1/2 of Riley Court is in Shining Through and they spent their entire spring break touring around and spreading God's love through song and worship.

I mean I don't mean to brag about us all...but I think we're all just really cool. I'm so glad I live here. I hear that Res. Life is trying to make the other theme housing group permanent after this year and I would love to see an "Ubu-Jr" next year. The problem is almost everyone is graduating and some of the rest of us will be gone next semester for a variety of reasons. No matter what happens I think this is one of the best Riley Courts ever...but I might be a little biased ;)

Jennifer: Update time (aka when I should be sleeping...)

Hey all,

I can't believe we're at midterms already. It is weird to think soon we'll be winding down the school year! Looking back so far it's been a whole lot of fun but certainly some challenges. 3 Ubuntu members have lost one of their grandparents since September and there have been other close calls so we're all getting a little better at learning to be there for each other even in the hard times - cards filled with love, friends taking each others' chores, roommates cleaning, organizing, and doing the other's laundry, or maybe just a hug and some chocolate when you hear a sniffle from around the corner...I think it's little things like that that make a big difference. Personally I'm really bad about death - I never feel like I know what to say or do. I've never lost anyone I've been really close so I feel awkward because I know I don't understand what they're feeling as they grieve. I'm learning that sometimes that's ok. I don't need to have words for everything. Like I've been learning in a couple of my classes around 90% of communication isn't verbal.

Other things you might want to be aware of...Ubuntu ran a fundraiser in coordination with Crush Week (Bren-Dell Hall Asssociation) to help the Haiti Water Project. We made solidarity bracelets out of old red, blue, and white (Haiti's colors) tshirts and lace. We also made ribbons to pin. Thanks to all the seashells my grandma donated for Peace and Justice Christmas we had leftover so attached one to each ribbon. Only after selling these for a week did we find out from Troy Osborne that apparently a shell means your going on a pilgrimage...oops! Hopefully Andie can get on soon and let you know exactly how much money was raised but it was a really good effort. I think we were all surprised by the outpouring of support from the students and staff. We actually had to make extra because we were backordered! Speaking of, thanks to the anonymous t-shirt donors who helped us fill out our order!

By the end of the school year we hope to have created a cookbook made of our favorite recipes to sell as a fundraiser so be on the lookout! It's gonna be great - some highlights - Judah makes pita bread, Kristen just made granola, I tend to make leftover-food baked goods (think pear cookies - who knew?), Jason and Andie don't have recipes but create deliciousness every time, and then there's our dietics major Karla who can't possibly make anything bad! Mmm mmm good :)

Jennifer: Getting into the swing of things

I feel like this semester is going to be a long one. We're just starting the fourth week back and I'm still not feeling quite into the swing of it all. Ubuntu has been really great. I know I probably haven't been taking my share of cleaning duties but I know that tha's ok. Today when I thought I had lost an envelope with money I saw Kristen and she helped calm me down. She told me not to worry, cause I would find it and sure enough I did. I'm so glad I've been able to become friends with all these great people I never knew last year. I can hardly imagine what it's going to be like next year. I would LOVE for there to be an "Ubu- Jr." as Andie says but I'm afraid that things would not be as cool as this year if I did it again. As if it wouldn't live up to my expectations, especially since I'll be gone first semester. I really admire Kelsey for braving it and coming back into our community even though she'd been gone and changed so much. I've absolutely loved having her here this semester! We're always welcome for one more single lady on the floor ;)

Jennifer: Welcome back

Happy Martin Luther King Jr Day! We're watching "The Bachelor" and eating "Momma Arnold's" pumpkin bars to celebrate. As Christine would say, "Yes, we're that pathetic." But I would argue that we're pretty cool. Where else do you see eight friends hanging out just cause? You can learn a lot about people by watching "The Bachelor" together. For example, most people might not guess Judah has this really sarcastic, dry sense of humor at the same time he mends his pants. Or the way that Andie is currently interrogating the girls about their kissing history making fun of the show. And Kelsey trying to study but paying more attention to the texts from her sister clueing us in to what's apparently going to happen at the end of the episode. Downstairs some of the guys are watching WWE...I think I prefer The Bachelor, haha. If anyone ever wants to come joing our Monday evening tv parties feel free to come on over to Riley Court :)

