Welcoming Our First-Years: Adelphi Teaches New Panthers How to Let Their Inner Panther Roar

Every summer, Adelphi orientation leaders show over 500 first-year students why they bleed brown and gold. The three-day, two-night orientation program begins with a grand performance by the entire orientation team as a huge welcome to the incoming class.

“Everybody at Adelphi dances. Computer science majors. Physics majors. Nursing majors. Everybody dances. Turn up!” said orientation leader, Kyle Roach ’19.

Orientation gives first-year students the opportunity to learn about different Adelphi services, meet with administrators and faculty, obtain their ID card, explore the campus and meet fellow classmates. Students stay on campus to become familiar with Adelphi’s dorms. They learn from Public Safety about precautions set in place for their safety. They meet with Residential Life and Housing, where they can have housing questions answered. In short, they learn the ins and outs of Adelphi.

Orientation is more than informing students about all the opportunities Adelphi offers. The Center for Student Involvement (CSI) has also planned welcoming activities to make students feel at home. Orientation leaders use unique ice breakers, such as All My People, to make students feel comfortable.

“Even if they don’t want to do something day one, we’re the first people that they meet at Adelphi and we’re the first example of what Adelphi is,” said junior Amanda Considine, orientation leader. “On day one we’re running at them, dancing and singing. If we keep up the energy, they typically catch on.”

This year, CSI has added a few activities to boost the orientation experience. There will be basketball games, yoga, trivia trucks and many more events around campus. There also will be group time set aside for students to get to know each other and meet more people.

One of the biggest activities includes the Brown and Gold Games. This happens the last day of orientation, allowing students to enjoy the summer weather through competitive field games including egg and spoon races and sponge and bucket relay races.

On the first day of orientation, students are invited to sign up for a talent show to sing, dance, do gymnastics, magic or whatever talent they choose. This is a way for students to become familiar with their class.

“I remember coming into Adelphi and some person came up to me the first week of school saying, ‘You were that girl who helped out the magician!'” said Considine ’20. “It’s just a great way to put yourself out there.”

CSI will continue to invite first-year students to campus with two orientation sessions in July. Not only will orientation be exciting for first-year students, but for orientation leaders as well.

“The stuff that I’m doing today, I never would’ve expected to be doing a few years ago. Adelphi has allowed me to break out of my shell,” said Roach ’19. “All you have to do is be yourself, find your passion and you’ll find your place.”