Cornell will roll out the Big Red carpet for new students during Orientation Week beginning Friday.
A wide variety of student-conceived activities have been planned to help about 3,100 freshmen and 500 transfer students become acclimated to the university and their new academic environment.
As soon as residence halls open at 9 a.m. Friday, new arrivals and their parents will begin taking advantage of programs organized by the Office of the Dean of Students and the student-led Orientation Steering Committee (OSC). During "moving-in day," for instance, some 800 red-T-shirt clad student volunteers will help newcomers find their way around and get settled.
The 14 volunteers who make up the OSC have spent about 10 months planning Orientation Week and coordinating the activities of orientation counselors and supervisory orientation counselors who will help the week's programs run smoothly.
Led by co-chairs Erica Chan '98 and Stephanie Gwinner '98, the OSC includes: Jabari DeRon '98, Eleni Doufekias '99, Daniel Duval '99, Damion Edwards '98, Min Kim '98, Anne Law '99, James Moger '98, Paul Owens '98, Michael Rattner '98, Matt Salerno '98, Eric Sullender '99 and Lauren Weinberg '99.
"It's a huge commitment and it takes a lot of perseverance and dedication to plan the events," said Rebecca Sparrow, orientation adviser and assistant dean of students, complimenting the OSC members' efforts. "It's such a large contribution to the Cornell community that goes largely unnoticed," she said.
The OSC has focused on the following goals in planning orientation programs to help students make a successful transition to Cornell:
"One general goal is to help students feel comfortable and happy that they're here," said Sparrow.
Some of the programs on Friday will be for parents as well as students: "Family Changes" sessions will feature skits and casual discussions giving parents the opportunity to get answers to their questions about college; and "Money Madness" sessions will offer discussions about issues such as financial aid, bursar's bills, the Cornellcard and Big Red Bucks.
The official welcome to Cornell comes Saturday from President Hunter Rawlings, who will meet with new students and their families at a continental breakfast and reception beginning at 8:15 a.m. on the Arts Quad and then will address newcomers at the new student convocation at Schoellkopf Field at 10:30 a.m.
Another Saturday highlight will be the beginning of the faculty lecture series, featuring noted Cornell faculty members speaking on topics such as the biological effects of drugs, the Middle East conflict and the life of stars. The latter lecture, scheduled for Tuesday at 2 p.m. in Schwartz Auditorium of Rockefeller Hall, features Emeritus Professor Hans Bethe, who won the Nobel Prize in physics in 1967.
Other activities and programs during the week include campus tours, a talk on the history of romance at Cornell, information on student employment, a Renaissance Fair, a massage workshop and demonstrations of state-of-the-art computer graphics.
"We want to try and make every student's first experiences on campus be positive," Sparrow said.
One of the largest crowds of Orientation Week is expected to gather Wednesday, Aug. 27, in Bailey Hall for "Cornell Night" which many consider the highlight of the week featuring the best dance, comedy and a cappella the campus has to offer.
Also helping to acquaint newcomers with campus life will be the nightly "Seven O'clock Series" educational workshops, demonstrations and discussions on topics such as credit, finance and money management; campus safety; sex and dating; and alcohol and drugs.
Special receptions and programs also have been planned for transfer students, international students, nontraditional students and minority students.
For more information or questions about Orientation Week, call 255-6858.