Jennifer: End of the semester

As this semester draws to a close, I realize how much I love living in Ubuntu. I'm probably reiterating a lot of what you've heard already but it doesn't feel like a dorm over here. It feels like a home and a family. It feels so natural. I love that I can sit out in the kitchen to do my homework and I know everyone who comes in and they know me. And when I say I know them, I mean I know more than their name - we know what tests people have coming up and what groups they're involved in. When I came in at the beginning of the year I really only knew one person I was going to be living with, but now we've grown really close which is so exciting! Put a few of us together and we are guarenteed to spend most of the time laughing and joking. Sometimes as I'm walking to dinner with everyone, or chilling in the lobby, or [insert activity] I catch myself feeling like I'm in some movie montage of all the silly good times - you know the ones with the peppy feel-good dance-around-in-your socks music? It's been way better than I ever imagined.

So even though I'm kind of scared for my classes next semester, I've never been more excited about being able to return after a break! I'm excited to continue living with this group of people and for those in our community who weren't here this semester...KELSEY RETURNS!! Woo! I also hope that we can grow from this first semester and realize where we can do a better job, especially in regards to living simply. I know one thing we're working on is buying shower timers (they're like waterproof kitchen timers so no they won't shut the water off on us) so that we can be more aware of how long we're taking and work on setting our own PRs :)

Signing off for finals week. Peace to all this Christmas season!

Jennifer: Questions

When I got "home" today I walked into the lobby to two of my housemates having a deep, honest discussion about what might be deemed "faith struggles". And while yeah, I had homework to do sometimes there is nothing better than just sitting down and listening to my housemate's conversations. That might sound a little wierd but it's true - I love listening! I have all these thoughts running through my head but I'm usually not very eloquent so I just sit and soak it all in.

Today the conversation focused on the church as it is in America today. We feel upset by what the church has become and by the faith that it teaches. We feel frustrated by the Bible and the way that texts are taken out of context. We are unsure about everything that our faith ever meant to us and struggle to find some wreckage of the past that we can hang on to but even then we aren't sure that that is what we want. We don't know if we can still call ourselves Christians. We are afraid of doing the exact same things we argue against. We have so many questions. Is that ok? Although we struggle, I feel encouraged because we struggle together. Even though we don't know what we believe I feel blessed because know we are struggling with something important. I know there has to be a place for this somewhere in the church.

In some ways I'm scared. I'm a sophomore and pretty much everyone else in the house is a senior. They say that when they were sophomores their faith was "so rock solid" but now it's tumbling down around them. I know I'm not at the same place as them, but if I'm close - who will I be when I leave Bluffton? I know I won't be the same person I was when I came. But, I think that's a good thing. And maybe, you have to completely demolish what was there before you can begin to build something new.

Ubuntu is in that process of trying to build something new. I wish everyone could have the experience of living in this community - I really feel like we are each others home :)

There is so much more to say as always but that shall suffice for tonight. I need my sleep - this weekend Jason, Kristen, and I are going to the SOA/WHINSEC protest at Fort Benning, GA. None of us have ever been before so keep us in your thoughts!

Jennifer: The leaves are falling

Midterms are succesfully over and things have relaxed a little bit but all I can find myself thinking about is the upcoming Thanksgiving break! Other than fall break I've been on campus every night and while I love it here I just want to get away! Luckily tomorrow is family day so my parents will be here and the week after that my youth group is coming for a weekend peace-retreat at the Lion and the Lamb. I miss them so much so am anxiously waiting!

Around here, life remains mostly the same. We've been missing Andie this week as she's in NYC at the MCC/UN conference but certainly can't wait to hear about all that she learned when she returns! We're all very jealous of her!

