Arrival Day and Welcome Week mark the official start of the Gannon experience. Designed by the university’s Office of Leadership Development and Campus Engagement, this is a week designed to help first-year Knights settle in, build connections with the Gannon community, find programs to engage in, and develop a sense of belonging on campus before classes begin.
New to Welcome Week this year is Gannon 101: The New Student Transition Experience. This first-year course includes experiential and collaborative learning that supports new students through their transition to Gannon in their first semester.
Through a plan, do, reflect learning model, new students will be introduced to four topics:
Well-being
Social Responsibility
Gannon READS
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
The goal? For students to synthesize academic learning with learning outside the classroom; and demonstrate a holistic understanding of wellness, intercultural competence and self-awareness, and social responsibility.
As Gannon welcomed a record number of new Knights on Friday, faculty, staff, and upperclassmen showed up in full force to help.
"All we have to do is ask, and I think that is what is so special here at Gannon," President Keith Taylor, Ph.D. told Erie News Now. "When we ask for people to come out and help, we get more people than we know what to do with. It's the heart of the institution. It's the people that know and love Gannon and that's why they come out to do the things that they do."
Students and their families were then treated to a cookout in Mary, Seat of Wisdom Chapel’s courtyard.
Over the weekend, students got to know the area and one another through a series of “choose-your-own” events including early morning Bayview Walks and bike rides, group ball at The Rec, brunch, tech offerings from Gannon’s ITS department, trips to the beach, laser tag, zoo and more.
Knights also joined up with their First Year Team (FYT) programs: an immersive program designed to introduce first-year students to the university through chosen personal interests. Students choose a theme and spend time learning about Gannon and engaging in activities with a small group of peers based on that theme. Some of this year’s themes included:
Healthy Lifestyle: Participate in activities that keep you active and focused on your wellness and fueling your body including meditation and hiking
Animal Lovers: Volunteer at an animal shelter and visit the Erie Zoo
Bookworms: Visit a local bookstore and have a Q&A with local authors
Coffee Beans: Tour your way through Erie's best coffee spots and meet with local coffee shops
DIY Crafts: Take a pottery class and create your own projects
Explore Erie: Sightseeing, learning about the city, and realizing everything Erie has to offer
Foodies: Participate in food demonstrations and enjoy local restaurants around Erie
Mindfulness in Nature: Find your inner peace through yoga and an outdoor photography lesson
Musicians: Showcase your talent by jamming out with other students
Outdoor Adventure: Take on all that Erie has to offer kayaking and participating in an aerial ropes course
Bonfires, fitness dance parties, workouts, volleyball, cooking, book tours, a Target Takeover, Knight of Culture and trips to a local cat cafe added to a packed schedule, welcoming Golden Knights to our community.
See more from Welcome Week by following Gannon on TikTok, Instagram and Facebook.
On Tuesday, students joined back together as one of the largest incoming classes in university history to take part in several signature events, including New Student Convocation, the First Year Photo, and the IgKnight Activities Fair.
Convocation marks the start of the new students' academic experience and kicks off the Gannon READS program, and the IgKnight Fair brings together clubs and organizations from across the university, showing new students offerings for engagement all in one place.
The weekend wrapped with music and an Ice Cream Social back on the Chapel’s green space.
Check out photos and coverage of all Welcome Week activities on Gannon social media; tag @gannonu in your posts to join the conversation.
Original source can be found here.
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