The never-ending line of students waiting to get keys to their homes for the next 10 months reminds everyone on Elon University’s campus that move-in day for the 2014-2015 school year has arrived.
While some upperclassmen try to avoid the swarm of freshmen, others revel in the spirit of move-in day.
“I love move-in day. It’s like a holiday for me,” said Brogan Boles, senior and Head Team captain for New Student Orientation.
Elon’s orientation, made up of more than 100 people ranging from Orientation Leaders to Head Staff members, works all year to make the orientation experience at Elon unique and welcoming to all new students on campus.
“I think what’s so amazing about the orientation program is that Elon automatically makes you feel like part of the community and Elon family from the first moment on campus,” said junior Katie Dalton and two-time OL.
Orientation is a weekend event that packs an abundance of information about Elon and opportunities on campus into sessions for groups of less than 25 students led by OLs.
“As a freshman, I felt that there were so many orientation events that we had to go to,” said sophomore and OL Danielle Fowler. “In retrospect, this was the best thing for me.”
All the events and information sessions planned by NSO are meant to immerse students into what their life at Elon could be like. But that doesn’t mean the program is without faults.
One aspect that could be improved, said Boles, is the amount of downtime that OLs and new students have to interact outside of scheduled sessions. She thinks more free time would be a great way for new students to meet upperclassmen.
“We are constantly improving our program in order to stay engaged with the ever-changing Elon landscape,” said Evan Skloot, junior and member of orientation’s Head Team. “In the spirit of staying aligned with campus-wide initiatives, there have been several changes to orientation.”
Freshmen students’ first night at Elon, previously known as Catch the Fire, has been adapted to foster relationships within residential communities and has been renamed First Night Elon.
Despite the hours of time they commit in the weeks before and of move-in weekend, OLs find rewards in the experience.
“The most rewarding thing about being an OL is knowing that you have an impact on the new students’ first impression on the next chapter of their life,” said sophomore OL Alexa Simmons.
It can also influence the way students look at their time at Elon.
“I believe that we can fundamentally alter a new student’s entire college experience simply by being as welcoming as possible and creating a foundation for him or her becoming part of the Elon community,” said Skloot.
No matter what their orientation experience, new students can get some peace of mind from Bole’s parting words.
“I would remind them that they’re not the only ones feeling overwhelmed or anxious about everything,” she said. “Everyone is feeling the same way you are. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone.”