by Duane Bonifer
COLUMBIA, KY. (06/07/2026) The Lindsey Wilson University community welcomed the first two installments of the Class of 2030 on June 5-6. More than 350 students, parents and family friends were on campus for the first two days of New Student Orientation, which will be held three more times this summer.
The half-day session introduces new students to campus life and allows them to finalize their enrollment for the 2026-27 school year, which includes completing a class schedule. The 2026 fall semester begins Aug. 24 for undergraduate students on the university's A.P. White Campus.
"Everyone at the university gets so excited for New Student Orientation days," said Lindsey Wilson Dean of Students Chris Schmidt. "You can see and feel the excitement from the incoming freshmen and their families. It's one of their many days at Lindsey they will never forget."
In addition to officials from the dean of students office, New Student Orientation included representatives from admissions, the business office, public safety, financial aid, residence life and the student success center.
As Associate Director of Admissions Hannah Peck '12 said, the teamwork that campus offices invest in the day helps create an environment that "provides such a hospitable and fun environment that allows incoming Blue Raiders a chance to be welcomed into the LWU family."
'Feels like home'
And according to the freshmen who attended the first two New Student Orientation sessions, that is exactly what the day accomplished.
"This place feels like home when you walk into it," said David Honaker '30 of Elizabethtown, Kentucky.
Honaker graduated from Central Hardin High School on May 23, and less than two weeks later he started his college years when he attended Lindsey Wilson's June 5 New Student Orientation session.
"It's a little scary and it also makes me a little happy," said Honaker, a John Wesley Scholar who will be a Christian ministries major and a member of the Blue Raiders' track and field program. "It's a new chapter in life, and sometimes you have to turn that chapter."
Madeline Helm '30 of Leitchfield, Kentucky, and Jaida Logsdon '30 of Clarkson, Kenutcky, said they also experienced some feelings of trepidation when they headed to the June 5 orientation session. They had graduated from Grayson County High School only a week earlier, on May 29, but they said that New Student Orientation had assuaged their concerns about transitioning to college life.
"It's different and a little scary," said Helm, who plans to major in nursing. "But it's a good feeling, too."
They two added that they were especially drawn to Lindsey Wilson by the plethora of opportunities offered on campus.
"There's a lot of opportunities you don't get at other schools," said Logsdon, who plans to major in human services and counseling.
In addition to previewing the place that will be their home for the next quadrennium, new students said that orientation gave them a clearer picture of what to expect from college life in Columbia.
Anderson Slinker '30 of the Chicken Chicken Bristle community in northern Metcalfe County, Kentucky, said the day answered all of her questions.
"Everyone is very open and informative," said Slinker, a Barren County High School graduate who plans to major in education and attended the June 5 orientation with her parents, Leea and Martin Slinker.
Get out of your room
A big reason the incoming students' questions were answered was because of the 12 New Student Orientation leaders, who were chosen from Lindsey Wilson's undergraduate student body. The orientation leaders introduced the new students to some of the university's rituals and campus customs, offered tips on how to have a successful first year in college and led games that introduced members of the Class of 2030 to one another.
Trevor Huff '29 of Bowling Green, Kentucky, said he was inspired to become an orientation leader because of how much he benefitted from the experience last summer as a new student.
"I really learned a lot," said Huff, a biology major and member of the men's bowling team who is also a Lindsey Wilson legacy. "Being an orientation leader has helped me become a better person because by doing this I'm recognizing everyone who helped me out."
Huff said the one piece of advice he was offering to all new residential students was to spend a minimal amount of time in their residence hall rooms.
"We have so much going on around campus," he said. "You don't really want to stay in your room."
Aniah Anderson '30 of Franklin, Kentucky, said she plans to follow that advice when she returns to campus in the fall as a theatre major.
"I'm really looking forward to being involved on campus and being part of the theatre program because it has such a good reputation," said Anderson, who graduated from Franklin-Simpson High School and attended the June 5 orientation with her grandmother Donna Smith and aunt Tina Hyman. "It was a really fun day. I got to meet people, and everyone was very welcoming."
Lindsey Wilson University is a vibrant liberal arts university in Columbia, Kentucky. Founded in 1903 and affiliated with The United Methodist Church, the mission of Lindsey Wilson is to serve the educational needs of students by providing a living-learning environment within an atmosphere of active caring and Christian concern where every student, every day, learns and grows and feels like a real human being. Lindsey Wilson offers 30 undergraduate majors, five graduate programs and a doctoral program. The university's 29 intercollegiate varsity athletic teams have won more than 120 team and individual national championships.
LWU New Student Orientation leaders are joined by university mascot Blue Raider Bob to welcome new students and their guests on Friday, June 5, 2026 in V.P. Henry Auditorium. More than 350 new students and their guests attended the first two sessions of the university’s orientation for new students, held June 5-6.
