In the fall of 2016, I taught a First Year Seminar course called Over the Rainbow and Other Journeys. It was counted as a Literature course for General Studies, but my ulterior motive was to help the students learn more about themselves at a time of great transition, and that more transitions would be required of them over the course of their lives.
Our texts included the Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland, and Coraline. Three books with strong female characters — each of which were grappling with a change in the way they perceived the world. (Perfect for first semester college freshmen!)
Wonderful Wizard of Oz
We read the actual book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz as well as watching and discussing the movie version that is so familiar to everyone.
- Brains
- Heart
- Courage
- Friends are important
- There’s no place like home….and seeing it from a new perspective
Alice in Wonderland
We also read Alice in Wonderland.
In this book, the confusing world around her shifted from familiar to downright bizarre. At times she wanted to control it. At times she wanted to understand it. She had moments of wanting to be small and moments of wanting to be big. The students could relate to these things! She also grappled with thinking things through, caring about those around her, and having courage.
Coraline
The third book we read was Neil Gaimon’s Coraline.
A bit more modern, this young lady had to choose to go to the dark “other world” which looked like reality, but was actually not. In the end, she outsmarted the villainous “other mother” and used her caring and her bravery to save her real parents.
The students in this class took it all to heart.
They became leaders on campus in multiple areas: Sports (Tennis and Soccer), Enactus officers and award winners, Religious Life leaders, Band and Choir members, Dancers, Tutors, and Wesleyan Ambassadors are among them.
They have found lifelong friends and life partners during their WVWC Journeys.
They have also had to find a lot of courage. They have lost classmates, faculty members, staff members, family members, and now they find themselves suddenly missing out on their final semester traditions due to the Pandemic sweeping the world.
On the first day of class, they felt as if they had been transported by some type of wild tornado from their familiar homes to the strange new land in Buckhannon. Over time, that place became home. Their friends and faculty became family. Over time, they truly discovered their Home Among the HIlls.
On the last day of class, I told them that there would be future storms in their lives which would require them to use the things they had seen in Dorothy, Alice, and Coraline. They would need those brains, hearts, and courage to face those storms. They would need friends. They would rely on family. These future storms could include natural disasters like tornadoes, earthquakes, floods, and fires. They will also include things like graduation, marriage, new babies, new jobs.
None of us expected that their time at WVWC would be cut short by a Pandemic. I grieve with them for the loss of these last few months in Buckhannon.
The entire Class of 2020 is dealing with all of these emotions. Facebook posts have been full of grief and longing for “normal” times as well as a new-found appreciation for things and people that they had started taking for granted. The fact that it all happened so suddenly and unexpectedly adds an extra layer of sadness. They thought that they still had several months before having to encounter this particular storm.
But, I know that they are strong. They have brains, hearts and courage to endure it all. I miss them already.
