Students gather in the chapel for Vespers Oct. 23.

Walking in to Firestone Barrs Chapel October 23, the first thing I noticed was the noise and energy that filled the room due to the amount of girls present.

“I was surprised how many girls showed up,” Isabella Kuzava, sophomore graphic design major, said. “It’s cool how Stephens is such a small community and can come together like that.”

Whether it was the six community engagement points or the candy that President Dianne Lynch always seems to have with her, it was a great turn-out for the second Vespers of the year.

However, not all of the girls who attended the first Vespers returned for the second. Angie Wescott, sophomore fashion communication major, didn’t feel like Vespers was worth her time. “I expected Vespers to be a time to learn how to control stress and balance school work and personal time,” Wescott said.

Vespers — a word that typically has a religious connotation — has no relation to religion at Stephens College. Yes, Vespers takes place in the chapel, but this tradition is more about the Stephens’ community coming together to take a break from their lives and relax. “A time for quiet,” according to the emails sent by Vice President of Marketing and Communications Amy Gipson.

Because I am a busy student, as are many Stephens’ women, I have only gotten to talk a few times with President Lynch. But even in those short conversations, it’s obvious what an incredible woman and role model she is.  Vespers is an opportunity for her to reach out directly to students, and Stephens is beyond lucky to have her.

Tuesday evening felt like a class lecture — the good kind, of course — about life from a successful, experienced woman. President Lynch shared with us her personal experiences, going through the motions of life and not taking the time to stop and appreciate the things around us in the present.

“We all live in our own head,” Lynch said.

After sitting in the chapel for about a half hour, I realized that Vespers is one of the many things that separates Stephens women from everyone else. The experiences we get at a small, all-women’s college are so different from other, large institutions.

Students may show up to Vespers because scholarship points are on the line, but the Stephens’ community takes the time to help mold its students into better people as long as you let them.