Welcome to the Hill!
by:On Saturday, August 22nd, 305 young men became members of the Hampden-Sydney brotherhood. The freshmen orientation process began with a Welcome Address by Dean Anita Garland, Dean Robert Herdegan, Student Body President Pierce Robbins, and President Chris Howard.
All of the speakers shared their wisdom with the freshmen, and reassured parents that a $160,000 degree from Hampden-Sydney was a wise investment. Immediately afterwards, students went to a session on healthy lifestyles, presented by Dr. Linda Hancock, and thereafter met with their respective advisors.
The freshmen ended their first night on the Hill by going through the Honor Code Convocation in College Church. This is an event that every Hampden-Sydney man must go through because it is one of the common threads that holds our community together. Matthew Buchanan, a freshman from North Carolina, says, “the solemn silence that fell over the church, as we sat as men in our suits and felt the heat rise around us serves to symbolize the use of the honor code in the modern world. Many of us will be put in the hot seat during our lives in order to preserve honor and integrity.”
Gregory Dear, a freshmen Resident Advisor from Chesapeake, VA, says “The Hampden Sydney Honor Code Convocation provided an example of the high regard in which it holds its students. A student’s admission to the college is based on his ability to be an honorable citizen and speaks volumes about this prestigious college and her traditions; this is what the Honor Convocation provided for the freshman.”
On Sunday night, the freshmen experienced the “Save-A-Life” tour. There, they were given a tutorial on the hazards of drunk driving. Through a life-like simulation, they had a chance to experience what their motor skills would be like under the influence. Will McAbee, freshman from South Carolina, says “The presentation was very informative, but the simulation and visuals gave the presentation an extra edge.”
After the students completed the simulation, all of the students had a chance to speak with members of the Inter-fraternity council in order to get a better perspective on the fraternity system. On Monday afternoon, members of the freshmen class met at the football stadium to compete in various tests of mental and physical abilities against their classmates. The freshmen class was split into three groups: Cushing, Whitehouse, and Carpenters. The event was kicked-off with a tug-of-war competition between the houses. All of the competitors pulled hard, but in the end, Whitehouse was victorious.
The tug-of-war was followed by basketball, flag football, and Hampden-Sydney Trivia. Events such as a belly flop contest, a hot dog eating contest, and mashed potato eating contest soon followed. While the scores remained close throughout the day, Cushing eclipsed Whitehouse by one point. Ben Brown, a senior from Randolph, Virginia, says “these new and innovative activities, seeming childlike at first, proved vital to the cooperation and brotherhood.”
On Tuesday night, Dr. Howard and a panel of former and current students spoke to the freshmen about the value of service and the role that a Hampden-Sydney man plays in his community. This was followed by each residence hall being led in a discussion about service by the Resident Advisors. Chase Grogg, a freshman from New York, said, “At ‘The H-SC Man Serves’ presentation, I was able to see some of the possibilities where I could help in the community after I graduate.
Hearing how alumni have helped beyond the Hill was a great learning experience. The talk with my floor mates and RA after was interesting because it was a good way to see how other people think about a same simple issue. Overall, the experience was a lot of fun and I hope to hear more from alumni about what they have done.”
On Friday, the freshmen had a chance to meet with Dr. Howard and Mrs. Howard at their home for a light dessert. This gave the freshmen a chance to speak with them in an informal setting, and have the opportunity to get to know them on a more personal level. At the conclusion of this event, Dean Cvijanovic and the Dean of Students Office held a raffle to give out prizes, such as an Xbox 360, PS3, and a digital camera, to students who had participated in all of the sessions of freshmen orientation.
I would like to thank the Dean of Students Office, Dean MC, Andrew Joyner and the Orientation Committee, and countless other members of the Hampden-Sydney community for their role welcoming our brothers. To the Class of 2013: Work hard these next four year because before you know it, it will be May 12, 2013.
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