By Thea Jarvis

The college experience can sometimes be a lonely one.

For incoming freshmen, who face a sea of unfamiliar faces and the mysterious world of upper academia for the first time, feelings of deep-down dread may co-exist with more up-front emotions of excitement and expectation.

If a school "away from home" is the student's choice, his anxiety level may triple. Mom, Dad and that obnoxious younger brother never looked so good as when viewed from a distance of several hundred miles.

Why, even the seasoned upperclassman may feel a twinge of nostalgia when the dinner bell rings and cafeteria food bears not the slightest resemblance to the meals he remembers at his own kitchen table!

The folks at St. Luke's Church in Dahlonega empathize with the North Georgia College students who live just a few blocks from the parish center, and who no doubt experience such separation anxieties.

This year, they hope to make their young neighbors feel a little more at home with an "Adopt-a-Student" program that will match parish families and singles with Catholic students at North Georgia. Taking the students under their wing, St. Luke's parishioners will have the opportunity to share meals, remember birthdays, celebrate holidays and provide a home-like atmosphere away from home.

Father John Henley, pastor of St. Luke's, explained that the Methodist community in town has sponsored such a program before and provided a model for the church to follow.

Estimating a Catholic population of about 200 students at North Georgia in the '81-'82 school year, Father Henley commented that he "didn't see that reflected in their participation at St. Luke's." Some go home for weekend visits, while others just stay away.

"We have a great community here," Father Henley said of his parish family, and he hopes to utilize that strength in attracting students into the fold during their stay at North Georgia.

At the college, Anne Seeman is a sophomore and president of the Newman club, a campus organization for Catholic students. She is busily implementing plans for the coming school year.

Because of her own "adoption" last year by North Georgia's campus recruiting officer, Captain Bill Pope and his family, she is enthusiastic about St. Luke's "Adopt-a-Student" effort.

Anne met the Popes, who are members of St. Luke's Church, when she babysat for their three children. After a time, she found herself drawn into their warm and supportive family circle.

"Sometimes you need someone right there," said Anne from her home in Marietta, where she was gearing up for the fall quarter. "It's a long-distance call home."

The Popes live only a half-block from the college, and Anne was a frequent supper guest. "When I had problems with classes or needed advice," she said, the family extended a hand of friendship and reassurance.

St. Luke's hopes experiences like Anne's will be duplicated this year. Already, the Newman Club has sent invitations to Catholic students to meet on campus and walk to St. Luke's for Sunday Mass the first week of school.

The club's filial ties to St. Luke's also involve an annual parking concession during Dahlonega's October "Gold Rush Days." The lot across the street from the church is given over to Catholic students during the town celebration. At a charge of $2 per car, visitors can park all day and provide funds for Newman activities throughout the year.

As the leaves begin to turn on Dahlonega's hillsides, and students head back to face the challenges of their college years, St. Luke's Catholic family will be waiting, anxious to offer a friendly welcome.