By Daniel Ford
Staff Reporter
After 17 hours of workshops, scavenger hunts, campus tours, cookouts and pool parties, the volunteer orientation guides were still going strong on Monday.
“It’s a blast, an absolute blast,” said Nicole Shafer, a second-year orientation guide whose job it is to alleviate some of the concerns of incoming freshmen while also dispensing some helpful advice during the two-day orientation.
“I was a little nervous when I was a freshman, and they’re probably a little nervous too, but we’ll help them,” said Rhonda Gibbs, a second-year orientation guide. “Meeting new friends and being in a different environment other than your home is always going to be an anxious situation.”
Monday was set aside to familiarize new students with the campus and each other.
In the morning, the new students were greeted by U of M President Shirley Raines, who offered the same advice as the guides had: Get involved.
“Of course we want you to study hard, but we also want to see you become an active part in the life of the campus,” Raines said.
Danny Armitage, associate dean of students and residence life and dining services, said students who get involved on campus have a higher likelihood of graduating. Armitage also encouraged students to live and work on campus for similar reasons.
“Every year we have a welcome back week at the beginning of the Fall semester, and we have cookouts in front of the dorms and do you know who comes to the cookouts? Upperclassmen, while the freshmen look pitiful up in their dorm room staring out their windows,” Armitage said to a room full of freshmen-to-be.
After a long day, the new students were given a chance to let loose and have fun.
Many swam in the pools while others played Ping-Pong and basketball in the Recreation Center before returning to Richardson Towers to sleep off the long day.
“(Orientation) has been very informative about starting college and it takes away some of the college jitters,” said Angela Stevens. “The guides made me feel comfortable asking questions, and they seemed to have all the answers.”
When asked what her biggest fear about starting college was, Stevens said, “Just the transition — I don’t think it’s going be too hard necessarily, just different.”
The 22 upperclassmen who are volunteering as orientation guides were selected from a large group of applicants.
“We want (freshmen) to know they can come to us if they need a question answered, or if they need help with anything, that they have a friendly face to talk to,” Shafer said. “We want them to feel like this is their campus, that they are a part of this campus and that we want them to be a part of this campus.”
