Syracuse Welcome 2015 will feature a few changes from previous years and a larger focus on community.

The New Student Convocation has been moved to Thursday in order to make it the event to officially kick-start this year’s Syracuse Welcome, said Carrie Abbott, director of First-Year and Transfer Programs. In past years, the New Student Convocation was held on Friday.

A barbeque on the Quad for all new students and their families will also be taking place on Thursday at 7 p.m. directly after the New Student Convocation.

“(The barbeque) has never been done before,” Abbott said. “There will be about 6,000 students on the Quad so we’ll see how that goes.”

Thursday’s evening lineup is what Abbott said she is most excited about this year since the First-Year and Transfer Programs is taking a “new creative approach” to things. She added that she is excited to see students’ reactions to the events.

Thursday’s events are organized so that students can connect with each other and to the university. Friday’s events are focused on students and their individual school or college. Lastly, Saturday’s events are geared toward students forming a connection with the city of Syracuse, Abbott said.

“We took a hard look at the university’s schedule and we decided it was time to rethink things,” Abbott said. “We wanted to create an experience where students’ focus is on being a part of one community.”

Aidan Meyer, who is one of 44 Orientation Leaders and a junior public relations major, said it will be interesting for new Orientation Leaders and those like himself, who are returning, to see how it all happens during this year’s Syracuse Welcome.

As an Orientation Leader, Meyer said his favorite event was Citrus in the City, which will be held on its usual day, Saturday, this year. Citrus in the City allows students to sample food from local restaurants and enjoy various kinds of entertainment, including a comedy show in the Civic Center.

“It’s really fun for new students to be in the city of Syracuse and around food,” Meyer said. “I wish they had more events like this to further integrate the university into the city.”

Other Syracuse Welcome events include the Hendricks Chapel Ice Cream Social and The Slice is Right Game Show on Wednesday, Home to the Dome on Thursday, Orange Blast Involvement Fair on Friday and Cuse Carnival — another new event — on Saturday.

Cuse Carnival will start at 9 p.m., immediately following the Citrus in the City event, and end at 1 a.m. The event, located at Hendricks Field near Sadler and Lawrinson Halls, will feature free food, carnival games and other attractions.

Syracuse Welcome also now has a mobile app, which features Syracuse Welcome information as well as information about the university and a new student checklist.

Whitney Harrigan, a first-time Orientation Leader and a junior accounting and finance dual major, said she is most excited to make an impact on new students during this year’s Syracuse Welcome.

“I know this can be an exciting, but also stressful and nerve-wracking time for parents and students, so I hope to ease some of their stress and get them excited about being an Orangeman,” Harrigan said in an email.

Abbott, the director of First-Year and Transfer Programs, said the purpose of the Syracuse Welcome events is to not only benefit students academically, but to also help students feel connected to each other and their schools and colleges.

“Orientation is a vital part of the incoming freshman experience,” Abbott said. “It’s about students feeling connected to the university in the best possible way.”

Published on August 26, 2015 at 12:06 am

Contact Sara: smswann@syr.edu | @saramswann