Shippensburg University welcomed new students to campus during fall Welcome Week with events and activities to help them meet new students and learn about the campus.
Students spent Wednesday afternoon moving in to their dorm rooms with the help of SU sports teams, marching band and the ROTC. After saying goodbye to friends and family, new students had the opportunity to attend floor meetings, the “Welcome to Ship!” pep rally and “Big Red’s Stadium Bash” later that evening.
On Thursday, “the crew of ’22” attended the annual convocation ceremony. The ceremony included words of encouragement from various members of the SU family, including SU President Laurie Carter, Student Government Association President Logan Wein and this year’s keynote speaker, associate professor of social work and gerontology Sam Benbow.
During the ceremony, Carter welcomed new students and shared words of encouragement about college life by continuing last year’s wave analogy.
“You will rise, but you also may fall. Our faculty and staff will be there to help you rise again,” she said.
Benbow encouraged all students to get involved.
“Hey commuters! Stay for a minute. You all need to be involved,” Benbow said.
After taking the academic pledge, new students attended “Meet Your Peer Anchor” sessions. New to SU this year, peer anchors are undergraduate upperclassmen who spent the summer attending training to guide and mentor new students through the new “First Year Experience Seminar.”
Honors College peer anchors Stephanie Barnett and Emily Schoenberger helped ease students’ nerves in an open discussion about all things SU.
Students and their mentors talked about everything from the complexity of classes to the highly contested Starbucks or Dunkin’ debate.
On Friday, students attended the “Student Success Conference” and “Success Now! Expo,” as well as the “Raider Rumble.” Students were also encouraged to volunteer Saturday at the 38th annual Corn Festival or to attend one of the various outdoor activities planned by the Welcome Week Committee.
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