By Kelsey Purcell, Contributing writer
Freshmen students at St. Bonaventure University were welcomed to campus by orientation team leaders as they moved in on Aug. 21. Cars were unloaded, dorms were set up and freshmen had arrived at their new home away from home.
After students were moved in, there were activities for them to do. The freshmen had the opportunity to go on a tour of the campus with a peer coach, complete a scavenger hunt, explore the campus and hang out with others by playing outdoor games. They also had a schedule of different seminars they had to attend throughout the weekend.
To conclude move-in day, students attended the induction ceremony. At this year’s ceremony, everyone was split up and sent to different locations to practice the social distancing guidelines. Unlike past years, the students were not joined by their families and were not together in a crowd. Speakers President Dr. Dennis DePerro, Executive Director of the Student Success Center, Christopher Brown, and Director of the Franciscan Center for Social Concern, Alice Miller-Nation, appeared on the screen as students watched from classrooms around campus. Instead of a candle-lighting ceremony, students tied knots into a rope to symbolize their start at Bonaventure.
With health guidelines being implemented, welcome days were different this year than in the past. Students attended socially distant workshops throughout the weekend, including a peer coach meet and greet, a safety and security presentation and a residence hall building meeting.
The university also hosted many events for students to attend. At “Bonas After Dark,” students were encouraged to play bingo, attend trivia night, win money in a gameshow, make s’mores at a fire pit, play lawn games, such as cornhole and kan jam and watch movies.
More events such as laser tag, game shows and painting nights were held for students to have fun during the weekends. People played laser tag outside of Robinson Hall, where they could hide behind obstacles to shield themselves from getting hit. At paint night, students painted canvases of different animals with their friends. The tent near the Sandra A. & William L. Richter Center was available for general student use, study or hang out with others.
Freshmen attended the club fair on Sept. 4 after it was pushed back due to rain. At the fair, clubs and organizations set up tables and shared information with interested students.
Social distancing, wearing masks and adhering to seating charts in classes are still expected by the students to follow.
The Hickey Dining Hall operated at half capacity while the students had the option to takeout food at the Rathskeller. The gaming room and The Rathskeller have recently opened during the evenings for fun and games. Yoga class has been offered too.
Students are kept busy with school work and socializing while staying safe and complying to the health guidelines. It has been an unconventional start to the school year, but Bonaventure students are persisting through it.
purcellkr20@bonaventure.edu
