MURFREESBORO, Tenn. —
People came from as far away as Illinois and as close as Murfreesboro.
During the rest of the spring and summer through the end of July, they will
come from all parts in order to attend MTSU’s
CUSTOMS freshmen orientation for the Class of 2021.
Nearly 330 incoming freshmen and 315 parents and family
members arrived Thursday (May 18) for the first day of a two-day orientation
and first of 10 CUSTOMS sessions that run through July 25-26.
In all, potentially 4,000 freshmen will participate in
CUSTOMS. Coordinated by the Office
of New Student and Family Programs, CUSTOMS shows freshmen the ropes of being
an MTSU student and introduces them to the intellectual, cultural and social
climate of the university.
For more about
CUSTOMS, including future dates, schedules, cost and more, visit http://www.mtsu.edu/customs/
or call 615-898-5533.
Grace Caldwell, a senior at Martin Luther King Jr. Magnet
High School in Nashville, attended with her father, Thomas Caldwell.
“It has gone
well,” said Grace Caldwell, who plans to major in psychology. “There’s been a
whole bunch of information. I like the way they are presenting it. I’m eager to
see what else is going to be presented.”
Following
check-in for all and placement tests in music and foreign language for some,
everyone heard the welcome and instructions for the day from Deb Sells, vice president of Student Affairs and vice provost for Enrollment and Academic Services.
“You are our
first glimpse (of the new students),” said Sells, who informed them MTSU “is
going to change your life and you also are going to change our life. … Every
single person here has what it takes to be successful, but I have a prediction:
At some point, you will hit a bump in the road. Nobody escapes unscathed, but
you can overcome hard things.”
Sells said
freshmen should commit to being full-time students — “attendance is everything
because you are paying for every hour of classroom time” — and to schedule
classes Monday through Friday, not just two or three days a week.
Urging them to
get connected on campus through the “Connection
Point” event process where they collect special buttons, Sells said Student
Affairs wants them to complete at least six Connection Point events by Sept. 6.
The Aug. 27 Freedom Sings
(all-campus sing), Sept. 2 MTSU-Vanderbilt
football game, and Sept. 6 Volunteer
Fair are among the early events.
Sells tied
together the Summer Reading Program
and the book, “Hillbilly Elegy,” by J.D. Vance, with what she called “the
first day of class” — required attendance for the 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 25, University Convocation in Murphy
Center, with Vance the scheduled speaker.
Laurie Witherow, vice provost for Admissions and Enrollment Services, discussed the MT One Stop (a
convenient way to take care of university business) in the Student Services and
Admissions Center.
Regarding
CUSTOMS, Gina Poff, director of New Student and Family Programs, said
they are “excited about the cross-campus involvement — everything from MT
Engage (enhancing student academic engagement) to the Campus Pharmacy —
covering every type of student and student need.”
Band, choral
music, MT Dining, Honors College, ROTC program, University 1010, Student
Support Services and Charlie and Hazel Daniels Veterans and Military Family
Center were among midday sessions available for them to attend. Later, they met
with academic advisers, heard a college life issues presentation and were
treated to a barbecue dinner at the Campus Recreation Center.
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