As new students arrive on campus for the fall semester, they experience a few days of orientation, which Geneva calls Welcome Week. This week is filled with fun activities, valuable seminars, and relationship-building opportunities. We want to ensure that all of our students are prepared to thrive in college. Welcome Week is one of the ways that we provide support for students transitioning into college.
The Center for Student Engagement (CSE) team works to plan events that will give incoming students the opportunity to build relationships, become familiar with campus, and learn key information before they move their focus to their classes. The CSE teams are active at every stage of welcome week. They offer help to students moving in, provide directions to students and parents, coordinate and attend Welcome Week events, and are available to provide support for any issues that might arise.
Here are some of the events you can expect:
Move-In: To move in you will select a time slot when you expect to arrive. This will help to stagger students so that everyone in a building doesn’t arrive at the same time. Once you arrive, you will sign in and meet the Resident Director (RD) for that building. Next, you will have a team of assistants (consisting of staff, resident assistants, and CSE volunteers) to help you move into your room. Afterward, there are stations elsewhere on campus to receive information and swag, so be sure to keep an eye out for those instructions.
Welcome Session: After move-in times are complete, freshmen and parents are invited to Metheny Fieldhouse to be officially welcomed by staff and fellow students, and to get their first taste of Geneva culture. This atmosphere will seem similar to a high school pep rally and will set the mood for the week.
Golden Gala: The CSE rolls out the red carpet for this formal dress occasion. Students get to eat and drink the hors d’ouevres and mocktails, perform karaoke, mingle with fellow students, use the photo booth, and lots of other activities.
L&T Class: Over the fall semester each first-year student must take a 1 credit course called Learning & Transition (L&T), which helps students to orient themselves to collegiate education, and the first class takes place during Welcome Week. Unless you are an honors student, your L&T class will consist of people with the same or similar major to you, so these will likely be the students you spend the most time with.
L&T Olympics: All first-year students will be split into their L&T groups (especially large L&T classes might have 2 groups) and then perform games and challenges to earn more points than the other L&T groups. These challenges can be physical, mental, or simple luck, but they are a great way to build camaraderie with your classmates.
The Gateway Clipper: Hop on a bus with your classmates to go on an excursion into Pittsburgh to ride the Gateway Clipper. While you take a cruise along the rivers surrounding Pittsburgh, you will have the opportunity to play games and win prizes.
The Block Party: To close out Welcome Week the CSE will throw a block party for all the students on campus, including upperclassmen. While you enjoy the food and activities, you will also meet new people and develop more friendships.
There are other events that vary from year to year, but you are sure to have plenty of exciting activities on your schedule. There are also times for optional excursions, such as a hike up to the G or a trip into Beaver Falls. These can be a great way to gain some awareness of the area and bond with some of your classmates. While leaving for college can be stressful, overwhelming, and scary, we hope that we can make the experience as smooth as possible. If you are struggling with anything, you can always reach out to any Geneva staff, resident assistants, or CSE staff. You are not alone, so take advantage of your newly discovered Geneva community. We are so excited to welcome you to campus. But until then, savor your summer break and your time with family and friends.
Mattigan Burleigh ‘24
Opinions expressed in the Geneva Blog are those of its contributors and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official position of the College. The Geneva Blog is a place for faculty and contributing writers to express points of view, academic insights, and contribute to national conversations to spark thought, conversation, and the pursuit of truth, in line with our philosophy as a Christian, liberal arts institution.
Jul 22, 2024
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