An Orientation to Service
New freshmen and transfer students arrived a week earlier than returning students for orientation activities in mid-August. They learned about campus life and the College’s “Big Rocks”—Principia’s history, Christian Science foundation, and focus on character unfoldment. They also had time to get settled, meet other students, and enjoy games, picnics, and parties.
One afternoon mid-week, they turned their attention to serving others. After venturing by bus to nearby Pere Marquette State Park, they rolled up their sleeves and pitched in, clearing trails and painting cabins built in the 1930s.
By all accounts it was a productive day. “The service day was a lot of fun,” says Parker Engel. “I worked on trail maintenance, and it was cool to see the difference in foliage compared to Colorado where I’m from. I was glad to help out and see the impact we made.”
“I didn’t know that there was a state park so close,” adds Shelby Barner. “It was super fun to spend time with my family group because I got to know different people while cleaning up the trails.” (Family groups are a pre-assigned set of roughly 12 students and a few adults who meet regularly during the first week.)
Later that evening, the students went to Forest Park in St. Louis for a barbeque picnic and then attended the Wednesday testimony meeting at First Church of Christ, Scientist, St. Louis, which was built just prior to the 1904 World’s Fair. “We took students to First Church because Principia’s founder, Mary Kimball Morgan, and her husband, William, were founding members of that church,” explains Freshmen Housing Director Joshua Sprague. “They chose to live nearby so they could be actively involved in church activities. It was so cool to show it to the students so they could see what it must have been like during the Morgans’ time.”
From improving trails to sharing testimonies, students made an impact on their neighbors on both sides of the Mississippi River!