On the sunny afternoon of Aug. 19, 2010, approximately 400 new students attended Campus Life 101 New Student Orientation Fall 2010 program at STLCC-Meramec.
Luelana Bustamante
– Staff Writer –
On the sunny afternoon of Aug. 19, 2010, approximately 400 new students attended Campus Life 101 New Student Orientation Fall 2010 program at STLCC-Meramec.
The students were able to seek out information about Meramec’s clubs and join if they were interested.
The event offered fun activities, entertainment, prizes, 41 tables of clubs, two presentations by speaker Dave Coleman and a tour of the campus.
New Meramec student Caron Mann said, “Besides the opportunity to learn about all the clubs, I thought the tour was really helpful because they gave me a lot of information and advice about the campus.”
This annual event is organized by the Campus Life Office in conjunction with Student Governance Council and Student Activities Council.
According to Steve Brady, manager of the Campus Life Office, the event is an important program for the campus because it helps set the tone for the year.
“We want students to feel welcome, that this is their campus and the campus has a lot of options for students to get involved in campus life,” said Brady.
Some of the activities that were organized to entertain the new students were a scavenger hunt to help new students find their way around campus.
There was also live music by artist Travelin’ Max, who sang country music and distributed hats and luau floral necklaces for everyone.There was also distribution of food, drinks and items such as backpacks and 2010 planners for the new students.
However, the Campus Life 101 Program was not only about entertainment. The event offered two presentations by Coleman.
The first presentation was called “20 Key Points Every Freshman Should Know.” The second was “Making Relationships Matter.” Both of them took place in the theater. According to Brady, attending Campus Life 101 is a great opportunity for students to make new friends and establish connections with other students outside the classroom.
“Studies have shown that if students establish a relationship with at least one other person on campus they are more likely to continue their education and do well in their classes,” said Brady.
At Campus Life 101, most of the clubs set tables at the Student Center Quad and the lobby. Club members volunteered to participate and explain what they do as a club.
Looking for new members, clubs did different things to attract the students’ attention. The Bacchus Cheers Club passed out cookies and drink recipes. Campus Crusade for Christ gave away silly putty, Cold Stone ice cream and water bottles. The Outdoors Club set up a camping tent on the grass, and the Theatre Club displayed costumes that are used in their plays.
Theatre Club member Katie Robinson said, “We decided to stay outside because all the orientation happens outside and that is where all the students are most of the time.”
The Campus Life 101 Program ended with Student Governance Council officers giving out prizes after Coleman finished his second presentation. Prizes included an IPod, Rams and Cardinal tickets and a digital recorder.
