By Erin Fuhr | Echo
Transfer students: those kids who come during the fall and spring semesters from colleges all over the country, and then quickly blend in with the rest of the of the student body. Half the time, people don't even know they transferred in, and they miss out on some great stories and a perspective on college life outside of Taylor.
Danielle Spoutz
Junior, Third Bergwall
Major: Marketing and management
Transferred from: Washington State University, Wash., fall 2013
Why'd you transfer?
My school was a huge party school, and I'm not about that. I got involved in a church and got in leadership, but they told me to do church stuff over school stuff, which was not okay in my book. So then I was like, "You know, I should find a school where faith and learning are integrated."
What was the weirdest/hardest part of your transition?
The Awk Walk. It freaked me out, to be honest. But I mean, it's supposed to be awkward.
What's something about Taylor culture that you just didn't get at first?
Pick-a-dates drive me crazy. I love them, but I don't understand the whole pushing people together thing.
What's something that you've loved about Taylor that you didn't have at your old college?
I'm on the POMS team, so dance. I taught dance at WSU, but now I actually get to perform.
Do you have any weird stories about your time at your old college?
While we were sleeping, a drunk guy walked into our room and tried to get into our bed, and we were like, "heck no!"
Drew Kuniholm
Senior, Broho
Major: Economics
Transferred from: Grove City College, Pa., fall 2012
Why'd you transfer?
Grove City wasn't the right fit for me, so I thought I'd give Taylor a try. I picked it kind of on a whim, but I knew I wanted a small Christian school.
What was the weirdest/hardest part of your transition?
Well, my roommate was a transfer as well, and he was like 23. And on the first day, I had someone come into our room like, "I know you guys don't know about anything, because you're freshmen. If you need to know how the world works, or how to get food in the DC, just let me know," and I was like, "Yeah, we're older."
What's something about Taylor culture that you just didn't get at first?
It's weird how polite people are here. I feel like a jerk when I drive; people are so nice, and I just hate everything. Also sarcasm. I feel like there's a weird learning curve about sarcasm. It's just Midwest stuff.
What's something that you've loved about Taylor that you didn't have at your old college?
I would say that the fact that we keep our floors multi-grade, and people stay on the same floor is just a great support system for freshmen, for everyone. It's great to live with the same guys over and over again and not having to be exclusive like a frat.
Do you have any weird stories about your time at your old college?
There was this A0 (housing group member) that would go around in a panda suit at night. He would run around messing with couples that were out late at night. Sometimes the guys would get upset with him, and one time there was a confrontation. The guy in the panda suit punched the guy in the couple, and they called the cops, and there was a local news story about it.
John Leman
Senior, The Haak
Major: Elementary and Special Education
Transferred from: Taylor Online, spring 2012
Why'd you transfer?
My hope in doing Taylor online was to transfer to Taylor eventually. I did Taylor online first, because I realized I wasn't ready to go to college right away . . . I felt like leaving right away (I) just wasn't necessary; it wasn't right. I did Taylor online for the fall of 2011, and I loved it, really. But I think it came to haunt me when I found out there were no due dates, and I just took the month of October off.
What was the weirdest/hardest part of your transition?
Just coming half-way through. To this day, I am forever grateful to the Irish freshmen, because my adjustment to Taylor was much better because of them. My freshman year was not warm and fuzzy, it was actually pretty hard. But because the Irish freshmen were adjusting to very similar things as I was, they kind of took me in.
What's something about Taylor culture that you just didn't get at first?
How people dealt with my personality. I feel comfortable now, I think people know me, but I'll admit, I'm a silly goose. People just know that, and I feel like it takes people a while to know that.
What's something that you've loved about Taylor that you didn't have at your old college?
People!
Do you have any weird stories about your time at your old college?
The battery would die.
Levi Wortley
Senior, 1st East Wengatz
Major: Film and video production
Transferred from: Pike's Peak Community College, Colorado, fall 2012
Why'd you transfer?
I came here for three days for the Envision Film Festival, and yeah, it was awesome. I really liked the campus. I liked the people.
What was the weirdest/hardest part of your transition?
Probably the weirdest thing as I was transferring in . . . they let me take Producing for Clients and Film and Video Production at the same time. So, yeah, it was very intense, but it welcomed me to Taylor. It really threw me into the people at Taylor, so now I know a lot of people.
What's something about Taylor culture that you just didn't get at first?
I don't even know if I'm allowed to talk about it. It's a wing tradition that 1st East does. It's shrouded in secrecy. Definitely a shocker, but it was fun.
What's something that you've loved about Taylor that you didn't have at your old college?
At my old college, the only people I ever hung out with were two of my friends and my sister. But I got to know a few people that were fun to minister to, just cuz they were so off-the-wall insane. "So you believe that there are overlords with alien tentacle things?" But coming to Taylor, they just welcome you right off the bat.
Bambi Brown
Junior, 2nd West Olson
Major: International Studies & Political Science
Transferred from: Kalamazoo College, Michigan, fall 2012
Why'd you transfer?
Basically, I didn't have very many friends. I didn't really fit in. It was a dark environment, so I decided to get out.
What was the weirdest/hardest part of your transition?
Being called a freshman. Everyone just assumes just because you're new you're a freshman. That was rough.
What's something about Taylor culture that you just didn't get at first?
The dating culture. I think it's a lot of pressure. I still don't feel comfortable with it. Everyone can only date with the intention of marriage, which I think is really unhealthy, because it can get way too serious way too fast.
What's something that you've loved about Taylor that you didn't have at your old college?
A really strong community of girls living on a wing and the same wing for however many years. It's one of the coolest things I've experienced. It's like being in a sorority almost but without the Greek life aspect.
Do you have any weird stories about your time at your old college?
It was a Friday night, and we went to the gas station to get snacks, and we witnessed two homeless people fighting-duking it out. So we called the cops to come and stop it.
Tommy Decker
Senior, 2nd East Wengatz
Major: Marketing and management
Transferred from: Bethel University in Minnesota, fall 2012
Why'd you transfer?
Mostly just the community, honestly. The community at my previous college just wasn't there, and I felt like a lot of people weren't invested in the school as a whole; they wanted to just get their degree and get out. People here are invested in what's going on on campus instead of just wanting to look at their next stage of life.
What was the weirdest/hardest part of your transition?
It was pretty easy. I think it was easier especially for me, because I knew so many people coming in.
What's something about Taylor culture that you just didn't get at first?
I knew so much about it coming in, because I had friends, so I was like, "What's the Awk Walk?" I knew most of the stuff.
What's something that you've loved about Taylor that you didn't have at your old college?
Just people staying around on the weekends, that was huge for me. Just being happy and content with just sitting around and talking and hanging out, instead of having to do it around an event.
Ashley Young
Junior, 3rd Bergwall
Major: Film and video production
Transferred from: Western Technical College, Wisconsin, fall 2013
Why'd you transfer?
I always wanted to go to Taylor, even right after high school. I have a twin brother, and he fell in love with it, and he was like "I wanna go!" But we couldn't pay for both of us, so we ended up going to a technical college for a year just to save money, and we made sure we would transfer.
What was the weirdest/hardest part of your transition?
I've had 5 roommates since I've been here. That's been kind of crazy-lots of different rooming changes.
What's something about Taylor culture that you just didn't get at first?
Ring-downs are kinda fun, but the first time you sit through it, it kinda seems like a cult.
What's something that you've loved about Taylor that you didn't have at your old college?
The film program. There was a film type of program at the technical college, but the film program here is so good, and that's why I wanted to come here.
