Three-day orientation program welcomes new students to Oklahoma State University

Thursday, July 30, 2009

(Stillwater, OK  July 30, 2009) - ALPHA 2009 at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater will welcome 1,450 new students on Aug. 12-14 for the university’s three-day orientation program.

The fall welcome program for new students is designed to help them make friends, learn their way around campus, and kick off the new school year. More than 500 faculty and staff are volunteering their time to help with ALPHA events.

According to Dr. Lee Bird, vice president for Student Affairs, ALPHA events are organized around the “Pillars of the OSU Experience.” These pillars, Academic Excellence, Leadership, Service/Civic Engagement, Finding Your Purpose, Broadening Your Horizons, and Wellness, are designed to distill the most important concepts of a well-rounded and rich collegiate experience.

The ALPHA program filled up quickly this year according to the Office of Student Affairs.

Students can begin moving into Residential Life facilities on Wednesday, Aug. 12. Registration tables will be open on Wednesday from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. and on Thursday from 8 a.m. until 11 a.m. in the Student Union Atrium for students to pick up their ALPHA name tag, used for admittance to all events, and free T-shirts. A barbecue dinner is set for Wednesday evening on the Willard Lawn, followed by a group ALPHA photo on the Library lawn with OSU President Burns Hargis and his wife, Ann.

Immediately following the group photo, all ALPHA registrants will move to Gallagher-Iba Arena for the opening ceremony. From 10 p.m. to midnight, a dance and a movie are scheduled in the Student Union.

On Thursday, breakfast will be served in the Student Union and in Residential Life Dining from 8:30-9:45 p.m., followed by the annual Colvin Center Gala. From 2-5 p.m., students will learn more about the OSU Experience, which includes presentations about the importance of academics and safety on campus, the opportunity for students to learn how to get involved on campus, how to pick majors, how to find internships, how to study abroad, and much more. Dinner, entertainment by a hypnotist, and bingo games are scheduled for 5-8:30 p.m., followed by games on the library lawn for an hour and then an outdoor movie.

On Friday, students will have help finding their classes and will have an opportunity to interact with college deans and faculty.

ALPHA’s closing event is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. in the Wes Watkins Center with a performance by the Malaysian Drummers and keynote speaker Dr. Bertice Berry, a sociologist and bestselling author of novels, humor books, and the inspirational memoir, “I’m On My Way, But Your Foot Is On My Head.” The orientation will close with ice cream and drawings for prizes.
For more information on ALPHA 2009, go to http://alpha.okstate.edu, or call (405) 744-5328.