Class of 2001 navigates the 'U'

They came, they saw, but most probably won't conquer until this September when classes get underway.

Beginning this week, students staying in Ann Arbor for the summer are getting a preview of this fall's new addition to the University - the class of 2001.

New Student Orientation began Sunday, and during the summer months 32 sessions, hosting 160 orientees each, will familiarize incoming students with campus and help them find niches for the coming school year.

"It was a lot of fun," said LSA incoming first-year student Erin Bouren. "We checked out the area and what kind of shops you guys have."

The Java House on South University Avenue proved to be a popular find for many of the orientees after a day's activities.

But considering the popularity of local coffee shops, their success with new students isn't terribly surprising. In fact, due to this interest, orientation coordinators substituted the orientation dance from past years with "Cafe Wolverine," a nighttime coffee hour held in the Michigan Union.

"Ann Arbor is famous for coffee shops," said Ann Hower, the associate director for the orientation program. This cafe not only gets students to know each other, but also sends them a message about the surrounding city, she said.

"Everything has multiple goals," Hower said.

"We want to increase the awareness of the kind of community they're entering and communicate the values of the institution."

Hower said the primary goal of the orientation program is to help new students and their parents develop a successful transition between high school and college.

LSA junior Heidi Kissling said her orientation experience really helped her feel comfortable and familiar with people and places on campus.

"It took away a lot of the fears I had and I came in a lot more confident that I wanted to be here," Kissling said.

Students need to prep for a lot of adjustment in several areas, such as course load, said Hower.

"There's additional freedom and additional responsibility," Hower said. She said orientation will assist them in learning how to adapt to a university environment.

But for now, most of the orientees simply enjoy the fact that "they let us do whatever we want."

Some students took advantage of this by going to parties at night, staying out until 3:30 am, or skipping some of the orientation programs.

"I overheard a few people saying they were going to skip a few things," said incoming first-year student Mark Bouma. "There wasn't a way of policing it."

Jordan Litwin, also an incoming first-year student, admitted to skipping some of the skits. "They were well-done, but the Bulls game was on."

Kissling said it was the same when she attended orientation.

"I think I skipped a diversity thing, but I went to most of (the programming)," Kissling said. "The thing was that you were sitting in these un-air-conditioned rooms while these people talked on and on."

Aside from the expected unpleasantness of the placement testing for foreign language, chemistry and math, some students said that registering for classes was also frustrating.

Some orientees said the Computerized Registration Involving Student Participation class registration program was annoying.

"If I couldn't find the right number, (the CRISP lady would) repeat it over and over. Then she hung up on me," said Bouma.

"If you're not fast enough, they hang up on you," Bouren said.

But not all students had such difficulties.

"I liked signing up for classes," Litwin said. "It was really easy. I was in and out in less than 15 minutes."

Students who experienced registration difficulties could count on their student orientation leaders for assistance.

"Everyone was really helpful," Litwin said. "I was impressed a lot - especially because of the size of the school. You don't really expect individualized attention."

But two solid weeks of training for the student leaders were designed to provide exactly that.

"We really want (the leaders) to be responsive. That's where we personalize the program," Hower said.

Students cited the traditional walk through the Cooley fountain as the highlight of the tour, but the best memories of orientation are the people.

"Everyone was friendly and trying to meet people. I still talk to a lot of the people I met at Orientation," Kissling said.

Most of the incoming students were excited about returning to the University in the fall, meeting more people, getting involved in extra-curricular activites after attending Festifall and experiencing more Michigan traditions.

"We're looking forward to the Naked Mile," said Kristin Linscoff, another incoming first-year student.

06-11-97