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Welcome New BC Parents!
Parents Council Chairpersons, Marsha & Dale
Barley
with their daughter Elizabeth
Dear Fellow Parents and Families,
It seems like yesterday that we made that journey
to Geisert Hall to drop off Elizabeth (and
an endless supply of girl stuff) for her
first year of college. Now, she’s about to
begin her senior year! Although we don't live in Bridgewater, the BC community feels near to us. We have enjoyed participating in the many opportunities for parents to become involved in their child's educational experience. What a great feeling to know that our daughter is challenged and cared for and that we, too, are valued members of this community!
The BC Parents' Council serves as a link between Bridgewater College and the parents and families of our students. The purpose of the Council is to enhance communication between families and Bridgewater College, to involve families in campus and regional activities to promote Bridgewater, to financially support the Bridgewater Fund, and to enrich the college experience for both students and families.
It is a fact that many opportunities are made possible for students each year through private financial support. Each year, gifts to the Bridgewater Fund from alumni, friends, parents, and families are used to strengthen the Bridgewater College educational experience and enhance campus life.
To find out how easy it is to make your gift to Bridgewater College today, visit:
www.bridgewater.edu/give.
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Marsha & Dale Barley |
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For more information on serving on the Parents Council, please
contact Ellen Miller at
emiller@bridgewater.edu
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Eagles We-Haul - Don't Fret it, Let Us Sweat It!
 On freshmen move-in day,
Friday, September 2,
you will find several folks on campus ready to help you navigate the
loading/unloading areas, parking lots and residence halls.
Some may even grab your belongings out of your car before you
are able to put it in park! Don't be concerned!
They are members of various students
groups, academic areas, BC staff and even alumni who return to campus for what is
called "Eagles We-Haul" – a play on "U-Haul."
Bridgewater College has had as many as 50 plus alumni, faculty, staff and
students come to campus for the sole purpose of welcoming
freshmen to BC and to share with parents and students the many memories
they have of their days on campus. So, when you see someone with a t-shirt
with the Eagles We-Haul logo, let them help you with move in and ask them to share some memories with
you. We hope you are pleasantly surprised by their
assistance and you get the chance to hear some stories
about BC!
Thanks to the many volunteers who help
with Eagles We-Haul!
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Welcome Week is Sept. 2-10
To see an overview of what your
student should expect during their first week at Bridgewater College
click to download a
Welcome Week Schedule
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Dinkel
Traffic Calming Project
In an effort to make crossing Dinkel
Avenue safer for our campus community -
VDOT, the town of Bridgewater and
Bridgewater College agreed on a
construction project that began in
mid-August. This is a VDOT project which
is intended to slow traffic on Dinkel as
it comes through campus. Although the
east and west lanes of Dinkel will
remain open at all times during
construction, drivers will need to be
mindful of workers, pedestrians and
traffic flow. The project is
estimated to take about 10 weeks to
complete.
The photo above is a computer-generated
picture of what the completed Dinkel
Avenue traffic calming project will look
like. The new curbing on both sides of
the street will narrow the street by six
feet. Highway research has shown
that drivers automatically slow down
when the roadway narrows. You will
also see in the picture that the
crosswalks have become much more
distinguishable from the street.
We hope that students will use the
marked crosswalks and be aware of
oncoming traffic at all times.
Dr. William D. Miracle
Dean of Students
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Mark your calendar for
Family Weekend 2011
Featured Events
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Friday - 4:45-6
p.m. |
Habitat for
Humanity Chili Cookoff
Friday, 7 p.m. | Cole Hall
Family Weekend Convo
Saturday - 9-10 a.m. | Coffee with the
President
Saturday - 9-10:30 a.m. | Student
Services Fair
Saturday - 9 a.m. |
Cornhole Tournament
Saturday - 11 a.m. | Women’s Field
Hockey Game
Saturday - 11 a.m. |
Chorale Performance
Saturday - 1 p.m. | Football Game
Saturday - 1 p.m. | Women's Soccer
Game
Saturday - 7 p.m. |
Lift Your Voice Gospel Choir Performance
Saturday - 4 p.m. | Men’s Soccer Game
Sunday
- 1:30 p.m. |
Shenandoah
National Park Hike
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Parenting a College Student:
something to think about
Marshall Duke dispenses advice to
parents of college students.
• Think about your
parting words or “blessing.”
Whatever
wisdom you have to offer, whether it is 'I love you,' 'I'm behind
you,' or 'I'm proud of you'... say it. If you can't express yourself
verbally, write your thoughts down in a letter.
Your children will remember your messages and hold on to
them.
• Your lives will change.