A week ago (the 23rd) Riley Court Hall Association (along with Ropp Hall Association) hosted their first event - a campus wide Block Party. Unfortunately due to rain we had to move the party into Ropp Pitt instead of having it outside RC as we had wanted. The party was a blast! Although I didn't count I'd say we had around 50 or maybe more people show up. Everyone stayed around enjoying the activities and company, even a half hour after the party was supposed to have ended. People enjoyed bobbing for apples, carving pumpkins, and making "trash art"- Riley Court is now decorated with a Christmas tree and presents all made out of recycled magazines.We also had a "free store" which is basically a table where people can bring things they don't want any more and then everyone can take what they want. I've heard that in big cities free stores can be extensive and people go around trading and bartering on items but no money can be used, proving that one man's trash really can be another man's treasure! I was also happy to get permission from dinning services to bake our own cookies instead of buying through Sodexo. One of the issues we've been struggling with in RC is food waste, especially as seen in Marbeck. Trays and trays of food are thrown out every single day. There must be some better way make use of our resources!

I can't believe it is almost November already! How time flies! Before we know it Christmas will be here, giving us a whole extra set of problems to confront - trying to resist our consumer desires in the busiest shopping season!

Jennifer: Mid-Terms and our first campus event

Not to complain but just to give you an example of the crazy schedule some of us in college students (including many of us in Riley Court) live...this is my schedule for tomorrow...
12-4 Help set up for the Everyday Sunday Concert
4-4:30 Set up Fall Festival Booth
4:30-6:30 Help PEACE club with their Fall Festival Booth
5:15-9 Help finish setting up and run the Everyday Sunday Concert
9-midnight On Duty in Bren-dell and Riley Court

Yes that means I am booked 12 hours straight. Maybe that wouldn't be so bad if the rest of my weekend had been free but of course that wasn't the case...MCB retreat. Oh, and that big midterm is Monday! Oh and that second midterm Tuesday! And that third on Friday! And that paper on Friday! And don't forget to finish getting everything set up for our Block Party Friday night! So yeah, we're busy running from place to place. Several of us commented that we've felt ready for bed well before midnight lately, which let me tell you, is not normal for college students!

The Block Party is going to be a lot of fun but the stress is high because I've has just a week to plan it! Ahh... None the less you should come! I'm really excited about it! We'll be having trash art, a free store, sidewalk chalk, pumpkin carving, bobbing for apples, etc. And a time to get to know Ubuntu and what we're all about! It's Friday 10/23 from 6:30-8:30 at Riley Court so be there (and bring your friends!!)

Jennifer: A picture's worth a 1,000 words

The girls share bathroom chores on a weekly rotation.










Our bulletin board made out of old magazine pages.

Ready for the Compost pile - thanks Sally and Jonathon!!

Collecting change for change

Just a shoutout to thank the Intagliata's and to Eli Tracy for sharing their delicious produce!

Signs to remind us to save energy!

Thanks to B&G we now have brand new water-conserving showerheads. We couldn't believe it - it seems like we have even more water than with the old ones!

Jennifer: Meeting with our Mentors

Hey there everyone,

I wanted to get some pictures up from our meal last Sunday.

We invited all 8 of our community mentors and their families - with that many people it was hard not to have a good time! The food was also delcious -a taco themed potluck! It was great to get everyone together for a while to encourage, support, and socialize. Ubuntu had the idea of community mentors before we landed the placement in RC. We were looking for a diverse (sex, department, etc.) group of faculty and staff who would help hold us accountable to our goals and to help us along our way. We also looked for people who may have had experience living in communities like this before. It was a tough process narrowing down our list but we eventually managed. This past Sunday was our first time to meet as a group and I know we all enjoyed it. I think we picked a good group - a couple even helped wash the multitudes of dishes! (Thanks a bunch!!) From here on out, our meals won't be quite as much of a production - only one or two mentors a meal! Can't wait!

