Message from President Haden

The New Year began quite tragically in our community.  First, we learned about the heartbreaking accident that killed senior art major David Booth and his brother as they returned from their sister’s wedding.  Then, the Sago mining accident on January 2nd gripped the world and then ended with 12 deaths and one miracle survivor that touched so many in our small community.

Although it is hard to imagine good arising from these tragedies, it was goodness that prevailed and the members of the Wesleyan community were so much a part of making that possible.  Our students, faculty and staff surrounded the Booth family with care and concern during a memorial service for David.  Then, as we focused our attention on the community that surrounds our campus, the examples of heartfelt care and concern continued: Our employees volunteering to comfort and counsel families while they waited for news from the mine…Wesley Chapel becoming the safe place for grieving families to wait to identify bodies…our newest property (the old Central School) being used as a temporary morgue…our own marketing and communication staff handling all the media issues related to the memorial service while protecting the families’ privacy…students volunteering to care for children during the service and creating signs posted throughout the campus with messages of love and support…the dining center extending hours so families and visitors had a place to eat and relax…and finally, family members surrounded with love and support in Wesley Chapel during the memorial service that included our Chorale singing, Wesleyan staff, faculty and alumni singing in a community choir, and Wesleyan volunteers involved in every aspect of the event.