University seminar teaches freshmen valuable lessons.

ULM’s freshmen class are at it again, giving back to their community.

Friday, baskets of supplies were delivered to the Ouachita Council on Aging by peer leaders of the university seminar classes and part of the soccer team.

University seminar is a class required for every freshman during their first semester at ULM. The class is half a semester long and serves the purpose of helping new Warhawks adjust to their new home away from home.

Every year, the classes have their students bring in donations and write letters to an elderly person they are assigned to. These items include toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap and any small items they can use.

The letters and gift baskets are sent to OCA to be handed out to the elderly. The OCA’s objective is to serve senior citizens, age 60 and up. This organization was established in 1967.

The university seminar class has been doing the donations for about eight years now, and Will Copeland said he hopes the freshmen grasp the importance of this project.

“The project gives them a way that they can extend themselves beyond campus by getting involved in the community doing something good for other people,” Copeland said.

Copeland is an instructor for the seminar class. He said he believes the class is a great way for them to network and get to know people in similar majors. According to Copeland, it is a great way to meet friends that they will keep throughout their college years.

Naomi Douglas, a freshmen pre-medical laboratory science major, said the class has taught her a lot about ULM and how to find her place.

Douglas said, “Mrs. Pate was an amazing leader, and she always helped the freshmen out in every way she could.”

Patricia Pate was her instructor for the course. She said that her instructor and peer leader were very helpful in getting her situated at the university.

“The project was a fun way to end the course. I love that I finished the class feeling like I made a small difference in someone’s life,” Douglas said.

“Helping the incoming freshman make that scary transition from high school to college a little bit easier made my experience as a peer leader very rewarding,” Nicholas Green said.

Green is one of many peer leaders in the university seminar classes.

Green said, “I think the service project we do in the university seminar class helps student mature into not only well-rounded students, but well-rounded citizens of their community.”

The classes collectively made 75 baskets that were delivered to the OCA for the holidays.