I remember my first semester of freshman year just like it was yesterday. 3 majors, 19 credits and a work study job. Being a Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) recipient, I had already been on campus for Summer Start. But the fall semester was different than I expected. The sudden wave of reality hit me. Being surrounded by thousands of students, maintaining grades and my job, dealing with culture shock and finding self-awareness was a lot to handle on my own. I definitely needed some form of expression or reassurance of the anxiety I was experiencing. The Office of Health Promotion (now part of the Barnes Center at The Arch) was definitely the savior I didn’t know that I needed until I discovered it. When I signed up for SoulSearch, I didn’t know what to expect at first. Reading over all of the main purposes of the event, I was excited to go. After attending SoulSearch, I learned so much about myself. I could feel some of the guilt, uncertainty and despondency lift off of my shoulders. I found comfort in knowing that my experiences weren’t endured alone. Other people from a diverse amount of backgrounds felt the same exact way I did. After attending SoulSearch, I went on to attend sessions where I could informally and freely express myself every week. It wasn’t like one of those group work activities that you had in high school where you were forced to speak and put input into topics you weren’t comfortable with. And through , I learned that listening is too a form of self-expression. When you hear stories and commentary that captivate you and stimulate your mind in many ways, you find expression within yourself. Whether you choose to share it with the world or not is completely up to you. It’s such an empowering feeling of self-control and regulation, which can be a hard feeling to obtain, especially as a college student. To this day, I believe attending SoulSearch was one of the best decisions I’ve made on this campus. The peace of mind of knowing that you’re understood and heard is priceless. College should be a positive time in your life filled with growth and development, and the really provides that. I personally think that every campus should have a program similar to the .
With that being said, here are the top five misconceptions that often prevent people from indulging in the Soul Series, particularly :
Myth: SoulTalk is a spiritual gathering.
Although it’s open to anyone, SoulTalk conversations are never strictly spiritual or exclusive to only spirituality.
Myth: SoulTalk is like group therapy.
SoulTalk is part of the Barnes Center, but it has no affiliation with the Barnes Center Counseling services. It’s a part of the Soul Series programs on campus and facilitated by .
Myth: You have to participate in the SoulTalk topic conversations.
Contributing to the conversation is appreciated and helps you build connections with others, but it’s never required. How you choose to participate is up to you.
Myth: SoulTalk is run by Syracuse University staff members.
SoulTalk is facilitated by students, for students. It was even created by a student! As a first-year student, Sean Martinelli ‘15 thought something was missing from the campus community and wanted to create a space for students to have these conversations about life’s big topics.
Myth: SoulTalk is centered around meditation and similar practices.
SoulTalk is held in the Barnes Center Meditation Room, but that’s just the room. SoulTalk is all about creating an open conversation for students to discuss the weekly topic in a casual setting.
The Soul Series encompasses SoulTalk and SoulScape, both free opportunities to explore creating a greater sense of purpose through meaningful conversation and building strong connections with others. Learn more about SoulTalk and SoulScape on the .
Written by Alicia Mason ’22, David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics and College of Arts and Sciences and Maria Wood ’21, College of Arts and Sciences