Student Impact Becky Peart andAJan Howell. Student Impact Co-Directors, conduct amorningassembly. Practand Howell worked long hours preparing for the orientation weekend. Ginger Holron, senior steering committee member, selects songs for the next devotional. Holton, along with her husband, Kyle. served as Impact's sp iritual life directors. Greg Kendal-Ball, junior, blows up a beach ball for a game ofImpact volleyball. Hours of behind me scenes work rook place in order ro make the program a success. Co-directors have big 'Impact' onfreshmen, transfer students It is a hot. humid Thursday afternoon and you are moving all ofyour possessions into a small cubical you will call home for the next two semesters . Your dad is beet-red and sweating from lugging your refrigerator up three flights ofstai rs and your mother is crying because her baby is al l grown up. You are overwhelmed with a new. exciting future ahead of you. Suddenly, you are bombarded with upperclassmen who are willing to assist you with your luggage. Over 800 new students experienced a similar situation this fa ll . called Student Impact. Impact is a weekend held at the beginn ing of each school year to welcome freshmen and transfer students to Harding. During the weekend. students were divided into smaller groups consisting of 18-20 new students in addition to a few upperclassmen serving as leaders. These "energy groups" met several times each day. AshleyAkers. freshman. said. " It gave us all a chance to get to know other students on a more personal basis. Since I am a bit shy, it made things a lot more comfortable knowing those were people who knew me before school even started." Energy groups met to discuss school , clubs, campus life and other issues that where of importance to the new students. Activities were also planned at night so students could mingle and meet people in other energy groups. Nicole Holl is, freshman, said, "I really enjoyed the water games we played, bur my favori te part was the morning assemblies." Alan Howell and Becky Prarr. Impact co-direccors. 30 Student Life worked in preparation for almost a year. Starring in the fal l of'98, they put together a large group ofupperclassmen to serve as a steering committee. Both Pratt and Howell agreed that all of the effortS and hard work combined produced an incredibly successful weekend. "It was really easy with such an awesome group of workers," Prarr said. "The weekend could have been a flop , but the steering committee really brought everything together." Both Pratt and Howell said that their main goal was co interact with the new students as much as possible. "If the whole weekend went smooth, great. But if something went wrong and we were able to really get to know a new student, that is even better," Howell said. Pratt added, "The freshman held their own devotionals apart from the energy groups. They were a very spiritual group and completely participated in what was offered to them." The weekend was one of the most successful Impacts in recent years. The co-directors set an attendance goal of 800, but the total number of new students who attended was more than 900. T he friendships made at Impact did not end when school started. Akers continues to hang out with friends from her energy group. "Some of the gi rls even live near me in my dorm," she said. Student Impact was a success for everyone involved this year, according to Howel l. "God absolutely blessed the entire weekend. Ie could have been stressful for everyone. but God took care of everything." - Jaren Page Amy W ill iamson, junior, makes her way through the crowd at one of the morning assemblies. Many upperclassmen came back to school early to assist new students.
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