by Bama Porter
At the beginning of each school year at Judson, new students are shown exactly what makes Judson different from other colleges and universities. New students are required to participate in several activities (including the President’s Reception, Marion Matters, and Ivy Weaving) that help them to get accustomed to their new surroundings. This acclimation period ensures that Judson students get to know their professors and upperclassmen before being thrust into the classroom.
Students participate in volunteer opportunities during their first week at Judson. Some of the volunteer activities include helping the local librarian at the Bowling Library, cleaning the cemetery beside Judson College and helping the local high schools make new bulletin boards for their hallways.
New Student Welcome Week on August 19-22 is designed to welcome new students to the Judson family by introducing them to all that Judson offers. It is designed to show new freshwoman-and-transfer students all the places you can belong at Judson. From the moment new students set foot into their new residence halls on Move-In Day, to their first night on campus and to Marion Matters, Judson has designed a schedule full of events to highlight the special campus community.
The goal of these activities is to connect students with the people, places, and groups that will make sure their time at Judson is spectacular. This helps students discover opportunities to connect, learn, reflect, and grow through a plethora of programs that are planned just for them. Freshwoman Emma Veitch stated that Welcome Week helped her to “feel like you have someone to guide you to make the transition into college life easier.” Students will have the opportunity to meet other new, returning, or transfer students across a wide range of areas, learn about new organizations, and discover opportunities to connect with faculty in learning experiences ranging beyond the classroom.
Welcome Week is designed to deepen students’ understanding of what makes Judson unique—and to just have fun! This is a great opportunity to meet and get to know your classmates as well as the upperclassmen. Although some students show little enthusiasm in participating in these activities, others are more than thrilled to have the opportunity to help their new community. For first-year students, Welcome Week can be seen as hectic, while third-year students have come to accept the series of events following Move-In Day as a reprieve from the educational duties and responsibilities that began on Wednesday. Senior Arienne Borowski states, “I think that Welcome Week really works to brighten the new student’s first week away from their homes and their previously familiar surroundings. Welcome Week really tries to make new students feel at home at Judson, and it also allows the freshmen the opportunity to see Judson as a new and exciting place to be. I think that students would have a much harder time seeing the beauty of Judson without that first introduction.” Welcome Week also allows professors the opportunity to meet their new students first-hand before their first lecture.