Stetson Commons 1989-1-1

Commons The newsletter for parents of Stetson students Fall 1989 Vol. I. No. 1 Parents' Council urges parents to 'get involved* Want to be a video star? A hostess with the mostest? The President's Parent Council hopes you do. Newly reorganized to better respond to students' needs, the council is seeking greater parent involvement with Stetson, through such initiatives as: • "Home" videos of parents talking about their careers: how they trained for them, what the work is like, what they look for in new employees. These tapes will be used for career planning. • Parties hosted by Stetson parents and students for prospective students and their parents. They will give local high schoolers a chance to meet and talk with people who are "there." • Requests by employee-parents to corporate recruiters to include Stetson in their campus visits. • Personal calls to alumni/parent friends and co-workers asking support for Stetson's Parents Fund. The council will be requesting parents' reactions to these and other ideas soon. The 50 members serve as advisors to President Lee, working through three committees: Admissions, Career Planning and Placement, and Parents Fund. Ed Shelton, Midlothian, Va., chairs the council with Dr. and Mrs. James Threlkel, Winter Haven, Fla., as vice chairs. Members are: Mr. and Mrs. Ronald W. Allen, Atlanta, Ga.; Mr. and Mrs. Jack Beal, Ft. Lauderdale, Ha.; Mr. and Mrs. Emmet J. Bondurant II, Atlanta; Mr. and Mrs. Thomas J. Brodrick, Longwood, Ha.; Mr. and Mrs. James Case, Clearwater, Fla.; Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Daman, Westfield, N.J.; Mayor and Mrs. Bill Frederick, Orlando, Fla.; Mr. and Mrs. Gleason Frye, Greenwich, Conn.; Mr. and Mrs. John Hammack, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.; Mr. and Mrs. Clyde C. Long Jr., Sanford, Ha.; Mr. and Mrs. Thomas L. McLean, Miami; Mr. and Mrs. Gary R. Mead, Mendham, N.J.; Dr. and Mrs. Chester Morris, Biscayne Park, Fla.; Mr. and Mrs. John Pape, Venice, Ha.; Mr. and Mrs. Edward Probert, New Vernon, N.J.; Mr. and Mrs. Richard Raiford, Atlanta; Mr. and Mrs. Munigoti Sastri, Daytona Beach, Fla.; Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Scarbrough, Bradenton, Fla.; Mr. and Mrs. Johny Seale, Flagler Beach, Fla.; Mr. and Mrs. William Sizemore, Tampa, Fla.; Mr. and Mrs. James Thompson, Longwood, Fla.; Mr. and Mrs. Jack Tuck, Davison, Ga.; Mr. and Mrs. Sumner Waring, Jr., Swansea, Mass.; Mr. and Mrs. James Wharton, Orlando; and Mr. and Mrs. Gary Yerdon, Ft. Lauderdale. Holidays aren't all fun, especially the first ones The Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays can be difficult for freshmen because they often are interacting with family for the first time after being on their own, says Dr. Judy Wright, counseling center director. The long Christmas break can be particularly stressful. "Students have been controlling what and when they eat and sleep, and controlling their time. When they go home for the holidays they are sucked back into the family dynamics. That can be stressful for parents and the student," she says. Students must separate emotionally from the family and not be unduly influenced by family members; learn to have close relationships with peers; and choose and prepare for a career, Dr. Wright said. Parents need to learn to accept their "child" as an adult and "let go." "This is a difficult time for parents, especially if a child has, until now, followed the course his parents have set for him," Dr. Wright says. Another stress point: the student's choice of a major. "This can be an especially touchy topic for students who really are not sure what discipline to study. Parents often ask 'have you chosen a major yet?...you know we are paying all that money for college and you don't even know what you want to do."' What's in our name? Commons: An odd name for a newsletter? Not for Stetson. Generations of Stetson students and their families have found The Commons a friendly place to gather, eat, and exchange ideas and news. But the name means something else. We all have a common goal: giving each student a rich, satisfying academic and social experience at Stetson. This newsletter will help share with you Stetson's progress toward realizing that goal for your student and for his or her classmates and successors. More trees, big trees1. See page 2. Students 'risk' to grow Ever "mooed" like a cow, clucked like a chicken, or fallen backward for someone else to catch you? Stetson students did as they began fall semester with a "risk." "Risk with self, risk with others. Risk, be a part, and grow," was invented and coordinated by graduate students Tres Mullis of Jacksonville and Carol Hafer of Sarasota to unify students living in residence halls. "For freshmen, especially, coming to Stetson is a risk. They risk being away from their families for the first time, being put with a roommate they have never met before. They may risk by saying no to some of the social life so that they can do well academically. We wanted to show them that it's okay to be worried or concerned about what they are going to encounter," said residential life director Mary Ann Loftus. During "Risk Day," group development exercises helped students learn trust, cooperation, and communication. They fell backward in "trust falls" for others to catch them, they scaled down the three-story ROTC practice tower, and "spoke" only with the sound of the animal they represented. "For some, this was the greatest risk - being silly," Miss Loftus said.