Pitt to Hold New Student Orientation on Aug. 23-28

Pitt freshmen enjoy an ice cream social during Orientation 2010.

The University of Pittsburgh New Student Orientation 2011 is welcoming 4,500 freshmen and transfer students Aug. 23-28 with informational sessions, campus and city tours, social gatherings, and ceremonies in an effort to educate, entertain, and orient members of the class of 2015 and their families to college life.

Pitt Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg and distinguished members of the University community will officially welcome Pitt’s newest students at the Freshman Convocation Ceremony in the Petersen Events Center from 3 to 4 p.m. Aug. 24.

The traditional Lantern Night Ceremony will be held in Heinz Memorial Chapel from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Aug. 28. The Student Activities Fair, from 2 to 5 p.m. that day, introduces the newest members of Pitt’s community to the campus’ more than 300 student organizations. The fair is held in the Petersen Events Center.

Presentations, seminars, and open houses will be held on numerous aspects of campus life, including student organizations, health services, and campus safety. The University Counseling Center Open House will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 23. Several informational activities will take place Aug. 24: “Student Health Service: When, Where, and How to Get Help,” from 9 to 10 a.m. in the William Pitt Union (WPU); “A Healthier U Starts at Student Health Service,” from 10 to 11 a.m. in the Medical Arts Building; “Student Life: The Importance of Getting Involved,” from 11 a.m. to noon in the WPU; and “Get Culturally Crunk! A Block Party Presented by the Office of Cross-Cultural and Leadership Development,” from noon to 1 p.m. in the WPU.

“Pathway to Your Success at Pitt: A Pitt Tradition,” held Aug. 25 in the Petersen Events Center, will have a different twist this year. At 9:15 a.m., accompanied by Pitt’s Pep Band, cheer squad, and dance team, more than 3,000 incoming freshmen will march to the Petersen. The new students will form the image of the Cathedral of Learning while holding a glow stick for four minutes in an effort to break the Guinness World Record for the “World’s Largest Glow Stick Design.” After the attempt to break the record, Pitt Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor Patricia E. Beeson will provide an overview of the opportunities for a successful academic journey at Pitt. The program will culminate with students singing Panther fight songs and the Alma Mater.

Among the activities designed exclusively for parents and guardians will be “Campus Safety: What Parents Need to Know,” from 3 to 4 p.m. Aug 23, and “The Art of College Parenting,” a lighthearted educational program, from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Aug 24, both in the WPU; and “Educating the Whole Student: What Every Parent Should Know,” from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Aug. 24 in the O’Hara Student Center. Presentations will seek to answer questions and concerns of students’ parents and guardians as well as to provide information on University programs. In addition, parents will have an opportunity to socialize with one another at the Panther Parents Association Information Session from 4 to 5 p.m. Aug. 23 and from 10 to 10:30 a.m. Aug. 24, and at the Continental Breakfast for Parents from 8:30 to 10 a.m. Aug. 25, all in the WPU.

Scheduled entertainment and social activities will include an ice cream social and Monte Carlo Night. “Discover Pittsburgh!” from 7 to 9 p.m. Aug. 23 will include a sampling of food from local restaurants and music by local entertainers. “The Union Carnival,” from 10 p.m. Aug. 24 to 1 a.m. Aug. 25, will feature carnival games, crafts, and an opportunity to mix and mingle on the WPU’s main floor and Fifth Avenue lawn. A “Global Carnivale” from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. Aug. 25 on the WPU lawn and patio will feature international cuisines, performances, music, and crafts. Other events beginning on Aug. 26 and ending on Aug. 27 include “Open Mic Night,” from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. in WPU Nordy’s Place, and “Oakland Teahouse,” from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. in the WPU Commuter Student Lounge. Pitt Program Council will present hypnotist Erick Känd from 8 to 10 p.m. Aug 27 in the WPU Assembly Room.

Multiple guided tours of the University and the city of Pittsburgh, including Pitt’s Nationality Rooms, Heinz Memorial Chapel, Phipps Conservatory, and the Carnegie Museums of Art and Natural History, also will be available.

University staff will be available to answer questions and provide information at “Orientation Station,” open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Aug. 23-25 and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 26 in the WPU’s Lower Lounge. Students will be able to sign up for social activities and find out about programs offered through the New Student Orientation.

For more information or a complete schedule of events visit http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/89a28fef#/89a28fef/1.