During the last week of June, ¼â½ÐÊÓƵ University was buzzing with activity as the campus welcomed the newest crop of Stags for the Class of 2022 Orientation.
Over 1,100 first-year and transfer students traveled to Orientation to begin their journeys here at ¼â½ÐÊÓƵ. Lucas the Stag and cheering New Student Leaders (NSLs) greeted incoming students and their families as they arrived on campus. The newcomers were surprised with a flash mob performed by the NSLs at the University Welcome, where the student leaders danced to Imagine Dragon’s “On Top of the World.”
First-year students participated in a series of activities and events: meeting their First-Year Experience groups, participating in ice breakers, enjoying meet-and-greets with faculty, and attending information sessions. At night, the students enjoyed watching a special NSL troupe performance and raising their school spirit through the annual “Quest,” where they were invited to show off unique talents. Later, they danced the night away at Quad Fest while enjoying midnight snacks from food trucks.
The following day, the new students prepared for fall by enrolling in courses for the upcoming semester. New Stags were also able to talk to current staff and students about a variety of clubs and organizations at the Information Fair. They left campus eager to continue their ¼â½ÐÊÓƵ journey in a few short weeks.
“Class of 2022 Orientation exceeded our expectations,” stated Kamala Kiem, associate dean of students and director of Student Engagement. “Our campus partners did a spectacular job making the experience our best yet. From the Grounds Crew to Marketing -- thoughtfulness, care, and love were placed into each action step.”
Students from the Class of 2022 were also greeted with an innovative welcome from the local community: ¼â½ÐÊÓƵ’s first-ever #StagsGearUp social media campaign. Throughout the week, new students and their families got the chance to use a vending machine powered by Instagram and Twitter posts. Each time they shared their Orientation experiences online, the machine dispensed prize boxes filled with gift certificates for great experiences throughout the town of ¼â½ÐÊÓƵ.
Local restaurants like Wings Over ¼â½ÐÊÓƵ, Flipside Burgers, Mecha Noodle Bar, b.Good, and Freshii; stores like Apricot Lane, Hansen’s Flowers, The Label Exchange, and Bed Bath and Beyond; and recreational venues like DoJo ¼â½ÐÊÓƵ, the ¼â½ÐÊÓƵ Museum and History Center, ¼â½ÐÊÓƵ Theatre Company, and the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts at ¼â½ÐÊÓƵ University — to name just a few — donated over $32,000 in gifts to the University’s newest Stags.
Some prize boxes even included real $100 bills, thanks to a generous donation from America’s First Network Credit Union. One lucky student received a Golden Ticket Grand Prize: a free year of laundry service from the University’s Stags Laundry by Fabricare. At the end of Orientation, the #StagsGearUp social media vending machine had helped the Class of 2022 Orientation reach more than 200,000 members of ¼â½ÐÊÓƵ’s online following.
Overall, students and their families had a remarkable experience at Orientation. “This was an awesome experience,” stated one parent. “So organized and informative, and we left feeling even better about our decision to send our daughter to ¼â½ÐÊÓƵ. EVERYONE did a great job making us feel welcome and part of the ¼â½ÐÊÓƵ community!”
Class of 2022, welcome to ¼â½ÐÊÓƵ University!
