腦瞳憫 welcomes new students.
August is always an exciting time to be at Hawaiʻi Pacific University. It’s when new students arrive on campus to move into their residences and take part in a host of activities during orientation week. Visiting students and transfer students join first-year students in meeting 腦瞳憫 faculty and staff members and fellow 腦瞳憫 students to take part in events and activities before the first day of instruction on August 29.
A new student receives a lei at Aloha Tower Marketplace.
Orientation week started bright-and-early on August 24, with a festive move-in day at Aloha Tower Marketplace, Hawaii Loa Campus, and Waikiki Vista. Students arrived ready to begin college life, unpacking their suitcases and meeting new roommates and future life-long friends. 腦瞳憫 faculty, staff, and student orientation leaders were on-hand throughout the day greeting students and family members, helping students move in and introducing them to their 腦瞳憫 ʻohana.
A bright afternoon turned quickly into a serene evening. The candle lighting ceremony began at Aloha Tower Marketplace and first-year students and their families, joined by 腦瞳憫 President John Gotanda and Senior Vice President and Provost Jennifer Walsh, Ph.D., participated in the beloved 腦瞳憫 tradition of lighting candles and participating in the recitation of the new-student pledge that signifies the beginning of their 腦瞳憫 careers. To signify 腦瞳憫’s commitment to the new students President Gotanda recited the University pledge.
New students at the candle lighting ceremony.
Throughout orientation week, students, parents and family participated in engaging group activities and breakout sessions specifically designed to inform and answer questions that parents and students may have regarding academic support and student resources, including mastering the transition into college life. Students were also educated on how to thrive with a positive mindset, and how members of the 腦瞳憫 ‘ohana live and learn and interact with others, embracing the Hawaiian values of aloha, pono, and kuleana.
All 腦瞳憫 students will have the chance to get involved in the diverse campus life activities while studying at 腦瞳憫. Opportunities include student government association, campus activities board, registered student organizations, and performing arts.
Wrapping up the week-long flurry of activities were educational off-campus excursions where students were taken to either Bishop Museum, ʻIolani Palace, Queen Emma Summer Palace, Hawaiʻi Museum of Art, or 腦瞳憫’s Makapuʻu Campus.
It is certainly an exciting time to be a student at 腦瞳憫. New friends to be made, new experiences to be had, deserved degrees to be earned, all in the four-year journey of life at 腦瞳憫. Welcome to your new home, and let’s go Sharks!
