Jeryka Howard – Contributor

As per Lennoxville tradition, some 650 first-years stepped foot on Bishop’s University campus for the first time to experience Orientation Week 2024. Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, these students embarked upon the quest of a lifetime, becoming gaiters of the round table from Sept. 1 through 7. Among the traditional parties and activities, new events focused on providing students with information that will guide them through their time at Bishop’s. In addition to the campus tours and quad nights, academic events such as ‘Academic Hot Tips’ and the Student Success Fair drew attention and engagement. Gaiters of the round table effectively proves that students benefit from an introduction to Bishop’s that displays our culture and gives academics time to shine. 

Organized by SRC academic VP Roser Rise, several new events provided students with information they may not have had easy access to elsewhere, including words of encouragement from several Deans across the disciplines. A presentation from the Student Success Center and an open question period left students feeling prepared for the beginning of the semester. Rise mentioned that these sessions were well attended: “Cleghorn was filled with students eager to start their university studies. We realized returning students also benefited[…] so we are looking into organizing further events of [this] kind throughout the semester,”  she said.

On Tuesday, the Student Success fair was set up in the Gait to allow first-years and returning students alike to walk around and meet the people responsible for helping them through their time at Bishop’s. Notably, the Student Success Center (SSC) was present with their Peer Academic Mentors (PAMs), where they introduced their plans for the year.

O-Week has often focused on introducing students to extracurriculars outside of their classes. While these activities are essential to Bishop’s culture, it does run the risk of excluding those who are less interested in the social aspect of Bishop’s. This year, SRC executives created opportunities to not only party and socialize, but also to prepare themselves for academic life. According to O-Week organizer and SRC director of events Reagan Russell, “We implemented Academic Hot Tips, Narcan Training and SRC Elections Info Session […] as a way to encourage more learning opportunities for our incoming class during such a pivotal week for them.”  The result? Students who are “support[ed] no matter their life experience, and ready to be active participants in Bishop’s culture”. Students will leave O-Week well prepared for their courses thanks to the efforts of SRC executives and extraordinary volunteers.

Photo courtesy of Jeryka Howard