Denise DeGennaro
|
Major: English Class Year: Sophomore Hometown: Miller Place, NY Song you can’t get enough of: 1000 Things – Jason Mraz Most memorable/unforgettable day at SB: Volunteering at Earthstock |
7/15/09
Hey everyone! I hope this entry finds you well, enjoying the nice weather. I feel as though I have barely had time to sit down and reflect on the recent orientations. Last week and this week the orientation team welcomed the first year students of four different undergraduate colleges (HDV, ITS, LDS & ACH) and had our mid-summer retreat! It has been somewhat exhausting, but a lot of fun.
The mid-summer retreat, as the name suggests, marks the halfway point of the orientation season. All of the OLs and professional staff gathered on a sunny Sunday at the Tabler Arts Center. We had some training in professionalism (thanks to Marianna Savoca of the Career Center!), assertive communication (thanks to Heather!), and planning leadership goals (thanks to Spring!). In addition, we did some team builder activities, which are always fun. We played freeze dance, jump rope, charades, and rolled around a ball—but all of these activities had some variation that taught a lesson about working with a team. I remember doing similar activities at training and our first retreat way back when in May. It’s funny to think that I barely knew the other OLs then and now we’re like a family.
Aside from all of these activities, everyone got to enjoy an excellent BBQ lunch from Campus Catering. During lunch, papers with every OL and staff member’s name were spread out on tables for a “positive feedback” activity. Basically, we were to go around and write a compliment or positive note about all of the OLs and staff. The hard part of this was not thinking of something to write, but trying to keep it to a minimum! I really do have the best supervisors and coworkers, so it’s always easy to think of good things to say. Speaking of positive feedback, our intern, Spring, put in so much work organizing the retreat, and she really did a great job.
Yesterday, during ACH orientation, I was assigned to work in the Parent and Family Program. I’d never worked in parent program before, so it was a new experience. It was fun to think about things from the parent’s perspective rather than the student’s. The OLs assigned to parent program served on a panel at the end of the day so parents could ask students any questions they had. At the end of the Q & A, Heather, who runs the program, asked us to share one piece of advice or words to remember with the parents. I thought it would take long to think of just one thing to say, but I was happy with my response. I told the parents to remember that going to college is a major transition, and that everything will fall into place eventually. I think that this is really important for not only parents, but also students to remember. I didn’t feel at home at Stony Brook right away. I missed high school and thought I’d never get used to the commute, the large campus, or make friends. Now, I love the school, have great friends, don’t mind the commute, and give tours of the campus! It definitely took time to adjust, but it happened. Just remember that it is a major transition, and give yourself time to adjust. I’ll leave you with those words of learned wisdom. I need to get some sleep so I’m awake and enthused to welcome 200 more students to SBU at the college of Global Studies’ orientation. Goodnight! J
OL Blog #6 -- 7/3/09
Hi everyone! I can’t believe that June is over already. Thankfully, it’s been looking a bit more like summer. Today was gorgeous, my car thermometer read 81 and the sun is shining! I think that the sun being out makes campus look so much more inviting. This week, we began our first year student orientations. However, we worked with some special groups—Athletes, University Scholars, Honors College and WISE (Women in Science and Engineering). On Thursday, University Scholars had their orientation. Scholars holds a special place in my heart being that I am a second-year University Scholar. Four other OLs (Adnaan, Allison, Phil and Krupa—also University Scholars) served on a student panel so the new students could ask questions about Stony Brook and the Scholars program. It is really surreal to think that I was on the opposite side of the stage just last year, asking the same questions that I was answering. I found out about the opportunity to become an OL through a University Scholars event, the Student Leadership Panel, so I encouraged the new students to take advantage of all that the Scholars program has to offer. One thing I think all of the OLs agree on is that no matter who you are—freshman or transfer, commuter or resident, getting involved on campus and taking advantage of all this large university offers will make your time here so much more fun.
