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Two members of the Goon Squad help during the the 2012 Syracuse Welcome. This year’s Syracuse Welcome will take place Aug. 21 and 22.

On Wednesday, Aug. 21, and Thursday, Aug. 22, approximately 3,900 first-year and transfer students will arrive at Syracuse University to kick off the 2013-2014 academic year. When they do, Syracuse Welcome, SU’s orientation program, will help them get acclimated and ready to start the new semester.

Syracuse Welcome involves hundreds of student and staff volunteers who warmly greet incoming students as they arrive on campus. These volunteers will assist students with move-in and help them get familiar with campus. Once settled, new students will participate in events and experiences designed to get them acquainted with each other, the campus, its resources and the greater Syracuse community.

“Syracuse University has a wonderful tradition of coming together as a community to greet new students and families,” says Carrie Grogan Abbott, director of the Office of First-Year and Transfer Programs. “Our students, affectionately known as the Goon Squad, have been volunteering in this capacity since the 1940s. Our team of 44 Orientation Leaders, alongside numerous resident advisors and hundreds of University faculty, staff and alumni, also come together, all to make our new students feel part of the SU family.”

Signature features of Syracuse Welcome include:

• assistance from the Goon Squad: more than 800 current student volunteers help unload cars and move items into rooms;
• Home to the Dome: a spirited event celebrating the arrival of students in the Carrier Dome;
• Parents Convocation: an official welcome and informational session for parents; and
• Feel the Pulse of Syracuse: an event introducing students to the food and culture of downtown Syracuse.

Syracuse Welcome can also be celebrated using the hashtag #SUWelcome, with a mashup of social content featured at rebelmouse.com/suwelcome.

Welcome to the academy
As always, intellectual engagement will play a central role in Syracuse Welcome. The Chancellor’s Convocation for New Students opens the academic year Friday, Aug. 23 in the Carrier Dome. SU Chancellor and President Nancy Cantor will greet students and their families and introduce the inaugural first-year experience. The convocation begins at 10:30 a.m. and ends with SU’s traditional “Lunch on the Turf,” after which families will be encouraged to depart campus.

Students will also attend academic advising sessions, new student receptions and convocations for their home school or college.

Welcome to Central New York
Syracuse Welcome continues its longstanding tradition of introducing students to the wealth of opportunities for fun and engagement off the hill and within the City of Syracuse. On Saturday, Aug. 24, SU hosts “Feel the Pulse of Syracuse,” an exploration of downtown Syracuse and the Connective Corridor. Students will visit the heart of the downtown area to sample the cultural, commercial and social offerings of Armory Square.

The evening will feature a taste of Armory Square restaurant offerings in a street festival atmosphere; a chance to shop in the historic Armory Square district; and a sampling of eclectic showcases of live music and dance by a number of student organizations. As the evening unfolds, giant puppets from the Open Hand Theater, along with the SU Marching Band, will move a festive procession along Armory Square. The evening will culminate at the Landmark Theater with a laugh-out-loud comedic performance.

Note: Traffic volume in and around the University will be heavier than usual, due to the move-in on Aug. 21 and 22. Assisted moves will take place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both days. Those traveling in the University area should keep this in mind as they enter and leave the area. On Aug. 24, Walton and Franklin streets, between Fayette and Jefferson, will be closed from noon to 7:30 p.m. Free parking for patrons of Armory Square businesses is available all day in the Atrium Garage on Fayette and Franklin streets.

For a complete listing of the week’s events, visit . The site also contains answers to frequently asked questions, updated schedules and registration information. A full schedule is also available in the ReadySet section of the Syracuse University app. Syracuse Welcome is a University-wide effort coordinated by the Office of First-Year and Transfer Programs.

For more information on Syracuse Welcome 2013, contact the Office of First-Year and Transfer Programs at 315-443-1012.