Welcome Class of 2015!

This year, I had the pleasure of being an Orientation Leader, joining about 200 of my fellow Fordham Rams in welcoming the new freshmen to our wonderful Rose Hill campus. Beginning on August 25th, all of the Orientation Leaders and Captains gathered in McGinley Ballroom for our first of three days of NSO Training. This training was led by the Orientation Coordinators, Emily Amato, Melissa Maturo, Phil Bellissimo, and Artie de Los Santos, and involved listening to lectures from various Deans, coordinators of different clubs, and even a talk from Father McShane. One of the main highlights of NSO Training was a talk given by the head of "Swift Kick" to discuss "Dance Floor Theory." The speaker led fun discussions and activities that helped us learn how to better communicate with the incoming freshmen. Other parts of training included having meals together and competitions among different groups of Orientation Leaders and Captains in order to facilitate bonding among the staff.

Unfortunately, Move-In Day was pushed back a day due to Hurricane Irene, but that didn't stop us from bringing our bright and smiling faces to all of the freshman residence halls in order to help the incoming freshmen and their families to move in! As cars filled with freshmen, their families, and many boxes and bags filled the campus, we OLs cheered and shouted the names of the freshmen and ordered their parents to not leave their cars until we gladly took everything out of their cars and brought them in from of their rooms.

After the freshmen were moved in and their families tearfully said goodbye, they were put into various small groups led by us, OLs. In these groups, we answered any burning questions they had, took them on a tour of campus, had icebreakers, and enjoyed a candle-lit ceremony in front of Keating Hall to formally welcome them to the Fordham family (seen in the picture above). Being an OL was such a rewarding experience, and I can't wait to be one again next year!

Orientation was also cut short so that classes can start on time, so the day after move-in was jam-packed with more small-group meetings, academic advising meetings, and speeches from motivational speakers such as Ed Gereghty and "Real World" star Mohammad Bilal. These were all held for the sake of helping the freshmen adjust and make new friends as they begin the next chapter in their lives. Overall, NSO was, once again, a success and we all hope that the freshmen are enjoying their time at Fordham!