{"id":224737,"date":"2024-09-06T09:41:26","date_gmt":"2024-09-06T13:41:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/?p=224737"},"modified":"2024-09-24T10:39:49","modified_gmt":"2024-09-24T14:39:49","slug":"how-montclairs-welcome-week-helps-new-students-belong-and-thrive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/2024\/09\/06\/how-montclairs-welcome-week-helps-new-students-belong-and-thrive\/","title":{"rendered":"How Montclair\u2019s Welcome Week Helps New Students Belong and Thrive"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Welcome Week invited the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/2024\/09\/04\/class-of-2028-is-montclairs-biggest-and-most-diverse\/\">biggest and most diverse incoming class<\/a> at Montclair State College to fully immerse themselves in the college experience. Under clear skies, Montclair\u2019s signature red took over the campus as most of the 4,548 first-year students \u2013 as well as 800 new students at Bloomfield College of Montclair State University \u2013 enjoyed carnival rides, dancing, club introductions, and more.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">&#8220;Belonging\u201d has emerged as a key focus at Montclair, where the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/office-of-student-belonging\/\">Office of Student Belonging<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/center-for-student-involvement\/\">Center for Student Involvement<\/a> orchestrated special programs aimed at fostering a supportive, inclusive campus where these new students feel valued and connected.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe title=\"Video: Montclair State University Welcomes Largest and Most Diverse Incoming Class | Welcome Week 2024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/9rOELDAafuw?feature=oembed\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen style=\"width: 500px; height: 281px; border: 0px solid #000;\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Wherever students are coming from \u2013 whether freshmen or transfers \u2013 our goal is to give them a warm, welcoming experience and ensure they know how to find their place at Montclair,\u201d says Allen Macaraeg, a sophomore double major in Communication and Media Studies, and Public and Professional Writing.<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The efforts of the aptly named <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/office-of-student-belonging\/\">Office of Student Belonging<\/a> \u2013 which supports Orientation programs, first-generation initiatives, international students and military veterans \u2013 go a long way in improving retention, academic achievement and overall student well-being, says Director Jonnine DeLoatch.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cEverything we do is intentional in helping students affirm that Montclair was the right choice, that they can be successful, and to also start to think about how they can develop their potential,\u201d DeLoatch says.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_224721\" class=\"responsive-image-holder wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"mlt-responsive-image\" data-original-image=\"\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/09\/082324_13397_Orientation-1.jpg\" src=\"\/responsive-media\/cache\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/09\/082324_13397_Orientation-1.jpg.0.1x.generic.jpg\" alt=\"A student wearing a red Montclair State University jacket holds a bullhorn and smiles while directing new students during Welcome Week festivities.\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">With help from Orientation leaders like Allen Macaraeg, Montclair\u2019s biggest and most diverse incoming class is ready to thrive. (Photo by University photographer Mike Peters)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">With a bullhorn in hand, Macaraeg was among the Student Ambassadors leading Orientation programming. He knew exactly how the new students felt, recalling his own uncertainty navigating campus life just a year ago. \u201cMy job is to make that leap from the past to the present a little less intimidating,\u201d he says.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>What Does It Mean to Belong?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cThe philosophy is that we need to make sure that students feel grounded here,\u201d DeLoatch says.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Recently, students were asked, \u201cWhat does belonging mean to you and how do you know that you belong?\u201d Some of the words they use:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">I feel safe.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">I feel like this is a home away from home.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">I feel like I can connect to somebody.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">I feel like somebody will look for me if I&#8217;m lost.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Sadifa Anjum, a senior Chemistry major, shares that she finds Montclair to be a welcoming community. \u201cI see a lot of Muslims walking around, and it makes me feel like I belong,\u201d she says. This sense of belonging has helped her embrace her culture and religion more fully. \u201cWhen you&#8217;re isolated, you want to fit in, but you realize you can&#8217;t because you&#8217;re a little different. At Montclair, once you see that not everyone&#8217;s the same, you feel it\u2019s okay not to fit in. You find your clique and your people.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Belonging also extends to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomfield.edu\/\">Bloomfield College of Montclair State University<\/a>. The integration was easily seen at the carnival as students and mascots from both schools, Deacon the Bear and Rocky, shared the experience.