Welcome Week 2013: Find Your Route!

It is already the first of September and we are quickly approaching the first day of classes on campus. While residential upper class-men have been moving back on to campus, the new Hofstra students have been involved in a wide variety of events planned by our three summer Welcome Week Coordinators, Jennifer Grod, Elysha Johnson and Batson Xiang Li. As we are heading toward the end of the week they are proud of what has been offered and still excited about what more there is in the next day and a half. 
We had a great weekend of END trips - people were all over Long Island and NYC participating in service trips as well as social trips with peers, welcome week leaders and administrators. The group seen here was on the Watson Adventure Wizard School END Trip with advisement dean Claudine Johnson. Today groups are on the Circle Line Tour, at a Yankees Game and handing out food at the Hempstead Train Station with Food Not Bombs, just to name a few. Friday was busy because we had a lot of workshop offerings during the afternoon but, we kicked the morning off right with a welcome from Hofstra's Provost, Herman Berliner and a great presentation by common read author Will Allen (pictured here with Welcome Week Coordinator Elysha Johnson prior to his presentation).  Yesterday we had a great afternoon at the Fitness Center co hosting(along with the Recreation and Intramural Sports Department) our first ever Let's Get Physical program. The event had

demonstrations from clubs and organizations along  with fitness class demonstrations and healthy food giveaways by Kate and Willy. We were lucky enough to even have a demo by our awesome Men's Basketball Team!
Today I was able to host (along with great student leaders) a wonderful event called Bingo for Books. This is the second year we have offered this program and the almost 70 new student participants were again excited to be winning Hofstra gear as well as gift cards for the bookstore to assist them in purchasing their school books! There were almost $450 in bookstore prizes along with many winners of our Hofstra gear (pictured here are all of our winners). I am looking forward to seeing everyone tonight representing their social letter fraternities and sororities at the Fitness Center between 8 and 10pm. It's one of my favorite events of the year. Right after that everyone will head over to Hofstra USA where we will have an illusionist, game night, DJ and a Ice Cream truck parked outside for folks to stock up on a sweet treat. 
Hope you are enjoying the festivities of Welcome Week as much as I am. See you all at the Convocation on Tuesday at 11:20am for the official kick off of the Fall semester by President Rabinowitz. 

Welcome Week at Hofstra

What a busy couple of weeks it has been in Student Affairs but we certainly have “survived the storm.” Our class of Discovery students moved in and became the third group to participate in and complete this program. The program was a big success, no doubt we will be seeing many (if not all) of these students in future leadership roles on campus.

No sooner than Irene moved out did our new international students arrive on campus. Hailing from across the globe we are confident they will find Hofstra a warm and welcoming place.

The Class of 2015 and new transfer students kicked off Welcome Week with move in and the President’s welcome where over 2200 were in attendance. Programs and events continued on Thursday and Friday and included BBQ’s, mini-golf in the Axinn Library, their first late-night breakfast, American Voices, and of course, Professor Dumbledore…I mean Provost Berliner’s welcome.

The holiday weekend provided numerous opportunities for students to “Explore Next Door” on bicycles in Central Park, at Yankee Stadium, searching for ghosts at the Met, and learning the landscape of Greenwich Village, to name a few of the E.N.D. trips planned for new students.

Tracey Kidder, Pulitzer Prize winner and author of Mountains Beyond Mountains, (the class of 2015 common reading) was in attendance on Monday morning, answered questions, and stayed around to sign books. Welcome Week wrapped up Monday with the Club Carnival where new students had a chance to meet with our continuing student leaders and learn first hand about all of the ways to get involved in the life of this great University.

So, what was the favorite event? New students casted their votes and the highest rated program for Welcome Week 2011 was (drum roll, please)…SEX RULES. More importantly, students reported they felt a strong sense of connection to their new identity as a Hofstra student!

Welcome Hofstra Class of 2015 and our new transfer students.

All the best,

Sandy Johnson

Vice President for Student Affairs