Wednesday, Aug 27, 2014
New students move in Aug. 31, followed by three days of activities
by Adam Grybowski
The long summer that held so much promise in June is about to come to an unofficial close after Labor Day. As fall approaches, pools and beaches will close, the days will shorten, and students, of course, will return to school.
This year's freshmen class is expected to exceed 1,000 students, nearly a 13% increase from last year.
A group of volunteers called Bronc Buddies are set to help first-year students get settled on Sunday, Aug. 31, when the class of 2018 moves in. A welcome ceremony will take place from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. in the Student Recreation Center and a new student dinner with the president will be held on the campus mall or, if it rains, in Daly Dining Hall.
Nationally, the incoming class of freshmen come to Rider from 25 states. While the majority hail from New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania, freshmen represent every region of the country, including Hawaii, Texas, Alabama and Ohio. Eight students are also coming from two U.S. territories, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.
New students also hold citizenship in 28 countries around the world. They come from China, Singapore, Korea and the Philippines in Asia; from Israel and Pakistan in the Middle East; and from the United Kingdom, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, the Czech Republic and Denmark in Europe. In the Caribbean, they come from Jamaica, Haiti and the Dominican Republic. In South America, they come from Brazil, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru and Guyana. Students also hail from Canada, Guatemala, Australia and the African nations of Nigeria and Ghana.
The fall opening continues on Monday, Sept. 1, with a new student breakfast (9 a.m.) and lunch (12:30 to 1:30 p.m.) at Daly Dining Hall. How ‘Bout This Party? will be held from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. at the Yvonne Theater on the Lawrenceville campus and Conver Hall on the Princeton campus. Comedian Butch Bradley rounds out the day at 9 p.m. in the Yvonne Theater.
A new student convocation will be held in the SRC from 11:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 2. The day will also feature a new student carnival (3 to 6 p.m., visitor parking lot in front of the Bart Luedeke Center) and the 18th annual new student talent show in the Yvonne Theater at 8 p.m.
Academic meetings will be held from 10 to 11 a.m. on Sept. 2. Forty-five freshmen have already enrolled in the criminal justice program and 13 have enrolled in the newly launched sports management program, which is beginning its inaugural year.
Aside from plunging into a busy academic semester, the new class — along with the rest of the students — will have the chance to participate in a round of campus events. R Factor, now in its fourth iteration, will return on Friday, Sept. 12. Presented by The Office of Campus Life and modeled after The X Factor, the popular talent contest will crown a winner chosen by a panel of judges.
MAGIC! will perform live in concert on Sunday, Sept. 14, at 2 p.m. The band’s first single, “Rude,” hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in July after spending 13 weeks on the chart and has been a mainstay on popular radio throughout the summer. The concert, which is presented by The Student Entertainment Council, is open only to Rider students, faculty and staff.
Tuesday, Sept. 16, will mark the kick off to Rider’s year-long sesquicentennial celebration. The day will begin with a morning welcome tent in front of the BLC, followed by Cranberry Fest from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the Campus Green. An annual tradition since 1979, Cranberry Fest honors the University’s namesake, Andrew J. Rider, who was also known as “The Cranberry King of New Jersey” because of his efforts to promote cranberries at home and abroad.
Following Cranberry Fest, a formal 150th Celebration Kick Off Event will take place. That event will feature the Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, who’s written six critically acclaimed and New York Times best-selling books, including Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln.
Goodwin will give a talk, which is open to the public, on the leadership lessons of Lincoln. Find out how else the University is commemorating its 150th anniversary by visiting www.rider.edu/150.
The first official day of fall is Sept. 23, but for students, the message is clear. After opening weekend, classes begin on Sept. 3: Summer is over.
For more information regarding the Rider’s Fall Opening activities, contact the New Student Resource Center and Office of Orientation at 609-896-5373.