Younger siblings may be quite
happy to see the older child leave home.
You won't want to
wait for your student to come home — or leave when they do.
Your child will arrive home with a whole new set of habits,
particularly food and sleep patterns.
• Don't change your child's room too
quickly.
Freshmen in particular can go through
some difficult times in transition, establishing new friendships,
adjusting to a setting where they are not 'top dog' or even fearing
they made a mistake. Home is security in the midst of making new
connections (but balance resisting the urge to come get them too
quickly).
• When a problem arises, "move toward
giving responsibility and verifying action."
The temptation is to intervene when a child calls home with a
problem. Remember the resources at college to help students cope
with various situations. Express support, but give your children
responsibility and time to solve their own problems—it will
ultimately benefit them. Colleges have many safety nets including academic support to resident advisers who
are trained to identify and handle just about any problem you can
imagine. However, if you hear something that sounds like real
trouble do not hesitate to contact student life.
• Don't expect the same grades in
college that the students got in high school.
Brand new college freshmen are actually 'successful high school
students who are at college.' They need time and experience and some
may need more tools or tutoring to learn how to be 'college students
at college.' This takes initiative on the part of your student. As
freshmen, students tend to highlight everything in their textbooks
because everything seems important. Sophomores highlight several
lines on a page as they begin to zero in on the heart of the matter.
Juniors just highlight a line here or there. Seniors sometimes
highlight nothing — they just write critical comments in the margin
and cite other sources of reference.
For additional tips and resources,
view the BC Resources PDF.
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We'll leave the light on for you
Tips for parents of first year students
By Randy Hook, LCSW, Director of Counseling Services
Believe me…this isn’t an advertisement for the nearest Motel 6. And I am certainly not advocating that you, as parents, spend the first weeks of your student's freshman year camped out in a local hotel awaiting your son or daughter's first distress call from their freshman dorm. Although, as a parent, I can imagine you have had many thoughts, and some anxiety perhaps, about how to make this transition to college easy: both for you and your child.
I remember being 18 years old and very excited about what the future held for me. My parents were equally excited but I also remember sensing a twinge of protective concern about me heading out on my own into the world and a school nearly
four-and-a half hours away.
As I mentioned, the title above actually has nothing to do with Motel 6. It references a poem my father wrote for me a few days prior to my leaving for my freshman year entitled “I will
Leave a Light On”. His message to me was that no matter what I encountered ‘out there’ that he and my mother would always be there for me. In re-reading that poem I was moved by the dichotomous reality of the message “to immerse your entire spirit into the mystery of life,” and “as you walk out of my life and into your own.” As with many of you, my parents held great hope and excitement for my launching and a great, yet silent, wondering about the ability of my wings to fly.
And so here are some tips that can help you and your new BC Eagle soar and find your own rhythm in this exciting new time and eventual story that begins “When you first went off to college…”
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Work to help your young adult get acclimated to campus services and resources.
There are a plethora of resources available to students at Bridgewater College:
health services, counseling services, chaplain services,
tutoring, the writing center, etc. Many times I have encountered first-year students who simply do not know what is available to them. Do your own research and let them know what is available to them
and how to get connected in times of need.
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Encourage your student to get involved with campus life at BC.
This is so vital to the success of all our students. We all seek to be connected and belong to something and the
department of student life and the entire BC community work very hard to provide our students with a wide variety of ways to get connected to other students and small communities. Encourage your son or daughter by asking what they have been up to and whether or not they are meeting new people and experiencing new activities. Their hall
residence advisors can be a valuable peer resource in helping them to get connected to other students.
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Remember the basics: Help them to remember to get sleep, eat well and
get medical attention when not feeling well. (I know, I know…easier said than done.)
Paige French, NP, director of health services shouts this from the rooftops at BC. We all know that when we are better rested and healthy we are also more engaged and successful at our endeavors. Please encourage your child to balance “going out” and getting rest. Academically, encourage them to get started early and not to procrastinate assignments.
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Find the balance of communication between constant contact between you and your child and total cut-off.
This can be one of the more challenging aspects of the transition to college. The new age of texting has made it so much easier to check in with our children and, thus, have a greater sense of security about their well being. My hope is that you have a conversation with your son or daughter (not through text) about how much they would like you to check in with them and what feels right to you. This may be a weaning process for all parties involved but it can be done in a way that helps everyone remain connected while encouraging connections to other support systems and people.
In closing, I know that I speak for the entire Bridgewater College community when I wish you and your new college student the smoothest of transitions. Please do not hesitate
to contact me personally if you have concerns about your son or daughter and their well being. I promise… “I will leave a light on.”
Go Eagles!!!
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