From BGR to Belonging: Finding Community at Wesley

Welcome, new students! Welcome back, returning students! We hope that move-in went smoothly and that you are settling into your routines on campus. It was great to see everyone who attended Wesley Foundation at Purdue’s Boiler Gold Rush Week (BGR) activities!

Wesley hosted several events throughout welcome week, including move-in lunches, a root beer float social, ultimate frisbee night, Euchre night, and, of course, Midnight Pancakes. This was the first time we hosted the root beer float social and Midnight Pancakes in our new student center!

“We went through a lot of ice cream! I had never seen so many people at a Wesley ice cream event. I got to give lots of tours of the new building and welcome students into the space," said Wesley Student President Evan Cahoon.

For many new students, Wesley’s BGR events were more than just ice cream and card nights. These gatherings gave them a chance to find community during the transition to college.

"When I came to Wesley, it was the fourth day I had been in Indiana, and I was super homesick. I was looking for a community, so I came to one of the move-in lunches. Everyone was so friendly, and I instantly felt like I had a place where I was welcomed without question. It’s been a rough transition to college for me, and feeling like I had a community in the first couple of days of living on my own, going to events, and people remembering me and being happy to see me helped me feel more confident and comfortable in my skin at Purdue," said freshman Maggie Easter.  

For other students, the move-in lunches gave them a place to build meaningful connections and continue their faith. 

"I was first drawn to Wesley as a way to continue my UMC faith at Purdue. During BGR, I attended one of the move-in lunches. I was pleasantly surprised by the diversity and openness of the group that was there. Over lunch, I got to hear their stories and about their experiences at Wesley. I felt like I formed authentic connections after just one meal,” said freshman Parker Givens.

From good food to new friends, BGR week gave students a chance to build community. Check out our calendar for weekly activities and upcoming events to get involved with Wesley!