Learning the ropes

The first three days of the new students’ college experience are busy ones. Orientation, taking place at Denison this year Aug. 26-29, is a time for meeting a ton of new people, moving into a new “second home,” and becoming a part of not only a brand new community, but also 180 years of the Denison University tradition.

It’s also when students are presented with information—and a lot of it—which may seem like overkill at first, but it all will prove to be important during the next four years. Much of it provides answers to questions that students haven’t even thought of yet. What happens if you get the flu right before midterms? Where can you find help if your computer crashes? What campus organizations might lead you to finding your new best friends for life? What does it mean to be a Denisonian?

At Denison, the dozens of students, staff, and faculty members that are working on the Orientation staff do everything they can to make transition to college life as manageable as possible and, perhaps more importantly, introduce the newest Denisonians to the campus culture.

“Orientation brings together a lot of people from all corners of the campus,” says Aug-O student coordinator Alison Kranek ’11. “You’re building relationships not only with your fellow students, but with the community and professors.”