New Lee Students Get Orientation Session On Cleveland

Parents of new Lee University students packed Dixon Hall on Saturday to hear about Cleveland.

The session is called Cleveland 101. Speakers included Mayor Tom Rowland; Senior City Planner Corey Divel ; Officer Jennifer Samples of the Cleveland Police Department;  Melissa Woody, Vice President Tourism Development, Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce, and Bethany McCoy, coordinator Community Relations at Lee.

The speakers covered a wide variety of topics including safety and personal security, things to see and do in Cleveland, bus transportation, health and medical services.

In a question and answer session, parents raised still more issues from voter registration to the police department's self defense course for women and how to receive campus and community emergency alerts via the Internet.

Mr. Divel reviewed city ordinances such as parking along with downtown events.

Ms. McCoy noted students will have opportunities to be involved with community activities. "The community values your students. The knowledge they can bring to the table is so important."

Mayor Rowland reminded the parents that the Rev. Billy Graham was once a student on this same campus. "We are so proud Lee is a part of our community," the mayor said. It is common to have students, and parents, move here, he said.

Ms. Samples told the parents that local police and campus security officers work closely together. Since the city police department is only a few blocks away, she said students will often see officers on or near campus.

Meanwhile, students were having their own orientation sessions around campus.