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FYE program looks to build over year

By Kirsty Warren '18

First-year students’ confusion does not end when orientation’s name games and ice-breakers do. Many first-years are still stumbling into the wrong Root building by day and searching desperately for parties by night. Hamilton’s new First-Year Experience program (FYE) will extend throughout the first semester in an effort to remedy that. 

“We’re going to be giving first years information to help them to come to understand Hamilton and make that transition to college easier and more enjoyable. It can always be a little bit rough,” said Eric Lintala ’16, one of four FYE student leaders.

FYE debuted this year but has been in development since fall of 2011 according to Senior Associate Dean of Students for Strategic Initiatives Meredith Harper Bonham. The program was modeled after similar ones at other schools.

“The primary goal of the First-Year Experience is to enhance students’ sense of belonging from the moment they step foot on campus,” Bonham said.

Five “core” events, Academic Life Hacks, Diversity and Difference, Time Management & Study Skills, “Speak About It”, and Wellness and Balance will take place every Sunday beginning Sept. 7. “Speak About It” is a presentation about consent and healthy relationships put on by a team of performers, while the other four events were planned by Lintala, Bennett Hambrook ’17, Denise Meza Reyes ’16 and Courtney Somerville ’16. Hambrook said that even if a student only accesses the FYE program once or twice, it can make a big difference.

“When I was a first year we didn’t really have anything outside of orientation. With these programs, the idea is that it will happen throughout the first semester,” Lintala said. “As you take classes if you realize ‘Oh, I’m terrible at getting my work in on time and still being able to talk to my friends, then we’ll have a session about time management a few weeks in.”

FYE’s first event on Aug. 30, a party in the Annex called Prom Down For What?! was attended by about 100 students, according to

Hambrook. Reyes hopes word of mouth will increase involvement. “Since the four leaders are all very diverse, our goal is to go out to our friends and the people that we know,” Reyes said. “I think that doing that slowly and getting student organizations and other upperclassmen involved will get more people into the program.”

“We realize this is a learning year, some of our ideas might crash and burn,” Lintala said. “But if you’re not willing to take risks for a community you believe in, what’s the point of being here?”

Twenty-five groups, led by 21 RAs and the four FYE leaders, compete for points by attending FYE-eligible events. In addition to the core school-organized events, campus organizations can make their programming “FYE-eligible.” If an organization leader submits a proposal and an event qualifies by being open to everyone, free of charge and substane-free, atendees can win FYE points.

“We’re hoping that it’s a good resource not just for first-years but for groups on campus who are holding events,” Hambrook said. “That way our campus can become even more close-knit and everyone becomes more involved.”

The group that wins the most points by the end of the semester will win an all-expenses-paid trip to Destiny USA mall in Syracuse, and individual prizes include an iPad mini and a travel voucher.

Though not a part of the FYE program, first-year cluster housing is another change to the first year experience. For the first time, all first years live in either all-first year dorms or on all-first year floors.

“I’ve noticed that in my hall a lot of [first years] go down the hall to introduce each other and come eat at the same time,” Reyes said. “I think it makes it easier to know your classmates a little better, instead of being scattered all over campus.”

“One of our main hopes for the program, especially because we’ve gone to first year clusters for housing, is that the first year class will be spending a lot more time together,” Lintala said. “We’re trying to build that unity, that class identity. Community is a big thing at Hamilton and we’re trying to foster that even more.”

First-year students’ confusion does not end when orientation’s name games and ice-breakers do. Many first-years are still stumbling into the wrong Root building by day and searching desperately for parties by night. Hamilton’s new First-Year Experience program (FYE) will extend throughout the first semester in an effort to remedy that. 

“We’re going to be giving first years information to help them to come to understand Hamilton and make that transition to college easier and more enjoyable. It can always be a little bit rough,” said Eric Lintala ’16, one of four FYE student leaders.

FYE debuted this year but has been in development since fall of 2011 according to Senior Associate Dean of Students for Strategic Initiatives Meredith Harper Bonham. The program was modeled after similar ones at other schools.

“The primary goal of the First-Year Experience is to enhance students’ sense of belonging from the moment they step foot on campus,” Bonham said.

Five “core” events, Academic Life Hacks, Diversity and Difference, Time Management & Study Skills, “Speak About It”, and Wellness and Balance will take place every Sunday beginning Sept. 7. “Speak About It” is a presentation about consent and healthy relationships put on by a team of performers, while the other four events were planned by Lintala, Bennett Hambrook ’17, Denise Meza Reyes ’16 and Courtney Somerville ’16. Hambrook said that even if a student only accesses the FYE program once or twice, it can make a big difference.

“When I was a first year we didn’t really have anything outside of orientation. With these programs, the idea is that it will happen throughout the first semester,” Lintala said. “As you take classes if you realize ‘Oh, I’m terrible at getting my work in on time and still being able to talk to my friends, then we’ll have a session about time management a few weeks in.”

FYE’s first event on Aug. 30, a party in the Annex called Prom Down For What?! was attended by about 100 students, according to Hambrook. Reyes hopes word of mouth will increase involvement. “Since the four leaders are all very diverse, our goal is to go out to our friends and the people that we know,” Reyes said. “I think that doing that slowly and getting student organizations and other upperclassmen involved will get more people into the program.”

“We realize this is a learning year, some of our ideas might crash and burn,” Lintala said. “But if you’re not willing to take risks for a community you believe in, what’s the point of being here?”

Twenty-five groups, led by 21 RAs and the four FYE leaders, compete for points by attending FYE-eligible events. In addition to the core school-organized events, campus organizations can make their programming “FYE-eligible.” If an organization leader submits a proposal and an event qualifies by being open to everyone, free of charge and substane-free, atendees can win FYE points.

“We’re hoping that it’s a good resource not just for first-years but for groups on campus who are holding events,” Hambrook said. “That way our campus can become even more close-knit and everyone becomes more involved.”

The group that wins the most points by the end of the semester will win an all-expenses-paid trip to Destiny USA mall in Syracuse, and individual prizes include an iPad mini and a travel voucher.

Though not a part of the FYE program, first-year cluster housing is another change to the first year experience. For the first time, all first years live in either all-first year dorms or on all-first year floors.

“I’ve noticed that in my hall a lot of [first years] go down the hall to introduce each other and come eat at the same time,” Reyes said. “I think it makes it easier to know your classmates a little better, instead of being scattered all over campus.”

“One of our main hopes for the program, especially because we’ve gone to first year clusters for housing, is that the first year class will be spending a lot more time together,” Lintala said. “We’re trying to build that unity, that class identity. Community is a big thing at Hamilton and we’re trying to foster that even more.”

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