Hobart and William Smith Colleges

21 August 2024 Orientation Week Kicks Off By Natalia St. Lawrence '16

HWS hosts a weeklong Orientation for new incoming students.

On Sunday, the Class of 2028 arrived on campus for Orientation Week. After an initial day of activities and settling in, they now have an exciting week of events in store for them.

An HWS tradition, every student's first stop at Orientation is to shake hands with President Mark D. Gearan and Mary Herlihy Gearan. The first student in line was Paige Taylor '28 and her mother Sherry Garrison-Taylor P'28 from Brooklyn, N.Y. 

After the Orientation Team helped the new first-year students move into their residence halls, students met with their Orientation groups for the first time while parents and families attended sessions led by the Deans on supporting first-year students.

Later, the class attended the President's Welcome which included remarks from President Gearan, Orientation Coordinators Joey Tello Galicia ’25 and Jillian VanLare ’26, Student Trustee Anjalee Wanduragala '25, Provost and Dean of Faculty Sarah Kirk and Chaplain and Dean of Spiritual Engagement Rev. Nita Byrd. 

In his opening address, President Mark D. Gearan encouraged students to ask questions and explore. He also shared why Day of Service is an important part of the HWS Orientation tradition. “Part of having a relationship-rich education is encouraging students to be good partners with the Geneva community through service, whether that’s by participating in the Community Lunch Program, tutoring at the Geneva Boys and Girls Club, or through a service-learning course. Nothing brings a community together quite like working collectively to make the community stronger,” he said.

Orientation

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"Your experience here will be just as unique as each and every one of you," VanLare said. "We cannot wait to see what impact you will have on HWS during your time on campus. As you embark on this journey, just know that we are certain it will be rich and full." 

Read more about the incoming Class of 2028 here and transfer students here.

For the next two days, students will participate in a Spark! project. The Spark! program is designed to introduce students to HWS’ intellectual community and experiential approach to learning.

Course topics range from “Finger Lakes Cheese & (Ice) Cream: Industry, Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Tourism, & More” to “Fun with Integrated Circuit and Robotics.” See the full list of Spark! projects.

On Friday, a Spark! Symposium will give students the opportunity to share what they learned during an interactive poster and presentation session. Watch an Instagram Reel from last year's event. 

Events throughout the week will introduce students to their new home in the Geneva and Finger Lakes region.

HWS is ranked by Washington Monthly as fifth in the nation among liberal arts colleges for service. 100% of students participate in community service, and it all starts during Orientation. This year, 25 sites in Geneva and the surrounding region will host students, including local nonprofit organizations, churches, municipal organizations and farms.

During the LOVE Geneva tour, students will head downtown to get a lay of the land from their Orientation Mentors, learning all the best spots to grab coffee or dinner. On Saturday night, they’ll have the opportunity to attend a Variety Show at the Smith Opera House, a historic theatre in the heart of the city.

The final event of the week is Convocation, the ceremonial beginning of a new school year. Students will hear remarks from President Gearan, Chaplain Byrd, Dean Kelly Paine, Provost Kirk, Assistant Professor of Faculty Matthew Church ’14, Student Government President Sophia Mughal ’25, and Director of Alumni and Alumnae Relations Chevy DeVaney ’95, P’21, P’23.