Hello Class of 2024,
We are so excited to kick off the spring semester with you! Please know how much the four of us, the Division of Student Life, and our campus partners look forward to being in community with you and providing opportunities for you to connect with each other, with our traditions, and with your own passions and interests.
We know for many of you this is your first time being on campus and for the majority of you this is your first time living in residence at Mount Holyoke. You may be thinking about - Where do I start? How can I meet other first year students? Where are things on campus? Who do I ask questions to? We want to make sure you know where to find events, programs, and resources specific to your experience.
This email is full of links, that we encourage you to bookmark, information about ways you can get connected and find community, and snapshots into what you can expect to happen this semester. You can anticipate that we’ll be sending emails curated to you, as a first year student, throughout the spring semester!
Links to Act On: Dean’s Corner 01/22/21; First Year calendar (bookmark it!); Embark (next week register for tours and events); Virtual Community Application Form; residential Blue Lyon Pen Pal program
Where To Find Events and Resources:
We hope that you’ve each had a moment to read the Dean’s Corner from earlier today. In it you will have found more information about what we’ve got planned for the student experience this semester, along with clarity around where to go to find out about events and programs (College event calendar), what email communications you can expect (Word Out, MHC This Week, Dean’s Corner), where to follow for social media (@mhcstudentlife on Instagram), and so much more.
We’ve also been working to curate the first year experience for you! Make sure to bookmark:
Campus Tours and First-Year Events:
Will Campus Tours be offered?
Yes! Check in Embark next week to sign up for a campus tour. Tours will start the week of February 1st, once campus quarantine has ended and approved in-person gatherings can occur. Pre-registration will be required.
How can I connect to other first years while in campus quarantine?
While you’re in campus quarantine through February 1st, you can join your class for traditions and events happening online. We encourage you to use the time to learn more about how to get involved at Mount Holyoke!
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O101 is happening this Sunday, January 24th at 9pm. Log-on to engage with your entire class - fall and springies!
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Virtual Involvement Fair kicks off today Friday, January 22nd for the next two weeks along with live chat times on Sunday, January 24th and Sunday, January 31st. Click the graphic on the homepage.
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Not sure where to start with the Involvement Fair? Learn about Getting Involved at Mount Holyoke Thursday, January 28th with sessions at 11:30am and 10pm.
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Community & Belonging Open House Friday, January 29th 4pm to 6pm. Community and Belonging includes the Cultural Centers and the Eliot House.
What other opportunities will there be to meet and make friends with other first years?
There will be a number of offerings specific to first years and you should bookmark and then check the First Year calendar weekly, as new items are added! You should know:
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Our Orientation Leaders will hold online first year connection events for your class every week during Module 1, these will be focused on building relationships and being in community.
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Virtual Cohorts will continue this semester, aligned with the Office of Residential Life’s Living Learning Communities, which includes the First Year Experience Cohort and First Year Leadership Cohort. Complete the Virtual Community Application Form by Monday, February 1st at 9 am EST.
Sounds good, but what about in-person connections with other residential first years?
We are committed to having some opportunities for small group, small capacity events and programs, while we hold these within health and safety requirements and following the capacity limits set by Massachusetts state (did you know we’re currently capped at 10 inside and 25 outside?).
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In early February we’ll have our first First Year Pop-Up event! First Year Pop-Ups will happen monthly and include a first-year specific giveaway along with an activity to meet other first-year students. Registration will open in Embark next week. February all first-years will get your first year class bandana - your first official MHC swag!
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Take part in the residential Blue Lyon Pen Pal program. Sign up to be matched with another first-year student on-campus. You can keep it traditional and send handwritten letters to each other through Auxiliary Services, take it to the present times with emails (or texts, Discord threads, you name it) throughout the week, and or choose to meet up (facial coverings and physical distance required) on campus. Sign up by Monday, February 15th - matches will happen on a rolling basis.
You should also know that traditions will be coming! We want to make sure to keep some surprises for you all.
Wait. Are there also events and programs for all first years?
Of course! Again, make sure to bookmark and then check the First Year calendar weekly. A few items to check out now:
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ABC’s for 1st Years Workshop Series - Adjusting, Belonging, Community - with Counseling Service. Offered weekly during Module 1, there will be a different topic focus each week with different special guests.
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January 26th - Making Friends
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February 2nd - Academic Success
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February 9th - Your Residential Student Life
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February 16th - Welcome to the Cultural Centers
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Getting connected with the Career Development Center is important! And they’re offering this semester:
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First Year Resume Workshops (Mondays)
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First Cover Letter Workshops (Tuesdays)
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First year First Summer Workshop (Jan 27th, 4:30pm)
If you ever have ideas, questions, or aren’t sure where to start please reach out to one of us, your Community Advisor, or your Orientation Leader. We are here to help make this your Mount Holyoke experience!
Warmly,
Marcella Runell Hall
Vice President of Student Life and Dean of Students
mhall@mtholyoke.edu
Rachel Alldis
Associate Dean of Students and Director of Residential Life
ralldis@mtholyoke.edu
Latrina Denson
Associate Dean of Students, Community and Inclusion
ldenson@mtholyoke.edu
Alicia Erwin
Associate Dean of Students and Director of Student Involvement
aerwin@mtholyoke.edu
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