Students gather for orientation week. Photo by Lauren Hough.
RYANN BAHNLINE | STAFF REPORTER | rbahnline@butler.edu
Less than 24 hours after the new first-year class arrived on campus, they were swept away into their four-day-long orientation. Student orientation guides, SOGs, and student orientation coordinators, SOCs, went through pre-orientation training days earlier to ensure that they were ready to welcome the class of 2026.
Senior theater arts major Nole Beran was a SOC for the 2022 orientation week. Beran wrote in an email to The Butler Collegian that orientation looked similar to what it was nearly three years ago, when he went through it.
“With masks being optional, students and SOGs alike have much more freedom to do activities both inside and outside,” Beran said. “There are more consistent late-night activities, less ‘talking at you’ segments in Clowes Hall and much higher energy from everyone.”
Hillary Reed, junior health sciences and Spanish double major, volunteered as a SOG this year. Reed said she wanted to give students an experience similar to the one she had as a first-year and be a part of the inviting energy.
“My SOGs were so supportive and welcoming as I found my place on campus,” Reed said. “I really wanted to serve in that same role for incoming students.”
Many incoming students felt that orientation energy, as they had a plethora of activities to attend with their orientation groups. First-year students had the opportunity to go to a variety of events such as trivia night, black light bingo, a rave, a pizza truck and inflatable games such as ax throwing.
In addition to these activities, information sessions also occurred, including the resource fair, academic day and block party. At the resource fair, students met with representatives from various community resources. During academic day, students met in groups based on their specific majors. Block party occurred on the mall where campus clubs and student organizations set up booths to give information to potential new members.
“While all of this may seem overwhelming at times, I hope the first year and transfer students will feel welcomed more than anything,” Beran said.
First-year exploratory student Kennedy Lee attended some of the activities for orientation week and said that although the experience was fun, it was super tiring.
“It was a little crazy,” Lee said. “[There was] lots to do but not a lot of downtime. It was overwhelming at times for sure.”
Lee said she wishes she and other first-year students got more time to be with friends and hang out, and not be directly involved in activities. She attended trivia, but apart from that walked around with friends and explored campus to decompress and become more comfortable with her new surroundings.
Reed hopes that first-years were able to begin to see Butler as their home during this busy time.
“The pride we experience as Butler Bulldogs is something I love most about this campus,” Reed said. “I hope that first years can embrace how excited we are to have them.”
