A Face-to-Face Fall Welcome

By Grace Collins ’22, Desiree Holz ’23, James Baratta ’22, and Leah Aulisio-Sharpe ’22, August 25, 2021

Fall Welcome 2021 lets students connect and reunite in-person.

A group of students sitting outside with a dog.

Students and animals alike reveled in the change to mingle with each other at Fall Fest, which was part of the college’s Fall Welcome series of events.

(Photo by Desiree Holz ’23)

Every year, the return of students to South Hill is a cause for celebration for the IC community. This August marked the first time many students were able to take part in an in-person campus experience. The annual Fall Welcome initiative run by the Office of New Student and Transition Programs, made sure that the arrival of students for the fall 2021 semester was met with fanfare.

Running through September 5, Fall Welcome consists of dozens of fun and informative events designed to acclimate students to campus. After last year’s incoming students were unable to take part in a traditional campus welcome and orientation, New Student and Transition Programs sent out a survey in May 2021 asking for feedback and suggestions on the events those students would like to see at the beginning of this semester. This year’s Fall Welcome is the culmination of those survey results, along with the work of the faculty, students, and staff on the Fall Welcome and First Bomber Weekend committees.

“Our hope is that students learn about campus resources, how to get involved, what opportunities are available to them, and most importantly, we hope they meet other students and have fun.”

Justine Avila, assistant director of New Student and Transition Programs

“We are very excited to hold these in-person events for students — many are stepping foot on campus for the very first time after having attended IC virtually over the past year,” said Justine Avila, assistant director of New Student and Transition Programs. “Our hope is that students learn about campus resources, how to get involved, what opportunities are available to them, and most importantly, we hope they meet other students and have fun.”

Coming Attractions

Students can find a full list of Fall Welcome events, including details and a place to RSVP on IC Engage. Some upcoming events include:

Welcome Back Bonanza Silent Disco, Thursday August 26, 7 p.m., Muller Chapel
Star Party, Friday, August 28, 8:30 p.m., Lawn between the Center for Natural Sciences and the School of Communications
Wellness Day Lawn Games, Sunday, August 29, 12:00 p.m., Campus Center Quad

On August 20, incoming transfer students got a chance to update their wardrobe at the Tau Sigma Transfer T-shirt Swap. Hosted by the Office of Residential Life and the Tau Sigma Transfer Student Honor Society (TSTSHS), the event allowed students to trade a t-shirt from their former school for a fresh piece of IC swag.

For Leanna Yatcilla ’24—an art and theatre production major who transferred from the Moore College of Art & Design—the event was a great way for her to connect with peers.

“Everyone is really welcoming and friendly,” she said. "When I meet people, they're talking to me like regular human beings and not through a computer."

Student holding a blue Ithaca College T-Shirt

Rocco DiMaiolo ’24 scored some new IC threads at the transfer student T-shirt swap.

(Photo by James Baratta ’22)

Yolanda Clarke, manager of Tutoring Services and a TSTSHS representative, said that the event captured the welcoming spirit of Ithaca College during an especially challenging time.

“This year in particular, we understood that making the decision to transfer during a pandemic may have been more challenging for many reasons,” she said. “This event was a way of saying: ‘thank you, we applaud you, you're important, and we are here for you.’”

“As a transfer student, you just want to feel welcome. It’s important to have these events just so people become comfortable in the new setting that they're going to call home.”

Rocco DiMaiolo ’24

Rocco DiMaiolo ’24, a sports media major who transferred to IC from Bergen Community College in New Jersey expressed appreciation for the campus community’s warm welcome.

“As a transfer student, you just want to feel welcome,” he said. “It’s important to have these events just so people become comfortable in the new setting that they're going to call home.”

A group of students smiling outside on the grass

Students at the Transfer T-shirt Swap were all smiles.

(Photo by James Baratta '22)

Maggie Haefner ’23, an integrated marketing communications major who transferred from Niagara University is grateful to call IC her home and to pursue her passions.

“I chose Ithaca because I wanted a change of environment and to find my people,” she said. “I'm so excited to get started. I was counting down the days.”

While the start of Fall Welcome featured t-shirts and pizza, the Fall Fest, which took place on August 21, filled the Athletics and Events (A&E) Center and nearby parking lot with all sorts of fun experiences.

A mechanical bull was just some of the fun available to students during Fall Fest.

Food was provided by several food trucks, including SILO Fried Chicken and PB&J’s Lunch Box. Inside the A&E Center, there were several inflatable games and obstacle courses for students to navigate, delicious treats from Insomnia Cookies and live music from Quail, an all-student band. There was also a mechanical bull for students to try.

Camille Brock ’24 felt that the festival was a great way to become integrated with the campus community.

“We were in our dorms so much last semester, it's great to just get out and meet people and enjoy activities on campus,” she said, “Some friends and I were talking about how we’ve seen more people here than we saw all last semester on campus.”

Brock added that, in addition to being fun, events like this are important to students’ mental health.

“I’m so happy,” she said. “I had heard of the events IC has held before and it’s a huge part of the college experience. I think it’s so cool that they were able to bring these events back in a safe way.”

Zachary Belles ‘25 expressed a similar sentiment.

“It’s great to see everyone coming together and meeting everyone,” he said. “During a time when we need to be together, it’s good to not be alone.”

Students Leila Johnson ’25 (left) and Ayden Jameck ’25 got a chance to mingle at the LGBTQA+ and Allied Student Community Welcome on August 23.

(Photo by Leah Aulisio-Sharpe '22)

That togetherness was also felt on August 23, at the LGBTQA+ and Allied Student Community Welcome. The event gave students a chance to meet new faces, reconnect with familiar ones, and learn about the services and opportunities IC provides to create a LGBTQA+ friendly campus.

“We always want to make sure to create opportunities for students to build meaningful connections with each other, because that is correlated to student success,” said Luca Maurer, director of the college’s Center for LGBT Education, Outreach and Services. “I hope the students here see and learn that we are a thriving, vibrant, really diverse group of people. Most importantly, we are and have always been a part of the Ithaca College community.”

The anticipation for this year’s event was higher than usual, for students in both freshman and sophomore classes, as this week has been their first time being able to experience campus community events face to face.

“Right now, I think our community events are even more important than before. There are so many students on campus right now that we have never been able to connect with, and we are finally able to have the opportunity to settle back in as a community here at IC.”

Abby Haber '22, president of PRISM.

“I’m meeting so many people who are in the same boat as me,” said Ayden Kameck, ’25. “It's important for students to know that Ithaca College is accepting and welcoming for everybody.”

Members from two of IC’s major LGBTQA+ student organizations Spectrum and PRISM also shared with their peers how powerful it is to build relationships.

“Right now, I think our community events are even more important than before,” said Abby Haber '22, president of PRISM. “There are so many students on campus right now that we have never been able to connect with, and we are finally able to have the opportunity to settle back in as a community here at IC.”