The Kairos Koffeehouse, top, is now open inside the Wesley. One of the goals of those who serve coffee is to learn the regular menu items of students who come in to get to know them on a more personal relationship.
The Lion's Roar/William Schmidt
A full week of classes has passed and incoming freshmen and returning students were able to create new memories and begin a new chapter of their life. Over the summer, the vision of an improved Wesley Foundation came to life.
“I remember walking and getting a tour of the place and how Southeastern is set up,” said Wesley Campus Pastor Sam Hubbard. “I wondered why this place wasn’t busy cause it is a really cool spot. There is like a place for art, students can sell art, musicians can gig here and it is a perfect spot and this is a perfect hub for culture. This place was in horrible despair; needing the roof fixed, needing the ac fixed, the whole place, I wouldn’t of come in here.”
Before Hubbard was campus pastor for the Wesley, Emile Tosso was in charge followed by Matthew Rawle. Hubbard had previously given a sermon at the Wesley and had a vision for what the Wesley could be and shared it with some he talked with after his sermon.
“I remember when I attended here, the Wesley, Sam came and preached to us once and he spoke with me afterwards about how he had all these ideas for the Wesley,” said Laura Wellen, graduate student of Southeastern in general studies. “He was like, ‘Oh, if I could just get my hands on it, I have all these visions on what it could be.’ Things like how it is falling apart and it needs to be fixed up. Little did he know about a year and a half, two years later, he would become the head guy for the Wesley.”
According to Hubbard, he had $9,000 dollars to work with and if extra expenses were needed, volunteers offered donations as well as lending a hand on repairs.
“We had a couple brothers that own a building and build houses,” said Hubbard. “They were the biggest help. They ran water lines; they fixed electricity and did all kinds of stuff. They just kept saying, ‘The students and faculty and the people that use this deserve a good place to be,’ and they do.”
According to Wellen, she was cautious on if Hubbard’s vision for the Wesley was possible but was pleased when she saw how the Wesley currently looks.
“All his visions and ideas sounded great to me, but I wondered if it was really going to happen,” said Wellen. “He just got teams together, he got people together, he said, ‘We are going to put a coffee shop in it.’ The next thing you know, I walk in, there is a coffee shop and everything looks different. He just really made his vision come to life.”
Though the Wesley looks completely different to some, Hubbard still has a few plans for the future such as dorm space for one or two students that would help the building possibly be open 24 hours a day, a bike rack for students to borrow bikes as long as they return them, a place for students to possibly hang and sell their artwork at no cost to the artist and ensuring that the needs of the building get done such as finishing all roof repairs.
“We want to have a place of community,” said Hubbard. “Jesus has nothing to do with the church or church service. Jesus taught us a way to live. The thing about community is that is where you find your individuality; that is where you find out where you are, in community. That is a part of what is going on out here, there will be a community of people living like Jesus did and trying to help other people like Jesus did and one of those students will be living here. I want this place to be open all the time and to have the coffee shop opened all the time.”
The coffee shop also offers suggested donations for their beverages. Those who visit can pay by cash or card as well as pay a drink forward for another customer that may not be able to afford it at the time. Hubbard also created a way for the coffee shop to help the students on campus.
“We aren’t here to make money and the only thing the coffee bar costs is when we buy the supplies to make coffee,” said Hubbard. “Every bit of extra money that we get, we give to something on campus. This semester, we are going to give everything away to The Southeastern Food Pantry. We just wanted to give back. We want to have the students that come here feel like they are doing something and making the world a better place by just having a cup of coffee.”
Wellen hopes that university students are able to have a sense of community through the Wesley.
“I hope that because the building is new and fresh, it will draw more people in and that they’ll find that they have a place that they can hang out and have a community they can be a part of and that they can find God’s love here,” said Wellen. “I love my time at the Wesley because of the people that I hung out with and now that it is new and will draw more people in, I just hope they find that community at the same place that gives them something forward to look to if they are a commuter coming to Southeastern or chill out and do work or whatever.”
The Wesley provides free lunch every Wednesday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The Kairos Koffeehouse is located to the right as you walk in the front doors. The Wesley Foundation at Southeastern Louisiana University is located at 307 West Dakota Street. To find out more information, visit the Wesley’s Facebook page or go to seluwesley.org.
Wesley Campus Pastor Sam Hubbard, left, sits with a commuter student discussing the start of a new semester.
The Lion's Roar/William Schmidt
The chapel at the Wesley has been redesigned to serve students.
The Lion's Roar/William Schmidt