On Wednesday, Aug. 19, 943 new students started their journey at NCC with Welcome Week, the official campus introduction for new students.
A total of 620 first-year students and 323 new transfer students became Cardinals, according to the office of student admissions. Welcome Week, a North Central staple, featured a slate of events, hosted by the Office of Student Engagement and Belonging.
“One of my main objectives is to make incoming first-year and transfer students feel welcomed and excited to be part of the Cardinal Community,” Meyani Montano, director of Office of Student Engagement and Belonging, said.
“Our goal is for new students to have opportunities to meet new people, get familiar with campus, connect with faculty as staff and learn about resources available to them,” Montano said. “Most importantly, I want them to leave Welcome Week feeling like they belong and have a community they can rely on.”
What is Welcome Week?
Welcome Week started with the new residents’ move-in period, and a first-generation family breakfast. This was followed by a barbecue on Jefferson Lawn, open to all incoming students and families. Representatives from different organizations on campus, including Parkhurst dining, OSEB, Study Abroad and the school’s radio station, WONC-FM, were featured.
Chippy the Cardinal posing with first-year mentors.
Following the barbecue, new students met their first-year mentors, students who help ease the transition to a new school by aiding a professor in teaching a class about the college transition for the first eight weeks of the semester.
After meeting up with their FYM, the new students were led to the new student convocation for a formal greeting to the school, led by the school’s president, Dr. Abiódún “G‑P” Gòkè‑Paríolá.
When the convocation ended, students said goodbye to their families before heading to the dining hall or the commuter student dinner to connect with other students on campus and then ending the night with a showing of “The Lego Movie.”
A group of Cardinals dining together.
Meet the FYMs
Macklin Green, a junior computer science major, is starting his second year as an FYM. When asked about all the events planned for the week, he said he was most excited for the Red and White Night and the Fast Friends event.
“We have a lot of fun things planned for Red and White Night,” Green said, “and I like watching new students connect with each other at the Fast Friends’ event.”
The Fast Friends event took place in Stevenson Hall on Aug. 20. It followed a new twist on speed dating. Students lined up on either side of a table were given 90 seconds to respond to a prompt (only able to listen to one song or watch one movie for the rest of their lives) before rotating and talking to a new person about a different prompt.
Thursday also included new students meeting back up with their FYM and learning more about them.
Two first-year students show their Cardinal pride.
Luke Gordon is an FYM, in his junior year majoring in business economics. He stated in his introduction, “I am your guide for all things North Central.”
After meeting up with their FYM and learning more about campus, the first-year students had time to eat dinner at Kaufman dining hall before ending the night with a comedy show hosted by the Cardinal Activities Board.
Becoming a Cardinal
There was an ice cream social for the new students on Friday, Aug. 21 with appearances from Gòkè‑Paríolá and the senior leadership team.
Gòkè‑Paríolá introduced himself to all students present and when asked for advice that he would give new students he said, “Give yourself time to find yourself. Don’t be in a hurry to decide if this is not the place for me. You need to give yourself time.”
Friday ended with Red and White Night; a pep rally to start off the academic year. The first-year students were able to watch performances from the marching band, color guard, dance team and cheerleaders to help learn the school song and Alma Mater.
Cardinals socialize around a food truck.
There were speeches from Montano, Student Governing Association President Gwendolyn Gilbert and Cardinal Activities Board President Fatimat Mejia.
Mejia stated, “Welcome week is just the beginning of your cardinal journey.”
Even though Welcome Week is primarily for new students, Montano also wanted the OSEB staff to enjoy it and explained its usefulness to connecting her team further.
Speaking further to the Chronicle post-Welcome Week, she said, “Welcome Week is the largest campus-wide event of the year. It allows team members to utilize our communication, problem solving and strategic thinking skills. However, I hope that the team gets to take in and enjoy the experience alongside the new and returning students. I also hope they feel proud of the work they put into creating a positive experience for incoming students.”
Student Kyle Collins wearing an NCC Welcome Week shirt.
