By Janessa Stultz
Student Contributor
The official numbers are in, and Tennessee Wesleyan College has shattered its all-time record for number of enrolled students, as well as the number of students living on campus. It is great to have the new Wesley Commons for the simple fact that we now have 333 students living on campus. With a total of 333 students living on campus, Wesley Commons, the newest dorm, is a welcome addition to TWC. Much excitement is centered on the record enrollment of 988 students. The new men and women’s lacrosse teams have also added extensively to growth in the athletic department, and the high enrollment of students in general will bring many new and exciting things to this campus.
Several plans are the works for TWC. The new entrance has been completed, and there are intentions to build a new Student Activities Center on the current volleyball-court within the next few years. Improvements have been made in relation to sports, such as the installation of the soccer and lacrosse field houses on the field at the top of the hill.
When asking the Assistant Dean of Students, Angie Wilcox, what the new numbers will do for improving student activities, she responded that the higher number of students means slightly greater activity fees. Ms. Wilcox has plans in the works for more interactive events with the expectation of a higher participation from students, including the possibility of a hypnotist this year. Some activities forthcoming are homecoming games and events such as the Bulldog Olympics, Lip Sync, and the Banner Design Contest. Each of these activities are purported to be bigger and better than ever because this year at TWC, we are setting records.
When asking Kathryn Paden, Director of Residence Life, what the increase in student numbers does for the residence halls, she echoed much of what Angie Wilcox had to say about student activities. With more people living on campus, we can expect a higher participation of students in activities. Each residence hall puts on at least two activities per month. “You can see the impact the increase in numbers has had on our Residence Life programming just by looking at the Ice Cream Olympics this year,” Paden said. “Although this was the 4th annual Ice Cream Olympics, this was, by far, the best one because it ran smoothly. We look forward to higher participation in other events because these students seem to be more aware and interested in participating.”
The number of students attending Tennessee Wesleyan will greatly improve the campus in many different areas simply because more students generate a higher interest in activities. This higher interest can, in turn, improve campus life. While some of the projects the campus has in mind will take more long term planning and donations before it can be brought to fruition – such as a new Student Activity Center – other simple aspects of the campus will be changing rather quickly – such as the number of activities available to students year-round. The next goal on Tennessee Wesleyan’s list will more-than-likely be to break 1,000 in the number of enrolled students on this campus. Look forward to all Tennessee Wesleyan College has to offer.
