It’s official, students are back! The Coral Gables campus was buzzing again last week as students settled in for the start of the 2017-18 academic year. Undergraduate first-year and transfer students were greeted with ‘Cane Kickoff, a week dedicated to guiding new students with their academic, personal and social transitions to the University of Miami.
‘Cane Kickoff, is an orientation for new students and families with a peek into what it means to be a Miami Hurricane, including appearances from UM President Julio Frenk, Sebastian the Ibis and student leaders.
Adrian Nuñez, a senior, Orientation program coordinator and current Student Government president, said the week serves to help incoming students transition to life at UM and provide them with everything they need to succeed.
“'Cane Kickoff is a process of transition for new students to explore their interests, the University of Miami campus and the beautiful city of Coral Gables,” Nuñez said. “We hope that in their first year, the work we've done has made their transition as smooth as possible.”
The week was packed with events including ‘Canes Take Flight, a spirited and high-energy event that immersed students and families in the Hurricanes’ culture, the President’s Farewell Reception for Families and the President’s Celebration for New Students.
During ‘Canes Take Flight, students had their first taste of what it’s like to be a Miami Hurricane. Sebastian the Ibis, the Band of the Hour, cheerleaders and UM student leaders led the families in a spirited C-A-N-E-S! spell out as President Frenk welcomed them all to the Hurricane family.
On Sunday, President Frenk joined the incoming students at the President’s Celebration for New Students where students enjoyed food from around the world and were able to mingle with their fellow classmates before the first day of classes.
Freshmen weren’t the only students getting acclimated with the university. Many first generation students and parents, from freshmen to graduate students, were also finding their way around campus.
Whitley Johnson, a senior academic advisor for diversity and inclusion at the Office of Academic Enhancement, led the “Welcome for Families of First-Generation Students” on Wednesday and gave parents a chance to learn more about the resources available to their students, especially as first-generation college students.
“We are here to support our first-generation students and to help prepare them for what it is they really want to do,” Johnson said. She emphasized helping students find careers that they will truly be interested and passionate about, rather than placing them in popular majors.
For more on ‘Cane Kickoff and resources available to students, visit http://orientation.studentaffairs.miami.edu/orientation/cane-kickoff-fall-orientation/schedule/index.html.
