Deck the Halls

Each UWC staff member briskly walked down the stairs into the dark basement and threw the door open to see what was inside. The smell of taco seasoning, beans, meat, and cheese filled the air. It was finally time for Christmas decorating in the UWC. If you haven’t visited our room during Christmastime (or anytime for that matter), you are really missing out. We compete each year with other offices on campus for the best decorations, so we take it very seriously. 

This past year, one of our talented staff members created an Elf-themed room. It might not be easy to make dreams become a reality, but we were determined. One night, as per tradition, we entered our normal room and envisioned a new mystical world. Before jumping into all of the tasks, we took time to socialize and catch up with each other since we had just returned from a long Thanksgiving weekend. We ate some delicious taco soup and desserts to begin the festivities. In full disclosure, I ate approximately three bowls of taco soup with sour cream and cheese, but who is counting? Everyone, probably.

Anyways, everything was going extremely well until the clock struck midnight. I promise it really wasn’t midnight, but it sounded dramatic. As we started to place different decorations throughout the room, I decided it would be a great idea to clear off one of our director’s bookshelves to place new decorations in that spot. Jordan, the lead decorating coordinator, hesitated when I told her my plan and tried to stop me, but it was too late. As soon as I removed the first six books from the top shelf, the top tier collapsed. With my cat-like reflexes, I was able to grab a few of the toppling books. Unfortunately, a few was not enough. With the weight of the other books from the first tier, the second layer decided it was time for it to give way.

Hearing the commotion, my thoughtful co-workers rushed to my aid. The room was filled with shrieks due to the ever-collapsing shelves. Trying to prevent the last shelf from collapsing, Deneen decided to sit on the ground and help collect some of the books I was trying to grasp. Again, it was too late. More books started to crash to the floor, and Kenean came rushing over. She quickly tried to sweep the rubble off Deneen and me. In those moments, it felt as if we were in a movie with the walls coming down upon us, and all we could do was revel at the situation. The laughter grew louder as none of us knew what to do next. I wanted to book it out of there, but I was stuck. Pun intended. 

“I think I broke all of my toes and both of my feet!” I screeched. Some say that I can be overdramatic. I agree. My cry for help was simply acknowledged with more laughter. As soon as we thought the books were finished toppling down, a few more fell to ensure my foot was indeed broken. In the midst of chaos, none of us could not stop laughing. In fact, we were laughing so hard that you could hear a few snorts. Okay, you are right, that was probably me too.

In these chaotic moments, it became apparent how close the UWC staff was and is. Not only does this story illustrate each of our personalities, it shows how much we care for each other and how quickly we run to each other in need. Whether it is a crumbling bookshelf or a chaotic personal situation, we are there for each other. In the midst of the current situation, we have banded together in prayer, encouragement, and genuine care. Because of the way this defines our office, this memory immediately became my favorite. When we say that we are family, I hope this points to the truth behind that statement. I could never imagine my life without my colleagues, past and present. Never take a moment for granted because it might just become your favorite memory.

Written by Trisha

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First Day of Work Bucket List: How to Get Fired on Your First Day

The first day of work is stressful for everyone involved. As a new employee, you are most likely worried about making a good impression on your boss and coworkers. Your boss is probably worried about how you will impact the office as a whole, and how you will get along with the rest of the team. Your new coworkers are probably wondering what it will be like to have an additional team member and are hoping to get along with you. As overwhelming as this may sound, never fear. You are destined for greatness in the office! Follow these guidelines and your first day of work will be one you will never forget.

1. Wear a swimming suit. Want to show off your confidence and striking style? A swimming suit will do the trick. Don’t even bother wearing shoes because everyone will be so stunned by your outfit, they won’t even notice your lack of foot covering.
2. Show up 40 minutes late to the meeting. Actually, miss the whole meeting. How important can it be? What does mandatory even mean anyways?
3. Insult your boss and coworkers. Want to start off of the right foot with your boss and coworkers? Take the banter a little too far. Even if you offend them, they will view you as confident and quirky!
4. Change all the computer backgrounds to a funny selfie. It will sure get a laugh out of everyone, especially if they are expecting to unlock their computer to see a photo of their significant other. It will be a lovely surprise!
5. Try to play off that lie on your résumé. You might be severely underqualified, but if you act like you know what you are doing, you are guaranteed to fool everyone in the office.
6. Take part in some office cleanup. Are there papers lying around the office? Shred them. Don’t even bother checking to see what they are, your boss will just be appreciative that you are lending a helping hand.

Now that you know how to take on your first day of work, you can go into your first day of work with confidence and style! Your boss and coworkers are guaranteed to realize immediately what an asset you are to the team. Not only are you confident, but you are quirky, funny, and unique too. Not only that, but no one will ever forget the first impression you made!

Written by Karina

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I Want to Lose

In many ways, poetry has become an art of the past. There aren’t very many well-known poets in our world today. We often encounter black and white pictures of men and women who were engulfed by their passion for poetry like this one.

