Incoming Students Introduced to Brooklyn College During Monthlong Orientation Festivities

Brooklyn College President Christoph M. Kimmich will greet new students at the Graduate School orientation and the Presidential Convocation.

August 28—October 9.   New students to Brooklyn College will have plenty of chances to unravel the mysteries of college life. They will also have the chance to win $150 and $100 gift certificates from Barnes & Noble and a $100 cafeteria food service gift certificate, the grand prizes for students who enter Brooklyn College's Orientation drawing.

   Though classes officially begin for the fall semester on Friday, August 30, orientation for new students kicks off on Wednesday, August 28, during the Orientation for Entering Graduate Students from 5 to 8:30 p.m. in the Student Center (SUBO). Graduate students are invited to meet with Brooklyn College President Christoph M. Kimmich, the dean of graduate studies, and other faculty and administrative personnel.

    On Thursday, August 29, motivational speaker Troy Stende will start the day for the incoming class of Brooklyn College freshmen with his high-powered presentation "Majoring in Success" at 8:45 am in Gershwin Hall. Besides being an annual feature at Brooklyn College Orientations, Stende has been a facilitator and trainer for one of the country's premiere accelerated learning programs and conducts life-changing leadership, communication, and relationship workshops. While earning his two degrees, the California–based speaker was, among other things, a Kappa Sigma fraternity member and an NCAA Division 1 gymnast. Stende's exuberant back flips are certain to be part of his lively presentation.

 

Motivational coach Troy Stende will talk about "Majoring in Success" and how smart planning and hard work can lead to limitless career opportunities.

     The Presidential Convocation begins at 10 a.m., with a stately procession of deans, department chairpersons, and honored faculty members wearing full academic regalia into the Whitman Hall auditorium. Led by President Kimmich, this annual event introduces the students to the important figures in academics and administration and also marks the formal start of the undergraduate program—one that will finish with a similarly impressive Commencement on the college's Quadrangle.

    After the Convocation, students will be directed to attend various academic information sessions. At 12:30 p.m., student leaders will set out from the Student Center to conduct tours of the campus, including the new library, and will provide insights on how to make a successful transition to Brooklyn College. Starting at 1:00, a variety of student services workshops and a resources fair will be held on the fourth, fifth, and sixth floors of the Student Center. Light refreshments will be served.

    Students can register for a special drawing in the Student Center for valuable gift certificates that can be used in on-campus shops and cafeterias. All entries also receive a free ID holder.

    On Tuesday and Wednesday, September 3 and 4, the Office of the Dean for Student Life presents Ask Me INFO Days, all-day opportunities for entering students to ask Student Information Facilitators questions about college and become acclimated to the fast-paced world of Brooklyn College. Monday, September 9, marks another important day for new students: the last day to register or add a class.

 

After three years, the $72 million library expansion and renovation will be completed, giving Brooklyn College one of the most technologically advanced libraries in New York.

    In a somber change of pace, on September 11, Brooklyn College commemorates the World Trade Center tragedy with remarks by the president at noon, followed by readings at the Lily Pond and activities in the Student Center. Students should bring a flower or other memento to add to the Wall of Remembrance. In a related event sponsored by the Ethyle R. Wolfe Institute for the Humanities, Nadine Strossen, the outspoken president of the American Civil Liberties Union, will speak about "Civil Liberties in a Time of Terrorism" when she delivers the Frederic Ewen Lecture in Civil Liberties in the Student Center on September 12.

   

Nadine Strossen, the president of the ACLU, will speak on September 12 in the Student Center

  On Wednesday, September 18, Brooklyn College sponsors the annual Welcome Back Barbecue and Street Fair outside the Student Center, where students may eat, listen to music, meet classmates, and learn about campus club life. The drawing for the Barnes & Noble and Metropolitan Food Service gift certificates will be held at this time.

    On Saturday, September 28 Starting at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 28, Brooklyn College plays host to Family Fun Day, an opportunity for students to bring their families to the college to tour the grounds, inspect the new library, and meet with administrators and faculty.

    The Club Fair, held on Wednesday, October 2, on the Quadrangle, is a great opportunity to learn about the various ways to participate in Student Life activities. Dozens of student clubs will have representatives on the Quad, advertising activities and programs and hoping to interest new members. Also on the Quadrangle, the Greek Rush, a tradition at Brooklyn College for more than 60 years, begins on Wednesday, September 25, from noon to 2 p.m.

    The formal opening of the library, scheduled for Wednesday, October 9, will cap the month of orientation festivities with gala celebrations, visits by prominent politicians, and a fun-filled Library Discovery Tour. The tour will be from noon to 2 p.m. and will include music, dancing, poetry, and gifts for the first five hundred attendees.