New Student Orientation 2017 welcomed over 300 new students

Freshman and Transfer Students Welcomed to Gallaudet

Starting August 23, 2017, over 300 freshmen and transfer students were officially welcomed to Gallaudet University. The annual New Student Orientation (NSO) event kicked off with registration and a pep rally, culminating into a warm welcome by current students, staff, and faculty. Workshops, group dinners, and other events were held.
Following the new students’ arrival on campus, a convenient all-in-one registration platform was set up in the Field House, where new students were able to pay their bills, register for classes, ask questions, and take photos with Gally the Bison.

A pep rally, held at Hotchkiss Field by peer advisors following registration, reinforced the Bison spirit.

Following the pep rally, new students gathered together to create a bird’s eye view of the numbers 1 and 7 to represent the year “2017” on the Gallaudet mall.

To wrap up their first day at Gallaudet, a barbecue dinner was provided to all new students and their parents at the cafeteria.

The Bison Walk, held on the morning of August 24, had spirited students, staff, and faculty march down Lincoln Circle to Elstad Auditorium. President Roberta J. Cordano led the parade, with everyone carrying Buff and Blue thunderstixs.

Photo by Bilal Chinoy. During BisonFest, held August 25, students participated in a beanbag hole competition, where the goal is to aim the beanbag into a hole, thrown from a distance. BisonFest is part of the NSO activities offered during the week.

During NSO, new students met their academic advisors, learned about academic expectations, Gallaudet’s history and traditions, campus policies, and participated in social activities. English and mathematics placement tests were offered to determine appropriate course placement. All efforts were made to ensure that students felt welcomed to Gallaudet and had a smooth transition into campus life.

All photos by Zhee Chatmon unless otherwise mentioned.