Last night marked one of the last Open Door Thursdays of the school year; in fact this was one of the last Open Door Thursdays that I will have the chance to attend before graduating in just a couple weeks–a bittersweet time indeed.

Open Door Thursdays!!?? You may be asking yourself what is this event? Well for those of you who are unfamiliar with ODT, it is an event sponsored by Campus Ministry and hosted by Maria Crookston, Megan McQuillen, Caitlin Hoak, and Jessica Russo. These kind-hearted girls open up their room week after week to the entire campus for food, fellowship, and fun! Each week brings about a new menu and theme for the gathering. This past week was Easter themed with a breakfast menu (Pancakes, sausage, bacon) along with Easter treats and prizes for the raffle winners! The talented chefs making the pancakes went a step further to create Easter bunny shaped pancakes (who would have thought?) The food was delicious and I even entered into the drawing—I didn’t win, but the fun I had while attending made up for it!

A group of us enjoying some delicious pancakes!

Thursday seems to be the perfect day for these gatherings, as I always have some time after choir before student government where I just want to relax. I’m sure for many of you by the time Thursday rolls around you could use a little break, even if that just were 10-20 minutes away from your studies. What better way to relax than with friends, great hospitality, and delicious food?! There’s even video games like Guitar Hero and Rockband (just to name a few) to play and unwind for a bit.

Maria Crookston has been in charge of this, along with Miguel Chavez and several Campus Ministry members for several years now, and it’s turned out to be a great success. Each week e-mails and Facebook invites go out campus wide to invite everyone to this event. With guest appearances from faculty, staff, and alumni, there’s always something new and exciting waiting behind the door—although you won’t have to worry about knocking, as it’s always open! The welcoming atmosphere and great hospitality provided is something that makes everyone feel like they are at home—not something you would typically find on a college campus so its worth taking advantage of this opportunity.

The time and dedication put into an event like this goes beyond just a couple hours of Open Door on Thursday nights, it takes planning and organizing to reach the level of success it has today. Without dedicated individuals like Maria and members of Campus Ministry working hard to think up new ideas and diligently sending out invites we would not have this great opportunity. They deserve a lot of thanks for all that they do!

Maria and I came to the conclusion that after 4 years of being friends we never had a pic of just the two of us. Successful!

I look forward to the next couple of Open Door’s before the semester is over, and I encourage all of you to come and check this out: Thursdays, 7-9pm, Stein 9B. “All are welcome!”

Have a great week everyone! At this time of excitement as we can see the end of the semester in site…remember to stay focused, dedicate more time to your studies, and put in the time now—rather than stressing later to make up for lost time.

Take care and God Bless,

Chris Burr

Tags: events, fellowship, walsh