Briercrest College has recently opened it's doors for it's 79th year of college and the staff and faculty couldn't be any happier.

Briercrest College and Seminary, along with Caronport High School are located in the village of Caronport, just 21 kilometers West of Moose Jaw. While only a short 10 minute drive from Moose Jaw, Caronport has a feeling of solidarity that many people love. However, after a few months of this solidarity with no students around, the village gets a little restless.

Full time Caronport residents, most of whom are staff members of the school, experience a drastic change in their daily lives when school is back in session. Maybe the first department to feel that shift is Student Development, headed up by Dan Gabor.

"Late each summer, Caronport seems to wake from up from the slumber of July" starts Gabor. "In student development, it feels like we are the front edge of the wake up because we are busy making dorm placements and setting up for Student Leader Training in late August."

With over 120 new students, Briercrest College is doing all they can to make students feel at home. With almost two month of school under their belt, students have been treated to freshmen games, coffee houses, Youth Quake olympics and unveiling of guests, on top of a month's worth of classes, and in some cases, midterms.

In the case of 18 year old freshman Keira Meisner, the attempt to make students feel welcome and at home is working.

"I found that the transition from summer to coming to Briercrest was very easy," explained Meisner. "The things they had planned for the freshman made it really easy to get into the swing of things and make friends with people who are just as new at this as you are. Briercrest is really accepting and welcoming and I instantly felt like I belonged to this community. "

Briercrest President Michael Pawelke knows what it means to have the students back in the college town of Caronport. "As our student leaders and athletes begin to return to campus at the end of August, we find ourselves re-invigorated by their presence and their passion," said Pawelke.

There is no doubt that the students are the lifeblood of Briercrest. When the students return, there is a definite shift in the perspectives of staff and faculty. They are energized by the falls being full of eager students. The staff at Briercrest desire to see students grow, and the chance to be a part of that is something that the staff relish.

The students coming back on campus also brings a renewed vision for the school. Michael Pawelke noted that the students being back on campus is what propels him to remind himself of his purpose here. "This is why we are here…the call of Jesus and the students!"