The Freshman Orientation Committee has proposed additions to First-Year Orientation Week, partially in reaction to the Trustee Residential and Social Life Initiative.
According to Acting Dean of First-Year Students Gail Zimmerman, the Freshman Orientation Committee is trying to increase the number of opportunities for first-year students to socialize and meet other students.
"Orientation as current students have experienced it was largely academic in nature," Zimmerman said, citing examples such as placement tests and department open houses. She said those components will not change.
Zimmerman said the orientation committee, which includes Director of Student Activities Linda Kennedy, Collis Center Director Mark Hoffman, Director of Health Resources Gabrielle Lucke, Coordinator of Sexual Abuse Awareness Susan Marine, Director of the Women's Resource Center Giavanna Munafo, Acting Assistant Dean of Residential Life Chris Chambers and First-Year Office Student Intern Jorge Miranda '01, has not yet decided on specific events that will be added to Orientation Week, although the events would be held mainly in Collis.
There will also be a student advisory committee that will assist the orientation committee.
Zimmerman mentioned late night activities such as a billiard tournament, a karaoke night in the Lone Pine Tavern, and movies as possible activities.
She said the additional events "will help students meet each other and socialize and learn and celebrate what Dartmouth is all about ... there will be something for everyone."
Zimmerman noted that the Trustee Initiative has in part provided the impetus for the additions to Orientation Week.
"It's no secret -- I think that the Trustee Initiative has caused a lot of offices and individuals in departments who do programming to take a step back and ask 'are we being effective in how we invite and include new groups into the community at Dartmouth?' One piece of that is, what happens during orientation week? What is orientation week?" Zimmerman said. "If there's any good year [to institute changes], this is a good year."
One such change is removing two portions of "Community at Dartmouth" night dealing with alcohol and sexual abuse in order to focus more specifically on them, she said.
"Community at Dartmouth" is a series of skits performed by students to address issues at Dartmouth. This year, a program on sexual abuse will be added to a separate program on drug and alcohol abuse. Each issue will have its own, longer, program conducted elsewhere in orientation by professional groups that have also performed at other colleges around the country.
She said no components of orientation week will be removed to accommodate the new programs.
