Stevens' freshmen find variety, excitement in orientation week activity

HOBOKEN, N.J. — Freshmen arriving last week for the fall semester at Stevens Institute of Technology may well have remarked, “This is not my father's orientation week!”

That’s because, in a new and innovative program launched by the Office of Student Life, students got a choice of exciting pre-orientation experiences. Some chose to participate in the Outdoor Adventure, which whisked more than 50 students off to four days of mountain trails and streams in the Adirondacks. This fun-filled adventure included canoeing, camping, backpacking, mountain biking and rock climbing.

Others chose the City Life Experience, offering tours of Stevens' historic hometown of Hoboken, N.J., as well as exciting tours of New York City from the South Street Seaport, to Times Square, and Uptown Manhattan enjoying the tastes of New York City cuisine along the way. Students also enjoyed visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Ellis Island and the Empire State Building.

Other students took advantage of the Sports and Fitness Experience, combining trips to Yankee Stadium, dinner at the ESPN Zone, fitness and nutrition workshops, a tour of the U.S. Golf Association, a sailing trip, and an interactive session with WFAN personality Chris Carlin.

Those artistically inclined signed up for the Performing Arts Experience, with inside glimpses of The New Amsterdam Theater, Radio City Music Hall, NBC Studios and attendance at a Broadway play. Students also attended performances and educational meetings with theater industry professionals. The performing arts experience climaxed with a student conceived, written, and performed show entitled “Up All Night” at Stevens' DeBaun Theater for the Performing Arts.

And finally, those students with a heart of gold signed on for the Service Learning Experience. Students served food in the Hoboken Shelter, volunteered at the USS Intrepid Museum in New York City, and clean up a local park. They learned about their community, made friends and made a difference.

“One hundred ninety freshmen participated in these diverse pre-orientation experiences,” said Stevens' Assistant Vice President for Student Development Joseph Stahley. “These experiences allowed freshmen to get to know some of their new classmates, meet some of the faculty and administrators, and to take a journey of discovery, all at the same time.

“Other schools offer pre-orientation opportunities,” he continued. “But the variety and breadth of Stevens' pre-orientation offerings make our program uniquely innovative – recognizing that, for young people who may be away from home for the first time, one size does not necessarily fit all.”

The traditional on-campus orientation activities commenced the Wednesday after the pre-orientation experiences.

“We see the benefits,” said Stahley, “of students beginning their four-year journey at Stevens by getting to know fellow freshmen who share their interests beyond the classroom. It is a whole new way to introduce young people to the university experience.”

About Stevens Institute of Technology

Founded in 1870, Stevens Institute of Technology is one of the leading technological universities in the world dedicated to learning and research. Through its broad-based curricula, nurturing of creative inventiveness, and cross disciplinary research, the Institute is at the forefront of global challenges in engineering, science, and technology management. Partnerships and collaboration between, and among, business, industry, government and other universities contribute to the enriched environment of the Institute. A new model for technology commercialization in academe, known as Technogenesis®, involves external partners in launching business enterprises to create broad opportunities and shared value.

Stevens offers baccalaureates, master’s and doctoral degrees in engineering, science, computer science and management, in addition to a baccalaureate degree in the humanities and liberal arts, and in business and technology. The university has a total enrollment of 2,150 undergraduate and 3,500 graduate students, with about 250 full-time faculty. Stevens’ graduate programs have attracted international participation from China, India, Southeast Asia, Europe and Latin America. Additional information may be obtained from its web page at www.stevens.edu.  

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