Orientation programs now in full swing

Some walk timidly into Jordan Hall, eyes widening at the lecture hall's size. They dart furtive glances at the leaders dancing wildly in the front of the room, at the girl or boy next to them. They're sizing everything up, and they're not sure what they think yet. \nOthers swagger, rolling their eyes at the sounds of Digital Underground's "The Humpty Dance" blaring from the sound system. Yet one look into their eyes belies their false confidence. \nThey're incoming freshmen, prepped to begin day one of a rigorous 48-hour immersion program designed to introduce them to their home for the next four years. And most are, simply, terrified.\nYet orientation leader Khlya Barnes smiles, and it's infectious. Slowly, the lips of the timid turn up. The overconfident swagger is immediately forgotten.\n"Hey, welcome to IU!" she exclaims, running a hand absently over her shock of closely-cropped bright blonde hair. "Yeah, where you from? I'm from a little place called the region..."\nThe flow of words is seemingly endless. As student after student packs into the crowded room, Barnes never lets up.\n"It's all about getting them in here and getting them excited about coming to IU," Barnes said. "A lot of them are kind of nervous, and it's my job to make them feel secure about coming here."\nIt's a typical reaction when visiting a campus of IU's size for the first time, according to Orientation Programs Student Coordinator Lucas Calhoun. He says most freshmen feel overwhelmed on the first day of the program. Many are visibly nervous, often making them appear disinterested or even overconfident. However, Calhoun said the enthusiasm of most incoming students is a great source of motivation for orientation leaders.\n"We make it a constant goal to make each freshmen feel connected to their new environment," Calhoun said. "Generally in a student group it does take awhile for the incoming freshmen to open up. This is okay because once that line of awkwardness is crossed great discussions take place."\nAccording to Melanie Payne, associate director of Orientation Programs, about 300 students flood campus per two-day session. Two schedules run concurrently during the sessions to allow greater interaction between students. \nStudents begin each day of the program, armed with a temporary meal card and orientation guide, with breakfast in Wright Quad. A typical schedule includes discussions on careers and placement, placement exams, group and individual advising and open houses at various locations throughout campus, according to the Office of Orientation Programs website. Students are invited to talk to IU students and professors in open forums as well. They also receive their CampusAccess cards and register for classes. \n"It's been a long day," said Stephanie Horstketter, an incoming student from Evansville, Ind. "I really didn't know what to expect -- and still don't -- but it's good to meet people from all over the country. And the leaders are crazy."\nThose leaders were chosen, Calhoun said, through a very selective, three-round process. This year over 200 applications were submitted for 27 available positions. The leaders were selected by a body composed of Office of Admissions staff, residence hall managers, auditorium staff, student services staff and graduate supervisors. \nThe result, Calhoun said, is a staff dedicated to upholding the "groundbreaking" standards established by the format of the program. \n"This year has been amazing," Calhoun said. "Our staff has a tremendous dynamic and it shows in front of our program participants. The professional staff involved in all aspects of our program have been influential as well. So the combination of the student and professional staff members has made programming better than we could have hoped for."\nDuring that programming, the diverse staff provides students with a different blend of perspectives concerning IU and the opportunities it fosters.\n"Incoming freshmen need every aspect of the program to be able to understand Indiana University," Calhoun said. "When a student leaves Bloomington to return home until August, we want them to be knowledgeable and proud of their decision to come to IU"