The woman you see in the picture above is Elizabeth Bishop. She was an American poet and short-story writer who won the Pulitzer Prize for her work. My favorite poem, “One Art,” was written by her. But before I tell you why it’s my favorite, please take the time to enjoy this beautiful piece of literature:

One Art

The art of losing isn’t hard to master;

so many things seem filled with the intent

to be lost that their loss is no disaster.

 

Lose something every day. Accept the fluster

of lost door keys, the hour badly spent.

The art of losing isn’t hard to master.

 

Then practice losing farther, losing faster:

places, and names, and where it was you meant

to travel. None of these will bring disaster.

 

I lost my mother’s watch. And look! my last, or

next-to-last, of three loved houses went.

The art of losing isn’t hard to master.

 

I lost two cities, lovely ones. And, vaster,

some realms I owned, two rivers, a continent.

I miss them, but it wasn’t a disaster.

 

—Even losing you (the joking voice, a gesture

I love) I shan’t have lied. It’s evident

the art of losing’s not too hard to master

though it may look like (Write it!) like disaster.

Now that you’ve taken a moment to let the words sink in, let me tell you what it all means to me. I fell in love with poetry because of this poem; it’s the reason why I began to write poems of my own, so it is near and dear to my heart. Each time I read it, I have a different perspective on what it truly means and the significant lessons it holds about time. I like to think of it as an active poem that grows old with me. As time passes, its meaning becomes even more beautiful and significant.

Our world moves fast, so we must be efficient, strong, and diligent to survive. We are so consumed by our work and responsibilities that we become overly serious, pensive beings sedated by caffeine and stress. We begin to lose our sense of fun, wonder, susceptibility to silly distractions, and most importantly, the reason why we toil so much in the first place.

I know I can be self-critical, almost to a fault, over time I have spent laughing at a joke a friend shared, reminiscing over a childhood memory, or trying to figure out what life would be like in an alternate universe.

Elizabeth, in her comforting wisdom, tells us that it’s okay to lose things, because sometimes, they are meant to be lost.

She helps us realize that these small (or big) imperfections are a part of us. It’s human to lose, to waste. This does not mean that we shouldn’t work to be better; it simply means that any effort aimed at improving ourselves comes from a framework of true self-acceptance.

We may never accomplish every goal, go everywhere, or find everything we were looking for, and that’s okay! In the end, it doesn’t cause the damage we fear it would; therefore, Elizabeth actually encourages us to practice losing—it’s no disaster. Letting go of things, people, and places can be incredibly beautiful and liberating. I don’t know about you, but I want to be a loser!

Written by Kenean

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Learning How to Read the Bible

Learning how to read the Bible can be a daunting task, especially for new Christians. Despite its challenges, learning to interpret and digest Biblical text in an effective way is arguably the most important part of the Christian life. God uses the Bible to speak to us, and we as Christians will never be able to understand who God is if the only time we hear Scripture is during church. One big reason that people step away from the truth is because people are told false truths by people they trust, such as pastors or well respected Church members. In order to combat the lies Satan puts in the heads of believers, Christians must read Scripture for themselves so they can distinguish God’s truth from falsehood. Although the importance of studying the Word is often stressed by the Church, new Christians are often left without a clue where to begin.   

This is a guideline of how to begin reading through Scripture and understanding it as God meant for it to be interpreted. Keep in mind, that this is not a foolproof method. Every person learns differently; there is not a standard method for learning about the Bible. This is just a starting point for those who are looking to learn more and dig deeper into the Word!

1. Pray over your time in the Word and ask God to speak to you. It is important to remember that ultimately, it is through the Holy Spirit that humans are able to understand the Word of God to begin with. His Word is alive and never returns void.

Therefore, we must remember that it is ultimately not our interpretation that matters, but what God reveals to us in our studies.

2. Read the text several times. It is important to read the text several times because it helps you process what you are reading. I find that sometimes reading the text more than once helps me focus on the text what it is intending to say. 

3. Consider reading the texts in several different translations. This allows the reader to gain perspective when reading a biblical text. Some translations are closer to word for word translations from the Greek. This means that each individual word was translated from the original language to the language of the reader. This can help a reader gain clarity on the exact words that were used in the text, but the downside is that readers may lose the connotation of the words in translation. This is where thought for thought translations come in. Instead of translating a word directly, thought for thought translators decided the text made more sense if the idea as a whole was translated. This perspective can be helpful because it allows the reader to see what the general theme of the text may have been. Both translations are great and incredibly helpful for studying the Bible. 

4. Brief yourself on the historical context. Sometimes it helps the reader understand the text when they also know what was going on at the time it was written. 

5. Read from the beginning of the book or chapter so you understand the context of the passage. This is helpful because it allows you as the reader to understand what God was saying in relation to what was going on at the time. 

6. Determine the genre of literature the section of the text is. The Bible contains many genres of literature, and it is important to understand that while poetry or parables may have metaphors, law and historical contexts will not have as much figurative language. This would influence how the reader interprets the text. For instance, Jesus telling sinners to chop off a hand if it causes them to sin is not intended to be obeyed literally, but it calls a believer to recognize that it is better to lose something that seems good than to continue living in sin.