On Thursday at our after-orientation OL staff meeting, or ‘debrief,’ as we call it, there was a surprise in store for us! Rick, Director of Academic Advising, who we worked very closely with on transfer orientation days, baked delicious cake and brownies for us to enjoy as a thank you for our hard work!!!!! I was starving, and let me tell you, those treats hit the spot. They were delectable—thanks Rick! Now that I’ve gotten myself in the mood for cake…
Today (Friday) we worked with students from Honors College and WISE. It was a smaller group of students than we normally have on a first year orientation day. It was nice to get to work a little bit more closely with the first year students and to talk with them and their family members about Stony Brook. In the afternoon I was assigned to one of the WISE advising and registration rooms. I’m getting very familiar with advising science majors even though I’m an English major. Many OLs are science and pre-health majors and were all really helpful when I couldn’t answer a student’s question about what certain classes were like.
Next week, we begin undergraduate college orientation days. I’m looking forward to meeting all the new freshmen and getting them excited about coming to SBU in the fall! I hope everyone has a most excellent Fourth of July and that you enjoy your barbeque, beach and have fun in the sun!
OL Blog #5
As the month of June comes to a close so do new transfer orientations; last week we finished up our last days of transfers until August. Friday was dedicated to getting ready for new first year student orientations that will occur throughout July.
Before training began on Friday, about 20 OLs attended Red Watch Band training. Red Watch Band is a program that was started at Stony Brook to combat toxic drinking (alcohol overdose—drinking to the point of passing out) after a faculty member at Stony Brook lost her son due to toxic drinking. For more information on the program, check out www.redwatchband.org. The training was really interesting and, though it was a serious matter, fun. The first half of the training was devoted to CPR certification. I had never done any kind of CPR training, so I was excited to learn. We used mannequins to practice on. We learned about compressions and breathing, and how to use an AED, or an Automated External Defibrillator.
After the CPR training was completed, we switched gears to talking about alcohol and the kinds of toxic drinking situations that there are. We used role-playing to act out situations and what to do when they arise. In the midst of our training, SBU President Shirley Strum Kenny stopped by! Shirley Strum Kenny is in her last days as president of the University as she is retiring. She spoke to us about how important it is to combat toxic drinking on the student level and applauded us for taking initiative to do something. After our training wrapped up, we received our red watches. The Center for Prevention and Outreach (CPO), who runs the program, is a great resource on campus in dealing with not only with alcohol and substance abuse, but also depression, relationship issues, sexual assault and any health issue. Don’t be afraid to seek them out if you need help or want to get involved in programs like Red Watch Band!
After our Red Watch Band training came to an end, we moved on to our first year student training refresher. The first part of the afternoon was a mixer with the Undergraduate College (UGC) Fellows. The fellows are a group of students who serve as representatives for their respective UGCs. I’m an ACH (Arts, Culture and Humanities) college fellow. Fellows are present on their college-specific orientation and help to welcome the new students and get them excited about their UGC. Fellows also serve as teaching assistants for a UGC 101 section in the fall. Because fellows and OLs will be working with one another, we took time to socialize and get to know one another.
After our fellows/OL mixer, all of the OLs attended a training refresher with the UGC advisors. Transfers and first year student orientations are pretty different. The refresher helped to remind us how to use the Advising Planning Form (APF) to advise first year students and create their schedule and remind us about the different UGC programs that will occur at orientation. Though I loved transfer orientations, I’m really excited to start first year student orientations and to get the Class of 2013 excited about coming to SBU in the fall!
6/20/09
Week two of transfer orientations has come and gone, and fast. Tuesday, I worked in room 305 again registering students for classes. Thursday, my job responsibilities were a little different, something I hadn’t done before. During orientations, all of the OLs get job assignments in the morning before the day begins. This includes a morning assignment, which could be anything from greeting incoming students and families, to line control, to setting up the third floor where the bulk of the day occurs (to name a few). After breakfast, all of the OLs report to their afternoon assignment, which makes up the greater part of the day. These jobs include registration, commuter and resident program, talking with students in the Skylight Lounge, parent program, and advising rooms. You are not assigned to the same job each day, so you get to experience and work at each part of orientation. This makes for a more interesting day since you are always doing something different.
