FOUNDATION IN FRIENDSHIP By Jantzen Teague "Live in the moment. Life is a moment," were the words freshmen first heard when arriving at Harding for the start or the 2016-20 17 school year. This was the theme for Impact, a program dedicated to kick-starting the school year for freshmen and tran fer students. Rather than meeting and hanging out with a group of strangers for the weekend before rushing head-first into the blur of a. emester, energy groups, the designated groups that Impact students were placed in, ,,·ere split up by Bible classes, meaning each Impact participant could count on knowing at least 15 ocher people on the first day of class. According to Dr. Kevin Kehl, dean or student succes., the peer guides in each freshman Bible cla.s were chosen to be energy group leaders at Impact. Dr. Ross Cochran, profcs or of Bible, said he wa. a big fan or the peer guide program, and wa. glad Impact decided to arrange ncrgy groups that way. Cochran said utilizing groups that were already organized created continuity between their first bv days on campus, their first day of class and their entire semester. ·'It' a win-win-win," Cochran said. "The student, win, the peer guides \\~n and the teacher wins. I think the whole premi. e of it where freshmen feel more connected if they know and are known by an upperclassman - [is] correct." SeniorJ enna Pyron jumped on board with the plan after seeing the effect those early interactions had on the relationships she formed throughout the semester. Pyron served as a peer guide for three years and said she ,iewed the role as a huge blessing and opportunity to mentor the freshmen. "The first few days at Harding fare] like summer camp," Pyron said. "It's the little things. If you show a lot of energy, they will come back for the second sessions. The more energetic I am, the more recepti,·e they are. The more time you get with them. the more they'll be receptive for the rest of the semester... Freshman Luke Humphrey said he loved the connections he made during Impact, because they made the transition to college life a lot easier. ··I met a group of friends through Impact, and a a result, we ha,·e a group mes age ;md hang out a lot,'' Humphrey said. ''Our peer guides gave us basically a guide to 'everything Harding,' which is just really great. I look forward to getting to know them outside of just seeing them in Bible class." \ Vith Impact and the First Year Experience program working hand in hand, faculty, staffand students \\·orkcd year-round to cmpha ize the community of mission in Harding·s body of Christ. . eniors Leigh Chickering and Emi(r Heinen guide their group acrOj\ the.front lawn on Aug. 20. E11e1gr group leader, u-ere in charge of helping freshmen adapt lo campus life during Impact by offering practical ad1•ice about subject., such as social cluh;, academics and cam/no life. I Photo b_r ,\laq Pate President Dr. Bruce McLarty speaks to students at the Freshman Retreat on Sept. 1 7, at Camp Wyldewood in Searcy. The retreat was part of the First Year Experience program, designed to make the transition to college easier for freshmen and transfer st udents. I Photo ~J' .\lar_J' Pate ·m), STl'llF.\T LIFF.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc5NA==