Public Speaking
“More than anything else, Flex gave me confidence. I was petrified of speaking in front of people in the freshman year speech elective, but by sophomore year I couldn’t wait to be an active participant in Flex’s model UN and by junior year I was leading my own elective. I was never the most vocal Flexie, but I did gain the confidence I needed to stand by my opinions.”
– Elizabeth Kassab, Class of 1999
“Flex also helped me to develop my speaking skills and my self-confidence so when I entered college I was not afraid to share my opinion with others or to question the opinions of others. This is such a valuable asset and one of the main focuses of Flex- discussion and sharing ideas”
– Lisa Gates, Class of 2002
“Seminars were an amazing preparation for my liberal arts college experience and gave me the opportunity and confidence to speak up later in life. Also, seminars were the perfect opportunity to discover what other people thought about a topic and get many perspectives on an issue. Electives are a smart way to let students ‘have a say’ in their education and be able to pick out topics that interest them, but are still connected to a broader theme.”
– Lauren Began, Class of 2004
Debate
“[Flex] has also given me a better understanding on how to organize and argue a point with specific back ups and to take a stand in a subject I believe in.”
– Matthew Leon, Class of 2009
“The rigorous curriculum and the passion for learning that Flex offered to and instilled in me prepared me for a successful collegiate life. I was constantly called upon to express my opinions about what I was learning and how it relates to my life and others. Flex breeds leadership and a passion for knowledge- there are no “backseat” roles. I was constantly confronted with the challenge of gaining knowledge through the sharing of thoughts and grew immensely as a result. This program is not based on rote memorization, but it is rather a community in which expression and the exchange of ideas are required as new information is presented.”
– Brad Verona, Class of 2009
“I feel that the most useful thing that I got out of Flex was a sense of what it is like to be a part of an intellectual group. Students who were a part of Flex chose to be there, even though it likely would have been easier to take the average course, and it really speaks volumes of taking responsibility for your own learning and actually wanting to do so. Flex was easily my most difficult class, and yet it was the class that I looked forward to the most.”
– Alley Rhinehart, Class of 2009