This article was written by Kendell Muldrow and Simerjeet Mudhar.
Freshman orientation is often thought of as the first opportunity for incoming students to connect with their school by walking on campus and meeting new people. For the Class of 2024, this process was disrupted last year by the sudden onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the following quarantine which prevented students from visiting campus.
Stevens held a virtual orientation last year to introduce students to Stevens, but planned an additional in-person orientation for this year. The three-day “ReOrientation” program started on August 27 to introduce the Class of 2024 to Stevens in a way that the virtual orientation didn’t.
Sara Klein, Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs, described last year’s pandemic-influenced freshman orientation as a hybrid environment with virtual sessions throughout the summer and in-person sessions sprinkled in throughout August. Klein elaborated that the goal for these virtual events was to facilitate student connections, whilst providing students with a list of resources available to them at Stevens.
Last year, there was a portion of the freshmen cohort who were unable to study on campus, resorting to virtual learning. But those studying on campus were also affected by hybrid class environments and COVID-19 campus regulations. Due to students’ unconventional start to the freshman experience, administration wanted the former freshmen to get a fresh introduction to campus and student life.
It was Klein’s hope that “our second-year students will meet new friends, find and connect with a student organization, and learn about the wellness resources and support services that are available to help them throughout their Stevens experience.” To achieve this goal, the ReOrientation featured activities that were not possible in a virtual setting, such as the NYC Street Fair and the Flock Party.
For incoming sophomores, the ReOrientation was meant to reinvigorate students who may have been disconcerted from the previous year’s events. The opportunity to attend the ReOrientation was seen as a chance for sophomores to get back what they missed out on their freshman year. This year’s virtual orientation was thoroughly planned, including games where students would interact with their peers for 90 seconds at a time. Additionally, there was a series of “meetup-by-area” events where students coming to Stevens from nearby areas could interact.
One student who wished to remain anonymous explained to The Stute their hope for a more interactive orientation experience, stating, “I did feel like I missed out on some things because even though I know they [Stevens administration] tried their best for the [virtual] orientation, it wasn’t engaging enough and I felt that maybe orientation would be better if it was in person… I appreciate that Stevens is giving sophomores another opportunity to get a better orientation experience.”
While the Class of 2024 was given a virtual orientation last year, ReOrientation provided an engaging in-person experience. Even as second-year students, many sophomores are experiencing Stevens life for the first time, participating in ReOrientation and beyond.
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