Walter Everett speaks to students about the power of forgiveness.

LAST JANUARY, a faculty committee was formed to evaluate the freshman experience on campus. While discussing ways to help Wesley students better acclimate themselves to the college envi­ronment and increase student retention rates at the same time, the idea for a freshman lecture series was sparked. The Office of Student Life worked in conjunction with the faculty committee to carry out the vision for a series of seven lectures and one photography exhibit throughout the first semester that would offer important life lessons and new perspectives to students.

“We wanted freshmen to have a ‘shared experience’ and to address what faculty thought were issues for many students,” commented Mary-Alice Ozechoski, Wesley’s dean of students. An important goal for the programming was to provide valuable information to students while helping them gain the tools to deal with the pressures they will face in college and throughout their young adult lives. She noted that many of the topics discussed were issues that generally affect the college age popula­tion across the nation such as alcohol abuse, diversity, hazing and body image. She also pointed out the importance of addressing these problems regularly on college campuses, not just when students first arrive at the beginning of the year.

Dr. Jeffery Mask, faculty committee member and professor of religion and business, was pleased with the lecture schedule that resulted from the group’s discussions. “The Student Life staff really carried the ball in putting the series together. I think they did a good job of finding topics that are both interesting and relevant to students.”

For the many students and members of the community that attended the lecture series, there were powerful mes­sages and practical lessons to take away.Walter Everett speaks to students about the power of forgiveness.One influential presenter was Stacy Nadeau, one of the original models from the Dove ® Campaign for Real Women. She is now a motivational speaker who promotes body image awareness and overcoming negative influences that are partially to blame for the fact that only 2 percent of American women feel comfortable calling themselves beautiful, according to a Harvard University study. Audience members were also moved by Walter Everett’s lecture entitled “Is Healing Possible After the Murder of a Loved One?” A United Methodist pastor, Everett spoke about the power of forgive­ness, telling his story of developing a gradual friendship with the individual that murdered his 24-year-old son in 1987. Another lecture in the series featured Peter Bielagus, a financial guru for young people who learned the hard way about credit card debt when he was in college, and now advises how to avoid it. Bielagus provided the Wesley audience practical financial advice from his popular book “Getting Loaded: A Complete Guide to Personal Finance for Students & Young Professionals.”

Throughout the series, faculty members were encouraged to juxtapose their own course curricula with the various lec­ture topics and many assigned attendance at one or more of the programs as part of a course requirement. Ozechoski stated, “Any time we can link the co-curricular experience to the curricular experience we enhance learning.” While steady participation throughout the series was promising, the committee still needs to evaluate its overall success. “Once the faculty reviews it, we will decide whether or not to continue this,” Ozechoski said. “I hope annually, we will hold such a series,” she added.