Conn to lead annual “Ask the President” chapel
Lee's annual "Ask the President" chapel will begin at 10:40 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 28 in the Conn Center.
Designed by Ariana Kim and modified by Kaitlyn Anderson. Courtesy of the Lee University President's Office.
Lee University President Paul Conn will lead the 25th annual “Ask the President Chapel” at 10:40 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 28 in the Conn Center. The event will allow students to ask Conn any questions about campus life, theology, personal opinions and more.
“I’ll get up here and go solid for the entire chapel period,” Conn said during Feb. 14 chapel. “Now the point of this is not to ask for stuff, but to ask about stuff. This is an information session.”
“Ask the President” chapel also provides students a forum to connect with Conn outside of the normal chapel experience.
Christopher Chittom, a freshman church music student, said he looks forward to experiencing the event after hearing positive remarks from upperclassmen.
“I’ve heard it’s a service where we can ask the president to change things around campus, and he’s pretty good about getting it done,” Chittom said. “I think he’s participating to show students that he cares about our needs and wants our college experience to be as beneficial as it can be.”
Elizabeth Queen, a sophomore math education student, said the experience makes Conn more accessible.
“He’s practically dialoguing with the audience and not just giving a sermon,” Queen said. “It’s a chapel where we can get answers for funny and serious questions. I love hearing how Paul Conn responds to what students think.”
According to Conn, the university has hosted an “Ask the President” chapel for the past 25 years. He said he’ll compile all the submitted questions in a binder and answer as many as possible at the service.
Senior youth ministry student Kevin Morrison hopes the university continues the event every semester.
“I just want to see more of Paul Conn being Paul Conn, that’s great enough in itself,” Morrison said. “It’s a cool, unique and different kind of chapel, in a good way!”
Students must submit all questions to Conn via email at pconn@leeuniversity.edu or through campus mail to the President’s Office by Friday, Feb. 24.
Conn also said that students can send anonymous questions but urged them to “save the nut jokes.”
“I’ve heard all of them, believe me,” Conn said.
News Editor Kimberly Sebring contributed to this story.
