BRITNEY MALONEY
Staff Writer
School officials have announced recently that Wednesday Convocation, the weekly service in Firestone Fieldhouse, will be slightly altered this year to create a more curricular approach to the service. Programs will follow a common theme, according to Associate Dean of Students, Tabatha Jones.
“This year, we hope the Convocation Series will help students build Christian faith, affirm Christian values, address the moral and ethical dimensions of current issues, and strengthen students for lives of purpose, service and leadership,” Jones wrote in an email.
In response to this change, several students have voiced their opinions.
“I think convocation is fine right now,” junior Yeji Seo said. “They already get a good message across. Nothing needs to be changed.”
Sophomore Katy Wong agreed.
“I don’t think changing Convo will make that big of a difference,” Wong said. “Students still have to go and they will go, regardless of whether or not they change the format.”
Others expressed excitement over the common theme.
“I think the idea is great,” said communication professor Don Shores. “I’m excited that there is going to be a new theme this fall.”
Freshman Haley Wilson agreed with Professor Shores, even though she has yet to attend many Convocation sessions.
“In order to keep students interested, I think that there needs to be a common theme,” Wilson said. “Otherwise, how will students continue to get a solid message out of the programs?”
One of the most influential figures in the modification of Convo was Guy Chmieleski. Chmieleski, Student Activities coordinator of Convocation and Student-Led Ministries led the charge of creating more of a curricular approach to the series, Jones said.
Despite his helpful contribution to the new series, however, Chmieleski left Pepperdine last week, and the university is seeking his replacement.
Despite varying opinions on the alteration of Convocation, students and faculty alike will witness changes in the series.
Although Convocation speakers will focus on a main theme, their diversity will still be extensive, according to Jones.
To avoid redundancy, she added, several topics have been selected. Upcoming programs include Pepperdine’s associate vice president and university registrar Hung Le on Sept. 15, Founders Day Convocation on Sept. 21, inspirational speaker Nick Vujicic on Sept. 28 and Rev. Dr. Renita J. Weems on Oct. 5.
09-08-2005