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Over 520 Freshman Welcomed at New Student Orientation
by Colby Hernandez, Editor-in-Chief
New Student Orientation was held August 9 to 12, ending with the annual Freshman Convocation Ceremony.
One of the things GSW prides itself on is a ceremony for incoming freshmen. First-year students were treated to an extended weekend of fun and preparation for the upcoming school year.
“At first it was terrifying because I knew that I’d be socializing a bunch, and they’d force me to do events,” said Biology Major Michaela Harris. “But I kind of did enjoy it, especially the showdown.”
As some upperclassmen may know, GSW used to host Thunder Camp as an extra orientation meant for residential students. Due to low interest and budget concerns, Thunder Camp was not planned for this year. Because of this, FYE wanted to add a “camp” element to orientation this year.
“Showdown is us competing to see who has the most spirit,” Michaela explained. “We get to be creative with it. Our Storm Spotter would have us create a chant or a parody of a song, just something in GSW spirit. Sometimes they made us dance, other times we’d have props. We got to practice the entire NSO week, and at the end we got to face-off and the judges voted on who had the most spirit. The entire NSO week felt like a camp experience. I got a little more camp experience since I live in the dorms, and I was just right there.”
At convocation, students received a silver challenge coin. Hurricanes are meant to hold on to this coin throughout their time at GSW. Upon graduation, they will receive a gold coin. Traditionally, students give their silver coins to someone who helped them through the good and bad times here.
President Johnston provided her thoughts on this year. “While our enrollment is not final until the census date in October, which is set by the University System of Georgia, we welcomed over 1100 new undergraduate students to campus in August. With our returning and graduate students, we expect enrollment to exceed 3900 this semester. That’s a GSW record! New Student Orientation provided the opportunity to learn about what college life is all about, what resources we have available for support, what a growth mindset is, and what a life-changing, transformational experience lies ahead. The Georgia Southwestern faculty, staff, and administration are committed to challenging, supporting, and engaging our students. We are asking all of our students to do something in return – to make a commitment to your future! Take your academics very, very seriously; build positive relationships with everyone you meet; and enjoy your college experience.
As you see the GSW diploma covers displayed in every office on campus, it is a reminder for all of us that we are moving toward this important goal every single day. Our wish is for you to be able to say proudly, ‘I am a college graduate.’ And not just ANY College Graduate…a Georgia Southwestern State University graduate!”
Here at the Sou’Wester, we welcome all freshmen to campus. Go Canes!
