By Samantha Skovran, media relations intern
New student orientation began this May, signaling the beginning of the season for the 2012 Orientation Group Leaders (OGLs) and the Orientation Assistants (OA).
This year, 20 OGLs, along with five OA mentors, will welcome the incoming class to Oakland University. All of these students are diverse in class standing and major, but together they represent a high standard of academic achievement and involvement within the campus community.
Over the past four weeks, OGLs have been in training: participating in teambuilding activities, enhancing their public speaking skills, and increasing their knowledge of the university.
Kurtis Knight, OGL and a junior in secondary education, said the past four weeks have been a “roller-coaster ride.”
Throughout the training process current OGLs are mentored by OAs, like Jesse Sivec and Allison Hallman, who were OGLs themselves last year. “As an OGL, you are the face of Oakland” said Sivec. “There is no cookie-cutter group leader, you need to find you.”
Sivec, senior biology major, will be helping emcee and working behind the scenes for this summer’s events.
Joining him is junior Hallman, who said the two most important things about orientation are “giving the students an academic connection and showing them how to get involved.”
“I met my first college friend at my orientation,” reminisced Hallman. “It made Oakland feel like a home.”
Now that the training has come to a close, OGL Temitope Oluwole said she is going to take what she has learned and go with the flow when leading her groups across campus this summer. Sivec agreed, advising new leaders to “focus on what you’re good at and then you can come into your own.”
Amy Jacovetti from the office of Orientation and New Student Programs marveled at how connected this year’s group has become. “We’ve been together from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. the past few weeks, and we have all grown so close,” she said. “Our students even have their own bucket list, they call it the Summit list, of the 31 things they want to do together this summer.”
Undergraduate students interested in becoming an OGL must go through a three-tiered selection process beginning in November. To find out more about how to become an Orientation Group Leader contact Orientation and New Student Programs at
gold@oakland.edu.
Part one of the orientation process will continue until August. At orientation, new students will tour the campus, learn about Oakland’s academics and register for classes. To sign up for a new student orientation or for more new student information visit
oakland.edu/newstudents.
New this year is a second orientation event, set for Tuesday, Sept. 4. The event will group incoming students into their chosen academic majors and departments and provide an opportunity to meet faculty and students who share their interests.