Thursday, I was assigned to direct students to the SAC from the parking lot in the morning. However, it was pouring, so we stayed inside and helped direct students within the building. Let me just say that it has been raining just about every day for the month of June! Thankfully we’re inside for orientations, but it is no fun to see the same dreary sky every day. My afternoon assignment was room 303, one of the advising rooms. In the advising room, students have their one-on-one advising appointment with an academic advisor. Together, they plan the student’s schedule based on his or her major and what credits are being transferred in from the student’s previous institution. I was able to sit in on about four advising appointments. I enjoyed seeing how the advising process works for transfers. Christina Russo, the advisor I sat with, was really great about letting me give input and explain things to the student. It was fun to have an active role—I wasn’t just sitting there and watching silently. I am proud to say that every student I sat with enrolled in SBU 101! SBU 101 is a one credit course designed to help transfer students adjust to SBU. It is a small class taught by a professional faculty member. This is great because it helps new transfers get to know one another and have a smaller connection to a big university. It is meant to help students and doesn’t increase their workload. The OLs that transferred in to SBU and took SBU 101 all speak very highly of the course. One transfer OL, Gloria, didn’t take it, and wishes she had. She is a huge advocate of SBU 101 and tries to get every transfer she sees enrolled so they don’t have to figure everything about SB alone. Every OL has been working hard to do the same, and quite a few sections of SBU 101 have closed! To all you transfers that haven’t had orientation yet, seriously consider enrolling. J
After work on Thursday, we planned for a group trip to Buffalo Wild Wings, a restaurant specializing in—you guessed it--wings. About 18 of us ended up going, all decked out in our gray orientation sweatshirts and tees. We had to wait quite a while for a table, but we had a great time. The place had all kinds of sporting events on big screens. There was also this cool interactive trivia game that we all played where trivia questions were projected on a screen, and we answered with remote control keypads. The OLs were broken up into a few teams, so it became a kind of competition amongst our group. My team won the first round! Everyone was starved by the time the food came, but boneless wings were only 60 cents each so everyone was stuffed by the time we left. Two of the OLs, Nina and Hector, celebrated birthdays this week, so we had the waiters bring cake and sing. It was a lot of fun!
This week is the last week of transfer orientations until August. Friday, we have refresher training for freshmen orientations, which occur all through July. I can’t believe June is almost over! Time really does fly.
6/14/09
This week was our first week of orientations! The month of June is all transfer student orientations, which are a bit different than freshmen orientations because transfer students have already been to a college or university of some kind. As orientation leaders it is our job not only to make new transfers feel welcome and excited about SBU, but also understand and be sensitive to the fact that all transfers have different backgrounds. After going through two orientations this week, I’ve found that that really makes for an interesting group of people. I had fun talking with a good amount of the new students about where they were transferring from and what they were studying. It is so cool to see how diverse the transfer population is in all aspects—major, previous education, age, culture.
On Tuesday, our first day, my main job assignment was to be present at the commuter presentations that were being given by the office of Commuter Student Services. As students waited for the presentation to begin, I got the chance to talk and get to know them. During the presentation I gave some input about parking and getting involved. Shannon Kelly and Emily Resnick do a great job of making sure incoming commuter students are well informed on basics like where to park, but they also make a point of telling commuters to get involved. As a commuter student, I know firsthand that it is tempting to just go to class and come home. However, it wasn’t until I started getting involved outside of class that I realized how much fun SB is.
On Thursday, my main job assignment was to help students register for the classes they chose with their advisor in room 305. I really enjoyed doing this! There were about eight or nine OLs assigned to the room, and we alternated helping students. Each OL worked one-on-one with a student, showing them how to use the SOLAR System and add classes. Because we were working one-on-one, students also had the opportunity to ask specific questions of the OL. I also showed students how other aspects of SOLAR worked so they could get used to it. I was also able to talk to students about their major, and get to know them a little bit.
