Syracuse Welcome 2004 to connect new students with classroom, campus life

Syracuse Welcome 2004 to connect new students with classroom, campus lifeJuly 20, 2004

As nearly 3,000 new students arrive on the Syracuse University campus, “Syracuse Welcome 2004: A Slice of SU Life” will be up and running at full speed. The signature orientation program-designed to give students the opportunity to socialize, organize their first semester’s study and lodging arrangements and begin their immersion into academic culture-kicks off Aug. 24 with the arrival of new international students. Most Syracuse Welcome events are scheduled to take place before the first day of classes, Aug. 30, and event and registration information are updated several times each week at http://students.syr.edu/orientation/welcome/general.html.

“With marquee activities including ‘Taking Care of Business,’ the Chancellor’s Convocation, ‘The Intellectual and Academic Life in Service of the Larger Society,’ school and college convocations, ‘Lunch on the Turf’ and ‘Last Minute Run With a Side of Fun,’ Syracuse Welcome 2004 is the University’s most exciting and informative celebration yet of the energy that new students bring,” says Mariana Lebron, director of the Office of Orientation and Transition Services (OTS). “When we created OTS and began Syracuse Welcome last year, it was a reflection of SU’s commitment to the first-year experience. This year we are planning for even more ambitious collaborations and academic events involving students, faculty and staff.” OTS, a unit within the Division of Student Affairs, is organizing Syracuse Welcome 2004 in conjunction with academic and administrative units across campus.

“For students, Syracuse Welcome is a chance to get to know the resources, people and opportunities that surround them; for the University, it is a chance to challenge students’ thinking, facilitate their academic progress and engage students in the classroom and the community,” says Lebron.

Most students will move in Aug. 25-26 with the help of the Goon Squad, a group of returning students, faculty, staff and alumni who have created a unique SU tradition by helping unload vehicles, greet new students and their families and answer questions. During move-in, the “Taking Care of Business” tent and hospitality center on the Quad will offer information, refreshment and the chance to meet representatives from dozens of key departments within the University.

There are several open house events scheduled for Hendricks Chapel, Health Services, the Division of International Programs Abroad, the Office of Multicultural Affairs and other administrative units, and Syracuse Welcome 2004 “PlayFair,” billed as “the ultimate student icebreaker,” will be held the evening of Aug. 25.

One of the highlights of Syracuse Welcome 2004 will occur Aug. 26 from 2:30-4 p.m., in the form of “The Intellectual and Academic Life in Service of the Larger Society,” a series of presentations for students and parents by Chancellor Nancy Cantor, S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications Dean David M. Rubin and College of Law Prof. Paula C. Johnson. Each will speak to students and parents about their own service to the larger community, exploring ways and providing examples of how to use knowledge to improve lives and communities. Location information for the event and free tickets-required to reserve a space- are available at the Syracuse Welcome 2004 Web site.

Later that day, beginning at 8:30 p.m., a required forum for students titled “The SU Experience Begins” will offer a warm SU welcome from student leaders, performances by student organizations and an official greeting from Lebron in the Schine Student Center’s Goldstein Auditorium. Speaker Teja Arboleda will present “Gene Therapy,” which focuses humor, facts and current events on issues of race, culture, ethnicity and humanity.

On Aug. 27, the Chancellor’s Convocation will mark the ceremonial opening of the University beginning at 10:30 a.m. at the Carrier Dome, followed by “Lunch on the Turf” for students and parents. Families will say their goodbyes in the afternoon, after which students will attend their respective school and college convocation events. Two events are scheduled for that evening: “Orange You Glad We’re Talking,” in which Don McPherson, founder and executive director of the Sports Leadership Institute at Adelphi University and former All-American quarterback at SU will engage students in a dialogue about gender, relationships, communication and responsible sexuality; and “Midnight Spectacular-A Last Minute Run With a Side of Fun,” a late-night shopping trip to Fayetteville Towne Center.

Other key events include campus tours; sessions on financial responsibility, personal safety and other issues; student socials; and “From Home to the Dome: Orangefest 2004,” a spirit rally at the Carrier Dome. There is also an array of recreational activities from which students can choose, including a whitewater rafting trip, late-night gym sessions, free ice skating and introductions to intramural sports and other Recreation Services activities.

“The first days of the college experience are a whirlwind for students even before they hit the classroom,” says Lebron. “With Syracuse Welcome 2004, we are giving them the tools to be organized, academically prepared and settled into positive social situations so that they’re ready to go when the academic year begins.”

For more information, contact OTS at 443-1012 or check for updates daily at http://students.syr.edu/orientation/welcome/general.html