Dr. Cheryl Nixon, the current President of Berea College, is making the most of her first semester as president. Following the opening convocation of the Fall 2023 semester—during which she first introduced the idea of Berea College as a circle in which there is no hierarchy but a single community, different peoples with one blood—she has tackled a new project to make that vision a reality.
Dr. Nixon has introduced the campus community to “Connect For,” a project centered around a collection of ideas sourced from members of the campus community to bring everyone together for various events and activities, all of which are able to be registered for on Berea Engage.
The first announcement for Connect For was made on September 28th, in which Dr. Nixon mentioned a number of events. Such events include ice cream socials, Sunday Suppers, the re-emergence of the Run/Walk Club, and Student Club Share-Outs—to “connect for” various things.
That phrase was the inspiration behind the name of the project as per Dr. Nixon.
“It’s really just to reflect what students want to do and what they think would be fun for us to do together,” Dr. Nixon said.
Most interestingly, the idea for a Student Circle was mentioned, serving as a platform in which a small selection of students can speak directly to administration. Some ideas have already been proposed, such as more outdoor spaces on campus, like areas for hammocks.
Ultimately, the goal of Connect For is to bring the campus community together. Dr. Nixon looks at Berea College and sees a beautiful campus full of dedicated and talented people, so it’s no wonder that she’s eager to get involved and stir up some more activity on campus however she can.
The Student Club Share-Outs serve as an opportunity for student-run clubs and organizations to be held in the President’s house. The Biology Club’s Dinner & Nature Walk event, one such share-out organized by the Biology Club, is among the student clubs that have been featured in these share-outs thus far.
Sunday Suppers, taking place approximately every other week each month, are also available for students that want to come together at the President’s house to enjoy cooking and eating dinner together. The dates for October were the 8th and 22nd, but the dates for upcoming months will be announced in due time.
As for the Run/Walk Club, it returned on the Wednesday of October 4th and will continue into the Fall semester. Keep an eye on your emails for updates.
To reach out about Connect For or to submit ideas for events, go to the webpage for the project here and scroll down to the “Contact Us” section.
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