Swat on the Range: first years welcomed to campus

September 2, 2004

Editor’s note: This article was initially published in The Daily Gazette, Swarthmore’s online, daily newspaper founded in Fall 1996. As of Fall 2018, the DG has merged with The Phoenix. See the about page to read more about the DG.

Each year, before returning sophomores, juniors, and seniors arrive on campus, Freshman Orientation welcomes the new first-years to Swarthmore College. The theme of this year’s orientation was “Home on the Range,” providing an opportunity for new events to be planned in addition to the usual activities that occur yearly during the orientation.

The Orientation Committee is determined from applications, and it works in conjunction with Campus Advisors (CA’s) to organize Freshmen Orientation week. Highlights from this year’s week of activities include events which students from older classes remember, such as the trust walk and ice cream socials. Unique events were also centered around the week’s western theme. Freshmen enjoyed a “Hoe Down” on Parrish Beach, complete with mechanical bull and slip ‘n slides, Saloon Night in Upper Tarble, and a Four-Square Dancing Festival in the Field House. Roger Shaw ’08 especially enjoyed Swat Theater because he found the Harry Potter theme to be “effective and funny, yet informative”.

Sample advertisement

Overall, the experience seemed to be positive for the new students. While Shaw stated, “I didn’t feel like I gained anything by being in a CA group, even though the CAs were friendly and nice,” Mark Loria ’08 found that the CA’s were “helpful, approachable, and answered questions.” Both Shaw and Loria agreed that Freshman Orientation week helped make their transitions to college life easier.

Jeffrey Mao ’06, a CA, commented, “The OC [Orientation Committee] and a lot of CA’s put a lot of time and care into the whole orientation deal–whether it was making the door signs or helping people move in or getting the events set up–and so hopefully it was all worth it in giving the freshmen a good memory that they can look back on.”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Previous Story

Netreg difficulties quarantine hundreds of students from network; ITS engages in public awareness campaign for three strikes policy on copyright infringements

Next Story

Thursday, September 2, 2004

Latest from Sports

Athlete of the Week: Lauren Lior ’27

Swarthmore women’s soccer forward Lauren Lior ’27 hails from Fairfield, CT, and is a graduate of Greens Farms Academy. During her first year with the Garnet, she had a stellar season, breaking into the starting lineup, and cementing herself as an integral

WSOC Day in the Life: Away Game vs. Muhlenberg College

As we head into the middle of the fall semester, Swarthmore’s sports schedules will become increasingly busy. While exams and paper deadlines approach quickly, varsity athletic teams plunge into the middle of conference play, when the significance of winning is the most

Swinging Through the Glass Ceiling 

The Swarthmore men’s golf team has welcomed numerous women as walk-on players over the years. Currently there are two female players competing on the men’s team: Ava Chon ’26 and Bori Chung ’28. Chon is a senior from Princeton, NJ, who went

Athlete of the Week: Melissa Eyer ’28

Melissa Eyer '28 runs the volleyball court with her elite ball control and defensive capabilities. Read on to hear more about her fourth Centennial Athlete of the Week selection!
Previous Story

Netreg difficulties quarantine hundreds of students from network; ITS engages in public awareness campaign for three strikes policy on copyright infringements

Next Story

Thursday, September 2, 2004

The Phoenix

Don't Miss