Orientation is just the beginning

2014 pre-orientation check-in

Parents taking one last photo before saying goodbye.

pre-orientation groups pose before boarding the bus

pre-orientation groups pose before boarding the bus

pre-orientation groups pose before boarding the bus

pre-orientation groups pose before boarding the bus

pre-orientation groups pose before boarding the bus

(l-r) Arlene Hernandez, '17, Glenna Joyce, '16, Rayvin Townsend , '17 and Tommy Heidebrecht, '17 wait to check students into Jonsson Tower.

Russell Bollag-Miller, '16 guides new arrivals to their residence.

New roommates Andrew Riggs, Marcus Jackson and Christian Ernst pose for a first-year portrait.

New roommates Phoebe Radcliffe, Amanda Muir and Karli Rasmussen take a break from getting their room organized.

Erin Silgardo and Emily Meagher

Campus safety leads the class of 2018 into opening convocation

The class of 2018 files into convocation.

President Philip A. Glotzbach addresses the class of 2018 at opening convocation.

First-year students are being offered a new program that aims to help them transition to college life and build a strong foundation for the next four years.

First Six Weeks: Building Connections and Establishing a Sense of Place is a comprehensive schedule of social events, workshops, forums, contests, and more. Some are open only to first-year students and some require advance registration. You'll find a full calendar of nearly 100 events here. 

“What students do during the very beginning of their first semester of college can set the foundation for the next four years,” noted W. Rochelle Calhoun, dean of students and vice president for student affairs.

Among First Six Week highlights:

"Moonglow" air
balloon rides, Sept. 13



Russel Muirehead,
Sept. 18



Full schedule

• the Founders Day Barbecue, a celebration of founder Lucy Skidmore Scribner, with the whole Skidmore community (moved to Wednesday, Sept. 3, due to weather);
  
  
• the annual SGA Club Fair, in which representatives from scores of student clubs set information tables on Case Green (Friday, Sept. 5);
  
  
• a trolley tour of Saratoga Springs (Saturday, Sept. 6);
  
  
• a free "night at the movies" at the Criterion Cinemas 11-theater multiplex (Saturday, Sept. 6);
  
  
• the annual Scribner Seminars Reception hosted by President Philip A. Glotzbach and Marie Glotzbach at their historic home on the edge of campus (Tuesday, Sept. 9);
  
  
• a Lively Lucy’s open mic Comedy Night (Thursday, Sept. 11);
  
  
• a workshop on race, capitalism, and desire led by Darkmatter, a trans South Asian performance duo (Friday, Sept. 12);
  
  
• an opportunity for first-year students to meet their Facebook friends in person (Saturday, Sept. 13);
  
  
• a community work day at the Double H Hole-in-the-Wall Ranch for critically ill children (Saturday, Sept. 13);
  
  
• "Moonglow" hot-air balloon rides at Haupt Pond (Saturday, Sept. 13);
  
  
• the FYE summer reading keynote address, "How to Think Like an Economist but Act Like a Human Being," to be delivered by Russell Muirhead, Robert Clements Associate Professor of Democracy and Politics at Dartmouth College (Thursday, Sept. 18);
  
  
• an Outing Club swimming and picnicking trip to a quarry in Dorset, Vermont (Saturday, Sept. 20);
  
  
• a dinner and panel discussion with students and alumni offering tips for proactive career development and planning (Wednesday, Oct. 1)
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Other activities will focus on general and sexual health, and promote responsible decisions. A health fair will showcase the ins and outs of living a healthy, balanced college life and an all-campus open forum on the College’s Sexual and Gender-Based Misconduct Policy will encourage discussion about the policy, community standards, and expectations.  A “Consentfest” sponsored by the College’s Health Promotions office will be a venue for learning about sexual health and safety as well as available resources on campus.

The concluding activity is an essay contest asking students to reflect on their first six weeks. “Reflection is an important part of any meaningful transition,” said Calhoun. Students are invited to use a medium of choice:  written essay, music, video, spoken word, or photo to tell what they discovered about themselves and the community during their first six weeks of college. The first prize will be an allowance to cover all course materials for the next two semesters (spring and fall 2015).