Around the Clock with AU

No two days are alike. So how do you describe a "typical day" at Andrews University? By putting a day under-the-mic. A twenty-four hour conversation might go as such: Early morning: "Why can't I ever find the snooze button?"..."Bless the people I talk to today, Lord.  Leave me behind today." 8:30 class: "It's way too early for this."..."I should've eaten breakfast." Chapel: "How many more of these can you miss?"..."..a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear.." Lunch: "It seems like all I eat is cereal and burritos"..."Dude, that's a huge salad!" Between classes: "I should've brought a jacket." Afternoon Classes: "You know, I have a special place in my heart for everyone who will never solve an inhomogeneous differential equation." Dinner: "I'm taking this back to the room.  Gotta study."..."Yeah, she acts like we're still friends."..."Tennis? Sure, what time?" Nighttime: "Turn down that music! I've got a test tomorrow!"..."Break time!  Just in time for a fruit blend."..."Halo, right now, you and me!"..."This pen needs to stop moving across the page.  I'm too tired for this."..."Father, thanks for pulling me through today, I needed it.."..."Zzzz." And the microphone keeps on recording. Just stop and listen, you may be able to hear echoes of your day somewhere along the tape. 

4:00am Though it is unusual to find students up studying at this early hour, Patrick Tham is an exception. He states sleepily, "I can't believe I'm up at this time either, but you gotta do what you gotta do." In this case, that involves sacrificing those precious hours of sleep.

5:00am Where would we be without our campus safety? Locked out. Up and about before most students even hit the "snooze" button, dedicated campus safety officers open up the doors, offices, buildings, of Andrews University.

6:00am Morning devotions may take effort but is most certainly a blessing. James Walangitan remarks, "Finding God when you wake up in the morning is crucial to starting off the day on the right note."

7:00am An anonymous student walks through the misty campus on his way to...hopefully, class. The weather of Berrien Springs mornings are unpredictable as the bright sunlight shines amidst the chilly temperatures.

8:00am Taking advantage of the plentiful variety of breakfast foods the cafe offers in the mornings, Tito Sanchez feasts on his tray-ful of banana bread, oatmeal, and orange juice.

9:00am Some classes begin at 7:30 am; fortunately for Cali Damron, Organic Chemistry is not one of them. She says, "The class is slightly challenging, but I really like Dr. Alonso. he explains things well and puts in alot of one-on-one time with his students."

10:00am Each of the dorms have laundry machines either on each level or in the basements. Elizabeth Lugo puts her quarters to good use by doing her laundry in one of Lamson Hall's numerous washing machines.

11:00am Miracle Lopez works on her homework before her next class begins. Students use their in-between class time to make finishing touches on their papers at the James White Library, or, to frantically begin the assignment they should have completed last night.

12:00pm Students often complain of getting caught in the noon-time "Cafeteria Rush." Cashier-in-training Alex Paniagua admits, "There are times when the lines get as long as the lines at Disneyland." But he offers some words of cafe advice: "Remember your ID cards and always have separate containers for your weighted items. When there's a traffic jam, don't get mad at me, I'm just the cool guy swiping your card."

1:00pm Edwin Hernandez takes a quick power-nap during the middle of the day. He explains this odd routine by confessing, "I was suffering the consequences of...late night Western Heritage cramming."

2:00pm On a sunny afternoon, Coronel Lopez and Ellie Quinones study on the tables outside the Student Center.

3:00pm Opportunities for service are all around campus. Ariel Ross donates her blood at the Blood Drive that takes place twice a school year at the basement of Pioneer Memorial Church. She admitted, "Even though I passed out afterwards, I wanted to donate because there is always a need for healthy blood donors."

4:00pm Working as Campus Safety is a 24/7 task, as Officer Giddings can attest to, but a job with a high calling. One of the standards he lives and works by is "Live your life as though your every act were to become a universal law."

5:00pm Christina Lee, Claudia Melgosa, and Carol Lopez devote a considerate amount of their afternoons playing with the Andrews Wind Symphony.

6:00pm During the hour that many students eat dinner, Andy Helm lifts weights during his work-out at the Meier Health club.

7:00pm The soccer "Answer" of Andrews? Andy Iverson shows his stuff on the fields during a match against Bethel College.

8:00pm Most students find spending their evenings at a science lab boring. However, Joel Harris gazes interestedly into the microscope during the Foundations of Biology Lab.

9:00pm "Swimming at night is so relaxing," says Isaac Lee after completing his tenth lap without a pause. "At first, it was just to tone up to impress the ladies, and now...it's still to impress them."

10:00pm Cafe closed? To the Gazebo. Daniel Moskala and John Wall manage to stop by the Gazebo for some freshly-made submarine sandwiches before it closes.

11:00pm Honey I'm home? Residents become accustomed to the regular knocking of their RA's at their doors at curfew. Eddie Infante makes his nightly rounds of greeting those in his hall and making sure they are "present and accounted for."

12:00am Working around the clock, Dean Carter prepares for another night of typing and storing the dormitory information and files.

1:00am What's dorm life without the midnight snacks? Ronnie Fogg relishes this trademark of living in the dorms with his handy Silk milk and Poptarts in hand.

2:00am Hello? Can you hold for transfer? Desk receptionist Ilan Ulloa somehow manages to answer phone calls in the wee hours of the night with a cheerful tone.

3:00am Stephen Gardner and Jose Lopez ignore the calling of their books and their sleep-deprived bodies, choosing to play the night away on their X-box before they must wake up to another 24 hour day at Andrews.
Courtesy of the 2007 Cardinal Yearbook Ryan Choi, photographer; Jonathan VanOrnam, writer