I truly love my job as an OL. I get to meet so many interesting people—and it was only the first week! In addition to this, I work with students and staff who are patient and reliable. It really helps to know that you have a support system behind you. Plus, everyone is a lot of fun! I never had a job before where I was surrounded by people. Previously, I worked in a women’s clothing boutique in Port Jefferson Village where I was normally alone, and an office where I was doing data entry and filing by myself. I’m a social person, so I’m really thankful to be working somewhere that I get to interact with people.
Friday 6/5/09 6:38 PM
Hi everybody! I can’t believe training is over! I decided to blog as soon as I could after getting home so I didn’t forget anything I wanted to say after a full day of OL fun. J
It is amazing to me that two weeks have gone by already. I have learned so much about advising transfers and first-year students, Undergraduate Colleges, student life, and all that Stony Brook has to offer. I’m excited to apply everything I’ve learned at orientations throughout the summer. In addition to the learning about SBU, I also learned so much about my fellow OLs and got to know the professional staff that will be working with us at summer orientations. Working with all of the amazing OLs, staff and meeting new students is going to make for a great summer. Kathleen (the Assistant Director for Orientation and Family programs and our supervisor) referred to today, our final training day, as our “dress rehearsal”-- the last day of practice and before we move on to actual orientation days. The funny thing is that throughout training, I’ve been thinking that it felt similar to the process of putting on a stage show. I was in the Drama Club (Miller Place Panther Players!) for all four years of high school and even did some plays before that, so I am quite familiar with this process. I have a similar feeling going into orientation days that I did before opening night. It is that unmistakable nervous excitement that comes with taking everything you rehearsed or, in this case, learned in training, and actually doing it!
Our last day was another full one. First, to kick things off, the Orientation Team Leaders (returning OLs that head up our six groups) put on a fashion show with a twist—what not to wear. They modeled outfits that would not be appropriate for the OLs to wear to work. It was not only informative but also incredibly entertaining! Everyone was hysterical and fierce! After that, three representatives from campus dining came to talk to us. This was particularly exciting because some major changes have been made to the food at SBU because we have a new provider. The Executive Chef spoke to us about the new direction dining options will go in—more choices, local, healthy, delicious and cheaper—all very appealing and welcomed changes. The Student Activities Center (SAC) cafeteria has already undergone these changes and everyone loves them. It was also painted a pretty green color that makes the whole place look bigger and more welcoming. I’m excited to see what changes will be made to the other dining halls come fall.
Continuing the theme of positive changes being made at SBU, today was the groundbreaking on the new Student Recreation Center! The OLs were invited to attend the ceremony. Despite the rainy weather, we put on our Stony Brook Red, opened our umbrellas and headed over to the site of the project. The new recreation center will be located between the Student Union and the gym. The rec center is such an exciting new addition to campus! Its sole purpose is for the SBU students and staff to have a place to work out and play sports. All of you new students will have a great new facility once it is finished (projected opening is 2010, but it could take longer). Everyone at the groundbreaking seemed so excited to see the rec center beginning to become a reality—it has been planned and talked about since 1999! It was really cool to be able to attend the ceremony on behalf of the students. We had fun despite the rain!
The rest of the day consisted of a walk-through to get a feel for where we’ll be on orientation days, and working with the UGC advisors. We did some role playing games to practice handling different situations we’ll come across during orientations. One team member played the OL and another played the student. Everyone did a great job and it helped to both be a part of the situation and also watch the situations play out.
Next week starts actual orientation days! Training was so much fun but I’m excited to get to meet all of the new transfers and first-year students!
Saturday
Saturday, OLs were trained in working with transfers and families. Transfer orientation is a bit different than first year student orientation. Transfers are a unique group in that everyone is coming from a different place for different reasons. I’m so excited to get to know some transfer students and hear their stories! To all the transfers—don’t worry, we’re dedicated to getting you excited about coming to SBU and helping you to create a schedule that will put you on the path to success. After training on Saturday, some OLs went to Port Jefferson village to hang out. One of the great things about SBU is that it is surrounded by cute little historic towns. I’ve lived here all of my life, so I know them well. Port Jefferson is a great place to grab a bite to eat, do some window-shopping and enjoy the Long Island Sound. Definitely take advantage at some point during your time at SBU.
