Getting involved with campus activities can be fun and a great way to make new friends. The Wesley Foundation Jam Fest is one of those activities that is entertaining and a great place to hang out with new and old friends.
Bradley Stenberg is a student at Tyler Junior College majoring in public speaking and is also an active participant in the Wesley Foundation. He is the creator of the Wesley Foundation Jam Fest that is held the last Saturday of every month.
The Jam Fest is a place where people in the community whether young, old, student or not, can show off their talents. The Jam Fest is open to everybody. All are welcome to sing, dance, act, play an instrument or sing karaoke.
Stenberg got the idea from the Venue, a talent show the theatre department hosts a few times a semester, but he decided that they were not doing it enough and he wanted to add to it the option of karaoke,ping-pong, computers and TV for people to enjoy.
The Jam Fest started in December 2008, which Stenberg said that at least 30 people showed up. The last Jam Fest of the semester will be the last Saturday in April.
“I love helping to serve God as well as this wonderful community here,” Stenberg said. Stenberg has a heart for service, having served in the United States Air Force from 1999 to 2003.
Stenberg goes to school, works on campus, is on the school senate, part of the Wesley Foundation and is an active member at the Fairwood United Methodist Church in Tyler. He wants to become a preacher and will first start off leading worship at his church.
“He’s a strong community supporter,” Nguyen said about Stenberg.
The Wesley Foundation is not all fun and games; they also do things such as highway clean up. They teamed up with the Student Activity Center on campus to help them advertise and get more students involved in the Wesley Foundation and the Jam Fest. Peter Groce, who is a student at TJC and a member of the Wesley Foundation, also is involved with the Jam Fest and said that he loves going to the Jam Fest because it is a fun place to hang out with his friends. Groce is part of the leadership at Wesley along side Stenberg.
“He’s a pretty good singer,” Groce said of his friend Stenberg.
The Wesley Foundation is a United Methodist-based campus ministry serving Tyler Junior College and the University of Texas at Tyler. Their mission is to cultivate deeper personal Christian faith, to build authentic Christian community and to guide the discernment and development of life callings and service among students.
Anyone is welcome at the Wesley Foundation. Their office is on Baxter Street next to the yellow bookstore. The Jam Fest is held the last Saturday of every month from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the Wesley Foundation Center. There is no admission fee and free coffee will also be offered. Those who are interested in performing can sign up that night once they get there