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Personalized orientation experiences at both <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/orientation\/\">Montclair<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bloomfield.edu\/2024\/09\/how-personalized-orientations-help-ensure-student-success\/\">Bloomfield<\/a> help set the foundation for student belonging.<\/span><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_224722\" class=\"responsive-image-holder wp-caption alignnone\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"mlt-responsive-image\" data-original-image=\"\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/09\/090324_02745_Red_Hawk_Day-LAROSA.jpg\" src=\"\/responsive-media\/cache\/newscenter\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/15\/2024\/09\/090324_02745_Red_Hawk_Day-LAROSA.jpg.0.1x.generic.jpg\" alt=\"A group of Montclair students, dressed in red, celebrate together during Welcome Week.\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Montclair students show their Red Hawk pride, celebrating the new school year during Welcome Week festivities. (Photo by John J. LaRosa)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2><strong>Soaring on Red Hawk Day<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cWhen I first came to Montclair two years ago, I was terrified of how I was going to adjust and make friends. But just from how welcoming the orientation leaders were to the fun events happening, I was able to branch out fast,\u201d recalls Matthew Mcdonald, a junior majoring in Public Relations and Social Media.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Red Hawk Day carnival is a signature event, with about 3,600 students on September 3 riding the Ferris wheel and flying into the semester on a giant slide.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Other highlights include a tropical bash attended by 1,400 students, an intro to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/greek-life\/\">Greek Life<\/a>, craft activities at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/campus-recreation\/\">Campus Recreation<\/a>, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/student-government-association\/registered-student-organizations\/\">Student Involvement Fair<\/a> and quieter activities like cookies and coloring organized by<a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/counseling-and-psychological-services\/\"> Counseling and Psychological Services<\/a> (CAPS).<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>\u2018Ask Me\u2019 Team Offers Help\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><em><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Where\u2019s University Hall? Where&#8217;s the ID card office? Where exactly can I park? Where\u2019s a refillable water station?<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cSomeone even asked for a sewing machine,\u201d says Assistant Director of Student Involvement Casey Coleman. On the first day of class, 1,000 questions in all were asked of Coleman and his \u201cAsk Me&#8221; volunteers spread across campus.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cWe know that, in these first few days, our students are just looking for reassurance \u2014 a familiar face and a sense of connection,\u201d Coleman says. The Ask Me Booths have been a long-standing pillar of Welcome Week. \u201cSince 2005, we&#8217;ve answered 73,336 questions. It\u2019s a service that we\u2019ll continue to provide because we know that simply knowing there\u2019s someone there to answer you can make you feel like you belong.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>I\u2019m a ______, tell me more\u2026<\/h2>\n<p><strong>Prospective Student \/ Parent:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/admissions\/visit-us\/\">Plan a visit to our campus<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/admissions\/\">take the first step in applying to become a Red Hawk!<\/a><br \/>\n<strong>Journalist:<\/strong> Contact the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/contact-media-relations\/\">Media Relations<\/a> team for assets or to schedule an interview about this topic.<\/p>\n<script type=\"text\/javascript\">\n\/\/ Output tags as a list for Google Analytics custom dimension\nwindow.MSU_TagList = [];\n<\/script>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Welcome Week, marked by carnival rides, club introductions and special events, focuses on inclusivity and community to ensure every new student at Montclair State University feels valued and connected<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":434,"featured_media":224723,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[122,123,10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-224737","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-admissions","category-homepage-news","category-university"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/224737","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/434"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=224737"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/224737\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":224850,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/224737\/revisions\/224850"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/224723"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=224737"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=224737"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.montclair.edu\/newscenter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=224737"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}