 7. Read the text from the perspective of the people originally reading it. Although it is important for Scripture to be applied to our lives, not everything needs to be made into a devotional. Sometimes, in order to apply the Scriptures to our lives we must first understand what God was saying and the weight it carried to the people he was speaking to at the time the Scripture was written. 

8. Compare the passage to other passages in Scripture. Comparing the passage you are currently reading to other Scripture allows you to gain even more context on the subject you are reading about. 

9. Ask God what He wants you to do as a result of the truths in the passage. Does God want you to fix a habit? Repent? Adopt a new mindset? Embrace what the Lord is telling you!

This may seem overwhelming, but remember that none of these things are requirements for understanding the Word of God. These points are just ideas to help you start looking deeper into God’s Word. It is important to remember that Scripture is a large part of the Christian life. Studying God’s Word allows a believer to draw close to God and experience his love in new and fresh ways. Although interpreting the Bible comes with its challenges, studying the Bible is never in vain because God comes through every time.

Written by Karina

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Job Interview Skills and Tips

My first job was at Brookshire’s Grocery Company. I was a bagger and stocker for about a year and a half while I was in high school. I had to turn in two different applications and call multiple times about an interview because my application(s) hadn’t been reviewed. I did eventually get an interview, and after I sat down in the manager’s office, I had a revelation:

“This is an interview.”

It seems silly because duh, that’s sort of the reason why I kept filling out applications and calling the office. But, this revelation came to me because I had done absolutely nothing in preparation for the actual interview. I had done all this work to secure an interview, but I didn’t even consider the process I would have to undergo. 

My first piece of advice: don’t do that.

Clearly, I am no interview expert. However, I have had a handful of interviews in my brief experience in the workforce, and I want to share some tips that will, hopefully, provide some insight for any eager employees-to-be. 

Ponder Potential Questions Beforehand

An interview is not just a normal conversation a manager has with potential employees. Employers have very specific qualities they look for when scouting possible workers, and this includes asking the interviewee particular questions that reveal whether or not he/she has the qualities desired. It’s possible for an interviewee to have a perfectly pleasant conversation with the interviewer and not be hired because the hiring process is not rooted in whether the interviewer gets along with the interviewee. Workers are hired because they exhibit certain traits that would be useful for the expansion of the company. As an interviewee, it’s important to be prepared for such questions, so you can make it clear to the interviewer that the job you are applying for is one you care about deeply. Of course, it is unnecessary and disingenuous to prepare a script or count on certain questions to be asked, but think about what types of questions are asked in interview settings. Get an idea of how you would answer these questions so you don’t seem thrown off or unprepared when you’re in the interview (as I probably was).

Maintain Eye Contact

Is it cliché? Sure. Is it uncomfortable? Yeah, a little bit. Is it important? Definitely. Eye contact is a nonverbal way of communicating to the interviewer that you are engaged in the conversation, and you care about what is being said. This is something I personally struggle with because I have a hard time focusing on what I’m saying while simultaneously fixing my gaze on one specific thing. Plus, it can be really awkward locking eyes with someone for long periods of time, especially if you don’t know them very well. However, inconsistent eye contact can communicate to the interviewer that you are unfocused or simply not interested in what’s being said. This can lead a company to believe that you have no real interest in them. Maintaining eye contact during an interview is one of those minuscule details that can drastically increase your hireability.

Give Specific Answers

The two questions asked in interviews that people are most familiar with are probably, “What is your greatest strength?” and “What is your biggest weakness?” As tempting as it is to say your greatest strength is that you’re a hard worker and your biggest weakness is being a perfectionist, go further than that! Everyone has already said that; make your answers stick out by giving specifics and providing brief examples. In what ways are you a hard worker? How are you a perfectionist? It’s not guaranteed that the interviewer will ask you to expand on your answers; he/she may just take your answers as they are, whether they are simple or convoluted. It’s on you to be intentional in providing specific, unique answers that reveal your personality. 

Regulate Your Confidence

We’ve probably all been told that keeping a high level of confidence is important when presenting yourself to new people, especially in an interview. I definitely agree with that sentiment, but I have also heard stories of many uncomfortable interviews where the interviewee is booming with so much confidence that it repulses the interviewer. Keeping a high level of confidence is great, but overconfidence can severely damage one’s hireability. Overconfidence can communicate one of two things to the interviewer: you are overcompensating as a result of a lack of confidence, or you just care a lot about yourself. Neither of those messages are particularly great first impressions, so maintain your confidence at a reasonably high level. 

Be Authentic

Alright, I understand how overused the sentiment “Be yourself!” is in our very self-focused society, and it has far surpassed the meaning of cliché. However, people value authenticity for a reason, especially in the workforce. When employers look for people to hire, they are not looking for a repackaged version of the same worker they have employed for years and years. They are looking for individuals with unique perspectives and distinctive personalities. They want to see who you are, not who you can pretend to be. You can give all the right answers in the interview and go through the motions, but after a while, you will be exhausted trying to preserve the façade you previously put up. People begin to see through that. Don’t waste your time trying to be the interviewee who you think employers will hire. It’s far better to get turned down while being authentic than it is to get hired while being disingenuous. Be who you are, and eventually, you will find a good fit with a great company.

Written by Ryan

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