The first week of training was great. I made so many new friends in such a short amount of time. I hope all of you first-year and transfer students are getting excited for your orientation. We’re excited to meet you! J
Thursday & Friday
I decided to talk about Thursday & Friday together because both days were dedicated to learning more about campus resources and the Undergraduate Colleges. All incoming freshmen are placed in one of six Undergraduate Colleges (UGC) based on interest. Freshmen orientations are based on which UGC they are in. The UGC teams came in to train the OLs for their specific orientation days. Let me tell you—no matter which UGC you are in, you’re going to have fun and learn a lot. My team had a blast doing the activities and working with each other. At orientation, a few freshmen will be seated together with an OL and will get the chance to do the activity. Hopefully everyone will get to learn about each other and get excited about their UGC!
In addition to learning about the UGCs, we also heard from campus resources like the Center for Prevention and Outreach, Student Life, Commuter Student Services, Campus Recreation, Student Health Services, International Academic Programs and Disability Support Services. You’ll hear more detail about all of these at orientation, but just know that SBU has so much to offer all students! If you are interested in any of these programs, you can search them on the SBU website prior to orientation. All of the OLs and staff are happy to answer questions and get you excited and informed!
Wednesday
On a damp Wednesday morning, the OLs boarded a coach bus en route to Stony Brook’s east end counterpart, Stony Brook Southampton. We spent the day exploring the campus and doing some team building activities as part of our retreat before we got into formal training. All of the OLs are separated into teams with a senior OL as the team leader. At SB Southampton, each team created a name, flag and chant or song to represent them. My team is called “Da Fresh Krew,” inspired by the Fresh Prince of Bel Air. One of my favorite team building activities we did was the scavenger hunt. Each team was given a list of SB Southampton facilities or buildings and was required to take a picture of the location with each team member somewhere in the picture. Not only was this a great way to see how beautiful SB Southampton is and have fun with the team, but it also reminded all of the OLs what it feels like to be on a new campus that you are unfamiliar with. Because we’ve all been at Stony Brook for a year or more, we’re very familiar with the campus and know how to get around. Being on a new campus, unsure of where anything was, reminded me of when I first got to Stony Brook last year. The campus seemed big and intimidating. As new freshmen and transfer students, you may feel like you’ll never know how to get from class to class. Take it from someone who went through it—you’ll get used to it in no time! Don’t be intimidated by the campus at orientation. There are always people around who would love to point you in the right direction and help you out (like me!).
Tuesday
Could you imagine learning around 50 names in one day and remembering them? I never thought I’d be able to…but I did! In order to learn everyone’s name we played a silly yet amazingly helpful name game. Each OL and professional staff member had to think of an adjective that started with the same letter of his or her first name. Then, we had to think of a motion to go with the adjective and our name (I was Determined Denise). As we went around the circle, each person had to repeat the adjective, name and motion of the person or people before him or her. It seemed impossible, but everyone did really well! It really helped me to remember everyone’s name. After that, we got to decorate our binders with things that we like or represented our personality and present them to the group. It was cool to get to learn a little more about everyone.
Hi everyone!
I can’t believe how quickly my freshman year went by and that it is already the beginning of summer. This week, the 2009 Summer Orientation Leaders (OLs) began training to prepare for new student and transfer orientations. To be honest, I was extremely nervous to begin. I knew that some of the OLs were returning—they had been through the process in years past, and seemed to know each other really well. I was worried that they wouldn’t be open to meeting new people (like me!) and that it would be hard to get to know my new coworkers. Let me tell you, that was not the case AT ALL! Even on the first day, everyone was friendly and so enthusiastic. It’s amazing how close everyone became in just a week. So for all of you that are coming to orientation this summer, don’t worry, everyone is really friendly and excited about meeting you and getting you excited about being a Seawolf!
Since I learned so much this week about the OLs and about Stony Brook (SBU), I’m going to highlight some of my favorite things about each day.