Wesley Student Council

Wesley's Student Council seeks to promote the common welfare of the student body by acting as the voice of the student body through providing an open forum in which concerns can be raised, sponsoring various student organizations, and working with the administration, faculty, staff and community to ensure a supportive academic climate.

Who We Are

Executive Board:
John Lucy-President
Kevin Webb-Vice President
Margaret Bagwell-Secretary
Ben Sloan-Treasurer
Christina Wichert-Parliamentarian

General Council Members:
Emily Bagwell
Jay Campbell
Rebecca Cole
Nelson Cowan
Chase Green
Jana Hogg
Ho Kang
Jiyeon Kim
Robert King
Rachel Pacheco
Jake Paysour
Jen Southworth
Samantha Torgersen
Hannah Tucker
Paige Wheeler

A Message from Your New Executive committee

Greetings from Student Council!

To the new and returning students joining us this Fall semester at Wesley, “WELCOME!”  We certainly hope that your summer preparations for what lies ahead have been fruitful.  

While sometimes seminary and the ordination process for whatever denomination we represent can feel like hoops to jump through, we want to encourage you at the beginning of the new school year to instead look forward to the transformation that can occur during seminary.  Here at Wesley we are blessed by professors who care deeply about us, their students, and the spiritual formation that they guide us through during the year.  Take advantage of their gifts, time and experience.

Beyond what the professors do to make your time here a lasting experience, we are blessed by a community that is committed to enriching each other.  Your presence on campus in the classroom and in the life that happens outside the classroom is valuable to the experience of the whole community.  We, the representatives of the Student Council, are committed to upholding our role in the community and supporting the student organizations that bring us together.  

Student Council has been committed over the past two years to support and nurture the growth and activities of our student organizations.  Those organizations include:

• Association of Black Seminarians (ABS), a group not only seeking to expand the voice of the black seminarian, but also address the issues and racism confronting our African-American and Carribean-American brothers and sisters;
• Creation Cares, an organization committed to raising awareness about and promoting environmental health as good stewards.
  The Wesley community is also excited to welcome two new organizations that will hold their first meetings this fall. 
• Korean Student Association (KSA), a group determined to look after the well-being of the large Korean population here on campus and support their interaction with all other students;
• Literally Active (LA), a group that will bring students and staff together for some fun physical activity;
• LOGOS, a group centered around John 14:6 and the written Word;
• NOUS, a new organization focused on promoting the academic life of our students and supporting students seeking academic careers;


• Of Sacred Worth, an organization committed to expressing and advocating the sacred worth of the LGBTQ community;
• Plumbline, a social-justice organization that seeks opportunities to raise awareness and serve;
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• Urban Ministry Students’ Association (UMSA), a group of students committed to broadening the theological education of Wesley to include the ministry needs of the city.
• Wesley Fellowship, a United Methodist organization that nurtures fellowship opportunities for students and staff;

We are blessed by so many organizations, but want to encourage you to feel empowered to envision new organizations that may serve our community in new ways.  

All student organizations are requested to attend the bi-weekly Student Council meetings, so if you are looking to connect with one of these organizations Student Council meetings are a good place to become acquainted.  We are committed to encouraging student organizations to advertise regularly through this journal and the weekly e-announcements and other new avenues so that you are always aware of what you can plug into.  The dates for all the fall semester Student Council meetings are listed below.  Further all members of the Wesley community are invited to attend these meetings.  We would love to hear your voice so that we are better able to act on your behalf.  Watch out for our flyers on the bulletin boards and elsewhere.  

Student Council is also accessible in other ways.  Below are listed your representatives so you can seek them out in the classroom and around campus.  The e-mails of the executive team will be listed at the bottom of this letter as well.  We also have a Student Council office.  After some years of disuse, we plan on making the office a hopping place.  The President will be in the office quite often and the other members of Student Council, busy interns and students all, will be in the office as much as they can.  Come down to the office to voice complaints, make suggestions, or ask questions.  The office is located next to the Writing Center and computer lab, and across from Welliver Lounge in Straughn Dormitory.  To find us, enter the dormitory through the door nearest Kresge and take the stairs in the lobby down one flight to the second floor (first sub-floor).  The Student Council office, Writing Center, computer lab, and Welliver Lounge are to the right.  You will also find in the same hallway a prayer room.  Please do take advantage of all these amenities provided for your benefit.

We, the representatives and executive team of the Student Council have some plans for this year, but largely what the Student Council does this year is up to you.  If there’s something on your mind or that you’d like to see and doesn’t seem to be available, come to us and we’ll do our best to make it happen.  We will seek to connect you with the appropriate avenues for action.  We want to be your advocates.  We want your voice to be heard. We depend on your cooperation to be what you hope us to be.  

We are delighted to begin this year’s journey with you.  May God give you a great start to the semester!

Blessings,

Student Council Representatives
Rebecca Cole                                                             
Chase Green                                                              
Jana Hogg                                                                  
Ho Kang                                                                    
Jiyeon Kim
Rachel Pacheco
Jake Paysour
Jen Southworth
Samantha Torgerson
Hannah Tucker                                                           

Fall Semester Meetings: 9/6, 9/20, 10/4, 10/18, 11/1, 11/15, 11/29