PresbyterianStudentCenter@UGA » Community

Cornhole @ the PSC: It’s on!

Mitch — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 21:30:18 +0000

Thanks be to God for the glorious weather we’ve been having lately. The first outdoor cornhole match of 2011 was just played on the new lawn (can I call it a quad?) by the main doors at the PSC. The game was played between the PSC’s faithful intern and amateur blogger, Mitch Roper, and UGA Alumnus and former block house resident, Jason Coombs. It was a fierce contest, to be sure. On more than one occasion, the determined players found themselves howling in frustration as their hole-in throws were matched by their opponent. Jason even managed to get three hole-ins in one round! The game really came down to the wire. In the end, however, the steady hand of the intern proved to be the deciding factor. Final Score: Mitch – 28, Jason – 18.

We play a lot of cornhole here at the PSC. If you’d ever like to challenge Andy or myself (or Chris McCreight, the DOC’s Campus Minister, for that matter) to a game, chances are you’ll get an enthusiastic “yes!” in response. See y’all on the cornhole pitch.

Mitch Roper

Raffle Night and Youth Rally keep things interesting

Mitch — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 20:35:27 +0000

Last weekend was a busy one at the Presbyterian Student Center. Friday night, we held a raffle night fund-raiser to benefit our on-going Labyrinth Project. We were joined by over forty students and friends of the PSC, and everyone had a fun time eating together and waiting with baited breath to see who would win each prize. We raffled off donated items from students, neighbors, and local businesses, and we raised over $350 for our labyrinth by the end of the night.

Karen Hartsfield and Daniel Kilfoyle, our Student Ministers for Encounter and Community, can be seen above, holding down the ticket table. At right, student (and three-time raffle winner) Delaney Young can be seen walking a canvas labyrinth in the Dining Hall at the PSC. We were lucky enough to borrow this labyrinth from Fr. Dann Brown of the Episcopal Center for the evening.

On Saturday, we were honored to hold the Northeast Georgia Presbytery’s Youth Rally, concurrent with the Presbytery’s Winter Leadership Event, which was being held up the street at First Presbyterian Church. Keynote Speaker and Vice Moderator for the 219th General Assembly, Landon Whitsitt, joined us and led the youth in a discussion about Paul’s letters to Timothy. None of the adults were allowed to talk, and the youth really got engaged, sharing stories of what challenges and inspirations they encounter in the Church and in the world. At right, youth from all over the Presbytery gather for a quick shout out to all of us. You can really get a sense of the size and excitement of Saturday’s Youth Rally, but to be honest, you really had to be there. All in all, it was a fantastic weekend. We wrapped things up like we always do, with a fellowship meal on Sunday evening. Doug and Peggy Bailey joined from Central Presbyterian Church, and we were grateful for the tasty chili and cornbread they made for us.

Mitch Roper

Teaser: Raffle Night Prizes!

Mitch — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 18:05:09 +0000

Below are some preview photos of some student-produced items we will be raffling tomorrow night. Come out tomorrow night @ 7pm! Support our Labyrinth Project by entering to win some of these, and more! Additional prizes are coming from local businesses such as Borders, Shenanigans and Kaleidoscope Salon.

Art by Lauren Marsh

Art by Sarah Osborne

Pottery by Lisa Tantillo

Photography by Parker Feierbach

Voucher for Personalized Poem by Keith DeHart

Voucher for Oil Change by Aron Val Preda

Voucher for Piano Lessons by Nik Bauchat

Faith Flicks this Spring

Mitch — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 16:25:05 +0000

This semester we will be continuing our “Faith Flicks” program. We will be showing a series of movies during the semester that touch on different issues relating to our faith. Starting tomorrow, Jan. 20, Faith Flicks will be shown in the TV Room at the PSC at 8pm, every other Thursday night. For the full lineup, see below.

Jan. 20 Gasland
Feb. 3 The Pursuit of Happyness
Feb. 17 Soundtrack for a Revolution
Mar. 3 Into the Wild
Mar. 17 No Movie (Spring Break)
Mar. 31 Through My Eyes
Apr. 14 Life Is Beautiful
Apr. 28 Food Inc.

For more information, contact Clay Mersmann (cmersmann@uga.edu).

PSC Students Plan Prayer Labyrinth

Mitch — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 16:20:45 +0000

Things are looking different around the Presbyterian Student Center lately. We have a new parking lot, complete with new sidewalks, lights and updated landscaping that looks pretty impressive from the road. Another thing that is about to change, given a couple of months, some hard volunteer work and God’s blessing, is a small, unassuming circular area on the back end of our property here at 1250 South Lumpkin Street.

As part of my ministry project for the academic year, focused on prayer and mediation, I have committed to helping senior student Hayley Callaway complete a long-held dream of hers to have a prayer labyrinth at the PSC. For those who have never heard of a prayer labyrinth, it is a centuries-old prayer tool that is used to simulate a pilgrimage. Long ago, christians who couldn’t afford to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem used labyrinths, and today, many use labyrinths to simulate one’s pilgrimage toward God throughout life. Usually circular, the labyrinth consists of a single path that winds in serpentine fashion around the circle, eventually bringing its pilgrim to the center of the labyrinth, which symbolizes union with God. In the center, pilgrims can take time to pray and reflect on their personal walk of faith.

We’ve formed a Planning Committee with a handful of other students (a full list of these members is found at the bottom of this page), and we have already crafted a comprehensive vision for the labyrinth. Our students have decided to use a seven-circuit pattern for our labyrinth, which can be seen above, and we are going to define the lanes through the artful re-use of glass bottles, inverted and placed in the ground, similar to those in the picture you can see on the right. The lanes will be filled in with pea gravel, which will make the labyrinth barefoot-friendly and allow for good drainage, and in the center we plan to have a number of small benches, as well as plaques with verses of scripture and poems, to facilitate meditative reflection. The labyrinth will be encircled by a small fence to mark it off as sacred space, and we hope to add a tree or two for shade and greenery. Construction of the labyrinth is planned for April 2011, so mark your calendars! We have a lot of fund-raising and materials collecting (bring us your glass bottles!) to do in the meantime, and we will need the help of PSC community members and friends to make this dream a reality! Please contact me, Mitch Roper, or any of the students listed below to find out how you can help us with this joyful project.

Students on Labyrinth Planning Committee:
Hayley Callaway
Kyle Mackey
Ben Sheppard
Jonathan Torres
Justin Van Wicklen

Faith Flicks this Fall

Mitch — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 14:40:26 +0000

This fall we will be continuing our Faith Flicks program every other Thursday night, starting this coming Thursday, August 19th. Faith Flicks is a chance to get together and watch funny, challenging, and/or heart-wrenching movies that make you think a little deeper about your faith. We always have a great time. Here’s the line-up for our Fall semester:

August 19th Saved!
September 2nd The Blindside
September 16th Pray the Devil Back to Hell
September 30th Babette’s Feast
October 14th For the Bible Tells Me So
October 28th Lars & the Real Girl
November 11th Why We Fight (Veteran’s Day)
November 25th No Movie (Thanksgiving Break)
December 2nd The Nativity Story

Faith Flicks will be shown in the TV Room at the Presbyterian Student Center, and each flick will begin promptly at 8pm. If you have any questions about Faith Flicks, contact Stephen Morgan at sjmorgan@uga.edu. See y’all on the couches.