AJ
Arnold Jaegar
  • O'Fallon

Arnold Jaeger Begins Campus Life at Westminster College in Fulton, MO

2013 Oct 31

Arnold Jaeger of O'Fallon, Missouri, began campus life at Westminster College in Fulton, MO, with a week of ceremonies, campus orientation sessions, leadership training and social activities.

Jaeger's educational journey started with one of Westminster's most time honored and revered traditions, the Columns Ceremony.

The Columns Ceremony takes place on The Hill in front of the six white columns that remain from the first administration building, which was destroyed by fire.

At this event, students heard inspirational messages from two members of their class, Adam Riggs from Quincy, IL and Mahogany Thomas from Columbia, MO, took the Athenian Oath, and then walked through The Columns onto the campus to begin their college life at Westminster.

The only other time they will walk through The Columns is during Commencement exercises when they walk back into the world.

This year's class is composed of 262 freshmen and 51 transfer students.

"You are now a part of the Westminster community," Westminster President Dr. George B. Forsythe told the group at Convocation in Champ Auditorium. "I encourage you to take responsibility for your learning and development by becoming engaged in the College-in your academic classes, in service opportunities, in sports and other co-curricular activities."

Convocation speaker for the day was Phillip White, Churchill author of Our Supreme Task: How Winston Churchill's Iron Curtain Speech Defined the Cold War Alliance. He is a journalist lecturer who spent a great deal of time researching his book on campus.

White explained to the class how Churchill came to select Westminster to deliver his historic "Iron Curtain" speech in 1946 and what impact that world event has had on Westminster and its students ever since.

Following Convocation, the new students attended a farewell reception for their parents and family members on The Quad, had dinner with their mentors, went to a spirit rally and then socialized with their resident advisors and new classmates on The Quad.

The next day, the group began attending regular sessions of "The Leader Within," an orientation course focusing on their adjustment to college and their new adult life. These Westminster Seminar classes are the College's nationally acclaimed academic preparation class that gives new students the skills they need to succeed in college.

Social activities during new student week included teambuilding exercises, pool party, dodge ball, outdoor movie night, talent show, karaoke in the Quad, late night bingo and pancakes and "Rock the Hill," the seventh annual fall music festival of live music held on The Hill section of campus.

"Welcome to the opportunity to become the person you were meant to be," President Forsythe told the new students. "Welcome to the chance to create the world you aspire to live in."

Founded in 1851, Westminster College is one of the top liberal arts colleges in America, according to all major educational ranking firms including U.S.News & World Report, Forbes magazine, The Princeton Review and Washington Monthly. National high school counselors recognize Westminster as one of the Top Two Liberal Arts Colleges in Missouri to receive the best education. This selective college for men and women operates on two campuses, one an 86-acre residential campus in Fulton, MO, and a second Southwestern urban campus in the vibrant downtown of Mesa, AZ. Westminster is a challenging academic environment where students are educated to lead and inspired to achieve. Ninety-six percent of Westminster graduates start their first job or enroll in graduate or professional schools within six months of graduation.

To learn more about Westminster College, people can visit the College web site at www.westminster-mo.edu.