Jennifer: Two Weeks Down

As we approach the end of our second week of classes, I feel exhausted! A last minute class change means I'm already behind schedule in class. That, along with clubs and work, means I'm beginning to wonder why there are only 24 hours in a day. However, I feel very lucky to be living over here with the rest of Ubuntu. We're all in the business of supporting each other. After this summer I can't express how nice it is to come home and find that someone has washed my dishes for me, or that someone has donated some delicious tea to the communal cupboard. It kind of lends itself to a "pay-it-forward" attitude - I'm more than happy to clean somebody else's dishes for them when mine were cleaned for me that morning. As far as bathrooms go, we're even sharing our responsibilities there! The girls have created a rotating chore chart and the bathroom has stayed clean so I think it's working! We officially meet with our mentors for the first time on Sunday and it'll be great to hear their suggestions since some of them have had experience living in similar situations already. I know it's just the beginning of a long journey but I can't wait for what's ahead.

Jennifer: High Hopes for Community Living

Hey guys,

For those of you who may not know I've been spending the last 7 weeks of my summer living at the "Peace House" in Indy. It's owned by the Indianapolis Peace Institute which has helped all 8 of us living here to arrange internships for the summer. The program also focuses a lot on community living. So of course as I've been going through this program I can't help but compare it to what I imagine Riley Court to be like next year. While I've had fun here I know Ubuntu is going to be even better!!


Of course there are some differences - there are 12 of us in Riley Court (compared to 8) and we're going to have to live together for an entire school year instead of a mere 9 weeks. We'll be living in the somewhat secluded little village known as Bluffton whereas here I'm easily within walking distance from downtown Indy. But I think the biggest difference between the Peace House and Riley Court is going to be the students.


While I've made some great friendships here in Indianapolis, we were all kind of thrown in the house together with different goals, ideas, and expectations. The ability Ubuntu has had to sit down in advance and to discuss our vision of community living will prove vital to our success. For example, one of the similarities between the Peace House and Ubuntu is our community meals. Here in Indy the Tues. evening meals are a requirement of the program and therefore can feel very forced because not everyone wants to be involved. Instead of being excited about community time together people complain and argue.


Now, conflict isn't a bad thing - in fact it can be very healthy - but it hasn't always been handled that way. During orientation we had a meeting to go over community expectations and rules. One of the rules causing the most conflict is one of the most simple - clean up after yourself in the kitchen; don't leave dirty dishes out or in the sink. However, after our first community meal, we had leftover pesto sauce. The next day the pesto appeared on the stove and stayed there, out in the open, for 5 entire days. I will admit my bias - I'm a little bit of a neat freak - but that is gross. This simple thing, pesto sauce, was causing a huge uproar in the house. To no avail, people were trying to drop hints to the person who was responsible for leaving the pesto out. Eventually, after 4 days a note was left on the pesto asking (not so politely) that it be cleaned up. This only made the issue more divisive than ever. And while the pesto eventually did get cleaned up, another nasty note was left and the house would never come together as one again. It’s a pretty sad story actually.

Here’s what I see about our Ubuntu group though, while I’d like to be optimistic enough to say there will never be a pesto-like problem in the community that’d be lying. Things aren’t going to be perfect and each of us will probably do something which will annoy the other. There will be conflict. The difference is going to be in solving it. As a group we have recognized that there will be conflict we’re going to have to approach it directly and with love. The behind the back conversations and malicious notes will not be acceptable. We each aim to respect the other person and to grow as a group. Bluffton has instilled in us an ability to look beyond ourselves and to have bigger motives at heart. I am confident that our group will be able to talk through issues of misunderstanding instead of disregarding any rules the group has agreed to and turning everything into an “us” vs. “them” conflict.

It’s embodied in our name, Ubuntu. It means “I am, because we are”. As a group we will recognize each person’s individuality as a member of our community – to grow, learn, share, experience, disagree, agree, eat, clean, and garden together.