Inquiring Minds Want to Know …

Taylor Ford is possibly one of the most genuine and enthusiastic Falcons on campus. We tossed your questions at him, and he served up some fresh and authentic answers.

What opportunities does SPU have to help you grow in your personal faith?
— JANNA VAN HAITSMA, OLYMPIA, WASHINGTON

I have grown so much in my faith journey at Seattle Pacific. A student ministry coordinator serves on every floor to connect you to ministries on campus, and to help facilitate small groups. Also, SPU has a couple different worship services: Gather on Tuesday morning, and Group on Wednesday night. Most weeks, I attend both of these services. When classes get hard, and life gets busy, Group and Gather are great places to go and take a deep breath and refocus on God.

What do you suggest I do as an incoming student to help me choose a dorm?
— MEGAN BRAATEN, ARLINGTON, WASHINGTON

I have lived in Emerson, Hill, and Moyer, and though they are different, they have all been really rad experiences. If you are able, visit campus and stay in a residence hall. If you can’t visit, check out the details online and be honest when you put your interests and likes on the housing questionnaire. I’ve been impressed with what an incredible job the University does at matching people with the right roommate and the right place.

What are the best scenic views around?
— MICHAELA HARRIS, WASKOM, TEXAS

I never get tired of seeing Mount Rainier, and since it towers over the Puget Sound region, it’s not hard to find. The most famous view of the Seattle skyline — and Rainier — is less than five minutes from SPU at Kerry Park. One great thing about living in Seattle is that you are within an hour of hundreds of hikes. My friends and I often go to Rattlesnake Ridge in North Bend. It is an easy hour hike to the top, and once you make it, you can see for miles. Every time I go, I stand in awe of the beauty of the mountains in the Pacific Northwest.

What’s it like to be a first-year student surrounded by new people in a new school, and city?
— ROBBY GRANT, ROYAL CITY, WASHINGTON

The first month of college was the most memorable month of my life! I remember thinking the summer before I moved to SPU about how overwhelming it was that I was moving to a big city, into a community where I knew very few people, and on top of that I was going to be living away from home for the first time in a dorm with new roommates! The first night at SPU, I realized every first-year student is in the same place. Make the most of the first couple days, and you will make a ton of new friends to adventure with in a cool city.

What are all-campus events that students anticipate?
— KIANA LEI YAP, SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA

Talent Show is one of those traditions at SPU that brings everybody together! A bunch of different students audition, and it’s so fun seeing your friends perform. Also, every residence hall puts on a big event for the campus each winter. Moyer decorates their rooms according to a theme and the campus comes and votes for the best ones, Ashton and Hill put on floor dances, Emerson holds a film festival, and Arnett does a lip-sync battle. All of these events are open to everyone on campus, and these are awesome opportunities to bond with people on your floor.

Do you have to be extremely religious to go here?
— SAMUEL NIEBLA, ROSAMOND, CALIFORNIA

Not at all! All the professors and many of my friends are Christ followers, but there is no pressure to get involved in any of the ministries on campus. You do not have to be a Christian to attend SPU, and students come from different faith backgrounds. I’ve found that the diversity of students here make class discussions rich and lively.