Tanner's Journal « First-Year Student Journals

Bounding With Bounders

February 13, 2006 | 0 comments

After unfolding my hands from prayer, I picked up my fork and knife to join the clicking and scraping conversation of silverware and plates that echoed through the largely empty cafeteria. Just as I began to mash my eggs around in my salsa and thaw my fingers above my food's moist heat, several voices shouted out my name from across the room. I turned to look over my shoulder to find my friends, Chris and Alex(andra), springing towards me with giddy ear-to-ear smiles.

"Tanner, are you excited?!" Chris half-whispered. Fearing I had forgotten some big campus event, or even someone's birthday, I shrugged and responded with "About what?"

Finally Alex exclaimed, "The Bounders are coming today!" She and Chris then turned to face each other and began chattering incessantly about their mixed feelings of excitement and nervousness as they anticipated the arrival of Biola's very first "Bounders" of the year.

I turned back to my plate with a grin. These "Bounders", if you haven't guessed, are the newly nicknamed Biola Bounders that were arriving that afternoon. As an Ambassador at Biola, I am honored and happy to work with the admissions department and to be one of the first faces prospective students and families get to see. No, I don't grade any applications. The Ambassador program is made up of 30 students. We volunteer our time to give tours and write letters to prospective students, proud (in a biblical sense, of course) to be able to serve and to represent the rest of our 5,018 peers to those considering Biola as their new home as they continue their education.

Anyone who makes the journey to visit Biola through a Biola Bound had better be excited... or else. Well, I suppose that isn't much of a threat, but the "or else" is that you won't be braced for the flood of excitement and fun Biola students share with visitors. Each student, whether an Ambassador or not, ended up at Biola as a result of His guidance and will. As a result, many are delighted to share the events of the adventure that landed them at Biola. I remember visiting a few college campuses my senior year of high school, and I remember driving up to each a little nervous and intimidated, wondering how I would compliment or stick out amongst a place thousands of strangers call home. Sometimes, the welcomes were warm and sincere. Other times, they were less than inviting. However, I remember visiting Biola during the University Day preview, and feeling genuinely embraced by my hosts and others within the student body as a brother and as part of their family. And this is precisely the way that I wanted to serve the "Bounders" who were coming: to let them experience adoption into the Biola family.

That night, when the students arrived, I was expecting most of them to be somewhat reserved and to need some prodding to open up into playing games, going to coffee, and hanging out with us for the next few days. How wrong I was! These high school and transfer students arrived revved-up and ready to handle everything we had planned to occupy them during their stay. After some crazy games of "pillow-bashing" and "Under Sea Adventure," I walked out with a few bags and a new friend by my side, my beloved Bounder, Josh. I had a great time the next few days getting to know Josh and the other bounders over coffee, watching intramural games, during meals, or on the way to classes. As the weekend drew to a close, I realized that as much fun as movie nights, Sardines, Disneyland, and lacrosse were during the event, the most rewarding return for being an Ambassador were the friendships I made with some students I will probably see here at Biola next year.

As the Bounders departed for the airport, I realized that I although I might see some of them come to Biola for next school year, there were some I would never see again. I realized then that executing plans and events as coordinators was the least important part of me responsibilities. Rather, I discovered that these events are excellent opportunities to make genuine impacts on genuine people. I hope that everyone who visits us in the future will come ready to build relationships and experience a "family" at Biola unlike any he or she has been welcomed by before.