Orientation Leaders and fellow griffins participate in a dance party Aug. 24 during Welcome Weekend. Photo from A.Meyers/Setonian.
“On behalf of the student body here, I would like to extend a warm welcome to you and let you know that you are now apart of our family here on the hill,” said Kennedy Kehew, president of Seton Hill Government Association in an opening speech to begin the 2019 welcome weekend.
Seton Hill University kicked off the annual Welcome Weekend (Aug. 23-25) with a schedule filled with group activities for new students to explore campus. Before classes started Aug. 26, in addition to the various favorites (the foam dance, Target Takeover) there were also chances for new students to meet their faculty and staff upon arrival.
Kehew said “getting involved on campus and taking on new leadership roles are great ways to interact with different members of the student body and as well as Seton Hill faculty and staff.”
Following welcome weekend, setonians continued the fun into the first week of classes (Aug. 26-30) with various activities such as mass on the grass held the Sunday before classes to finish welcome weekend and start the new semester, drink and doodle, and more.
For the upcoming weeks, SHU planned activities to keep students engaged on campus including activities such as arrow attack (Sept. 18th at 7p.m.), karaoke night (Sept. 19 at 9p.m.), square dancing (Sept. 14th at 7p.m.) and various others.
Freshman forensics science major Emily Atkins recalled the weekend as fun, saying, “I liked being able to go around and meet everybody so we don’t come in with total strangers and keep them as total strangers.”
“You get to make it an experience for the first years,” said orientation leader Caitlin Wolfe.
Freshman Brenna Upholster, a biology major and spanish minor recalled the weekend as being fun, very eventful. Upholster said it definitely kept them busy. “I like all the little free SHU stuff they give us because I like to represent our school a little.”
Remembering her freshman year welcome weekend experience, Wolfe said “some of the OL’s came up to me and they made me feel like I could be crazy, I could be an extravert, I could do stuff I didn’t think I could do, it’s the atmosphere here at SHU.”
Welcome weekend is an experience for everyone, the activities planned are meant to make new setonians feel welcome and secure in their new home on the hill.
“Something that I cannot emphasize enough, is that you should never be afraid to approach any member of the Seton Hill family to ask for help,” said Kehew in her speech to the class of 2023. “We want you to enjoy your time here and succeed in your future goals and aspirations. If I could offer you some additional advice, it would be to get involved on campus, and look into joining some of our amazing clubs and organizations.”
Welcome back to the hill, Griffins!
Published by Caitlin Srager