Fun Activities Help Students Connect During Orientation
In addition to attending First Year Seminars, Alma College's first-year students will enjoy a fun-filled schedule of events during this year’s Orientation Week.
Kicking off with move-in day on Saturday, Aug. 27, Orientation Week’s first day of events will feature Capture the Flag and the opening Welcome Convocation, which begins at 1:30 p.m. in the Hogan Center, Art Smith Arena. The Convocation will be streamed live on the Web.
As the week continues, first-year students can look forward to a variety of events, including a scavenger hunt, ice cream social and planetarium show, says Campus Life Director Dave Blandford.
Students in August 2010 march to the Welcome Convocation.
Through programming like the Physics Club’s Paper Airplane Competition, they also have the opportunity to check out what Alma’s student organizations have to offer.
“The sheer number of student organizations and clubs that have volunteered their time to set up some pretty cool programs is amazing,” says Blandford. “It’s one of the things that makes Orientation Week so great.”
Students also have the opportunity to interact with faculty and staff at many of the events, including a community carnival and movie that will wrap up the week’s schedule. President Jeff Abernathy also will participate in Orientation Week, taking students on a bike ride and hosting a picnic.
“We’re excited that President Abernathy has given up some of his time to be involved in Orientation Week,” he says. “Whenever you see a student organization sponsoring or participating in an event, there’s also a faculty or staff office equivalent, so the schedule is a really great mesh of what’s going on at Alma."
Alma administrators pitch in to help on move-in day.
Blandford is quick to credit the students who make up this year’s Orientation Committee, whom he calls the “brains” behind the schedule, for organizing such a unique Orientation Week experience for first-year students.
“I’m really excited about this year’s Orientation Committee,” he says. “Because of the students’ enthusiasm and diverse range of issues, they’ve made some great programming partnerships across campus.”
Whether students are playing Pin-the-Kilt-on-Scotty or sliding down a slip ‘n’ slide with the Chemistry Club, Blandford says the overlying theme of Orientation Week is helping first-year students start to build a connection to campus.
“We hope students will meet somebody who will be a best friend throughout college, or talk to somebody who they might not have thought they could have a conversation with before coming to Alma,” he says. “I consider Orientation Week a success if we can get them to feel comfortable at Alma before classes even start.”
Posted: Mon, August 22nd, 2011 at 1:25PM
