Scranton Welcomes and Challenges Class of 2014 at Orientation
The members of The University of Scranton’s Class of 2014 are learning what a Jesuit education at Scranton means during orientation sessions that began last week and conclude on Friday, July 16.
The class was split into four groups for the two-day orientation sessions. The class of approximately 975 incoming students will be together on campus for the first time at Fall Welcome on August 21.
At the opening program of the orientation session on July 8, Vincent Carilli, Ph.D., vice president for student affairs, told the students that they make up just over one percent of high school graduates in America who “have the privilege” to attend one of the nation’s 28 Jesuit colleges and universities. He also said they will become part of the less than one percent of the world’s population with a college education.
“What will you do with your Jesuit education – with the rare opportunity you have been given?” Dr. Carilli asked of the students. “Saint Luke said, ‘of those to whom much is given, much is expected.’”
The orientation program is designed to introduce new students and their parents to the University’s academic expectations, procedures, facilities and support services and to provide them with the opportunity to meet with faculty, administrators, staff and each other.
The July orientation sessions include chemistry, mathematics, foreign language and composition placement tests for incoming students, meetings with academic advisors, and recreational and social activities.
The summer reading assignment for the Class of 2014 is A Thousand Hills by best-selling author Stephen Kinzer. The book is about the rebirth of Rwanda. Mr. Kinzer will speak to the incoming class during Fall Welcome in August. The country of Rwanda will be the focus of the entire University community through a series of lectures, class discussions and events conducted during the 2010/2011 academic year.
The class also learned a little about itself during orientation. Students in the Class of 2014 represent 400 high schools, 18 states and Ireland. The most common names for males are Christopher (20) and Michael (20). The most common names for females are Kaitlin (19 with six different spellings) and Catherine (16 with four different spellings.) The most common birthday is April 14, shared by nine students.