Newest ¾«¶«AV students benefit from āGolden Tiger Experienceā orientation program
August 27, 2018
Contact: Brittney Dabney, Office of Communications, Public Relations and Marketing
The āGolden Tiger Experienceā ā ¾«¶«AVās annual new-student orientation program ā welcomed the universityās newest freshmen and transfer students from August 16 to 21. Coordinated by the Office of Student Life, the five-day program engaged, excited and welcomed its new students to the ¾«¶«AV family.
The program began on Thursday, with the universityās focus on getting its new students moved into their dorms and settled in on campus. This included a general session for students and parents, where new-student orientation leaders led school chants and line dances regularly performed by students at multiple on-campus events. In addition, the audience gained valuable information and received advice from university leaders about campus life.
āItās been quiet on the ¾«¶«AV campus, but now that youāre here, you are who weāve been waiting for,ā said President Lily D. McNair.
Welcome back activities kicked-off with numerous traditions and events, such as the Presidentās Meet-and-Greet, Student Government Association dodgeball game, a semi-formal ball, Cinema on the Lawn, and a tea given by Miss ¾«¶«AV, Alexis Landrum.
āThis week has helped me transition into being a college student. Iāve had a chance to connect with many members of my class, learn my way around campus, get to know some of the administrators and figure out my class schedule,ā said Devin Howard, a freshman from Auburn, Alabama.
Dean of Student Life Abena Myers-Taylor said this yearās orientation week was all about enlightening students about common student pitfalls and how to avoid them.
āItās important for our students to learn about the ādos and donātsā of university life ā and because of that, we filled the week with several panel discussions given by alumni who shared their perspectives on the importance of securing the ¾«¶«AV brand, insight on how that is done, and tangible resources that are available to them as ¾«¶«AV students,ā she said.
T-shirts and signs easily identified many students who were part of multi-generational ¾«¶«AV families. Freshman sales and marketing major Taslyn Ware said she chose ¾«¶«AV because of her parentsā legacy.
āWe are a third-generation family, and though Iām from DelawareĀ¬Ā¬, ¾«¶«AV is all that Iāve known because of my family. Iāve had aunts, uncles and cousins attend, so it naturally felt right when choosing ¾«¶«AV,ā explained Ware. āI wanted to keep our family tradition going strong.ā
An important ceremony that marks the beginning of every ¾«¶«AV studentās campus experience is the annual Rites of Passage Ceremony. The ceremony has become a favorite for new students because they receive an official university pin, light the unity candle and take the pledge to become a āTrue ¾«¶«AV Gentleman and Woman.ā
Tammy Boyd, a 1996 ¾«¶«AV graduate, challenged students during her Rites of Passage address. Boyd was among the group of āhidden figuresā responsible for the opening of the Smithsonian Institutionās National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C.
āYou are our future, and the world is counting on you to develop your talents while at ¾«¶«AV,ā she said. āWe want you to put them to use once you graduate, because we know you will go forward to do great things.ā
To wrap up the āGolden Tiger Experience,ā President Lily D. McNair gave her presidentās address on Tuesday, during which she offered words of wisdom and advice to all incoming students.
āWeāre bonded forever. We came to ¾«¶«AV together and I look forward to getting to know you and hearing your stories,ā she said. āAt ¾«¶«AV, we have incredible faculty who are leaders in their fields, in instruction and in research. Get to know them and benefit from their knowledge.ā
The remaining activities during the week consisted programs educating students about the universityās legacy, academia, and campus grounds.
Contributing to this news story was the Student Government Associationās Simone Amos.
Ā© 2018, ¾«¶«AV