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Incoming freshman invade campus

Ball State's campus just got busier today as incoming freshmen and their families begin the first orientation session of the summer.

Incoming freshmen will be on campus almost every day in larger than normal groups, said Lindsey Speer, associate director of admissions and orientation.

"Every day, [there will be] up to 210 [students], Monday through Thursday," Speer said. "There are more students this year because we are taking a week off."

New students will get the chance to see the campus with an orientation leader, get a taste of the dining services available and even get a free T-shirt at the T.I.S. Bookstore in the Village.

Orientation has actually been a long time in the making, Speer said.

"We've been planning orientation for the last year so it's quite a lengthy process," she said. "I mean you name it, it probably goes into orientation."

With the orientation department taking a week off for the Music For All event that will be held at Ball State, Speer said it's necessary to have a few extra students coming in each session.

Pam Suminski, an employee at T.I.S., said students will get coupons for a free T-shirt for them and their parents during orientation.

"Well as far as the parent T-shirt, they have an opportunity to choose from our open stock of buy one get one free shirts," she said. "The parents will able to choose a shirt style of their choice.

"The students will get a different shirt. It will be a Ball State arch shirt, it will be a grey shirt; Ball State is going to be in blue [in a] more interesting, bright, cheerful color, that type of thing," she continued. "That's what we do."

This is the first orientation in years that CBX is not available to students, but Suminski doesn't expect a major change to business.

"We are in the Village, we're not on campus, we're not part of any kind of tour or anything like this, so I expect to see the same number or maybe a handful more but usually, what happens when CBX was here, they would go to CBX and then they would come to us," she said. "We might see a few more students but for the most part, if they wind up in the Village, they would visit those stores in the past so we'll probably see the same number."

Suminski also recommended that students reserve their books for the fall if they stop into T.I.S.

"We actually take reservations at that time, and when the student comes in to do a reservation, that's actually when they get their T-shirt, their free shirt," she said. "We would love to see them."

While on campus for orientation, the groups of 210 students and their families will be divided up into groups led by the trained orientation leaders.

"We have 20 student leaders, five family leaders, two student coordinators who oversee each student team and then we have two graduate assistants, and we also have a video coordinator," Speer said.

Students and their parents will be directed toward certain dining areas during their stay on campus, said William H. Reed, dining facilities manager.

"It's pretty routine and we like to show off Woodworth to the parents," he said. "Depending on the day, they'll be eating at Woodworth or the Tally and I think they'll have a good experience."

Reed said the other open dining facilities, such as the Atrium, will also be open to parents and their students.

Speer said today marks the first time that some students have ever been to Ball State so this could be a very busy day and a half.

"They hear from a lot of different offices and people in the day and a half they're here," Speer said. "So it's a lot of information we're giving them, but it's also making them feel that they're officially that registered Ball State student because when they leave here, they officially have all of that stuff taken care of."

Speer also said orientation is a great way for newly accepted students to get used to campus.

"It's their way to really, fully feel as though they are a student here on campus so not only are they an admitted student who is coming into the university but now they are actually a student because they leave with a class schedule," Speer said. "They leave with a student ID. They have met different people and leave with a friend."

While this is the time for students to get acclimated to campus, it is also an experience for the parents to learn about Muncie, too.

"Orientation is required for students, and it's optional for family but they're strongly encouraged to attend and the majority of the time they do," Speer said.

During the second day while the students are taking care class schedules, student IDs and going to the Career Center, the Counseling Center or Student Life, the family is learning more about services available to them through the learning center, Counseling Center and are even given an opportunity to go downtown and see downtown Muncie, Speer said.

"They can also see what's outside of Ball State so they can encourage their student to attend [events in] the Muncie community and take advantage of what's in the Muncie community," Speer said.

Speer said this is the perfect time for current students to get to know the incoming class of students and to make them feel at home.

"It's a great opportunity for our campus and for us to welcome them and be that friendly face and that smile," she said. "It's just one of those times where we'll have a lot of different students and family members in and out, and it's just remembering what an important experience this is and important opportunity it is for them not only when orientation is but also when they come back in August to start classes and become students at Ball State."-รก


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