Orientation Preparation

August 18, 2014

Here at AUCA, everyone is preparing for our upcoming Orientation Week, starting Monday, August 18^th and concluding Sunday, August 31^st before classes begin.

Orientation week will prepare our incoming freshman students for their academic, social, and personal careers at AUCA. After this week, students will be set on a path to engaging with the university as well as with the community. It is an opportunity to create new social circles and meet new people as well as forming a clearer idea as to what a student wants to accomplish in his/her four years at AUCA.

As a member of the organizing team for Orientation Week, Erlan Amiraev plays an integral role in developing and running events. We were able to sit down with him and ask him about his personal experience attending orientation as a freshman as well as organizing them for the last two years.

Do you remember your own freshman orientation?

I only knew that my parents would have to spend a lot of money on my education. But when I came here my first day and saw the opening ceremony of orientation week I just thought that, oh wow I want to pay this money and it is all worth it. It reminded me of my school in the United States, it was both serious academically and fun as well.

Do you remember any specific event?

We have something called ‘body-moving day’, where we are in teams and do community service. Our job was to collect garbage, I remember that we didn’t have much garbage and were losing so I had this idea of taking garbage out of cans and dumpsters. Maybe it was cheating, but we won!

How do you feel about this orientation compared to past ones?

I am taking this one more seriously. I realized that it is so important to make a good first impression on these 300 or so freshmen. It will be the first image they have of AUCA, and it is our job to make that the best and most inspiring image possible.

Do you find it hard to inspire those freshmen to join in with you, dancing and celebrating? I know that even as I was just sitting down and watching, I felt like I should get up and join you guys.

We work really hard to get the students involved. It is why I feel pressure to perform and plan so well, I know firsthand the effects we have on the students. Usually students will feel nervous, but when they see us dancing and singing they always join in and have fun.

I noticed that the singing had original lyrics, how does your team work out what to sing?

Yes it is all our own lyrics. There is usually brainstorming with our group, sometimes we have some actual talented people come in and work with us to create these lyrics and songs. All of the lyrics have to do with university and freshman life, it is not like we just stand there and sing popular songs.

How do you hope this orientation affects freshman students coming in next week?

I know it will have a big effect. I mean, like me, I fell in love with AUCA after I came to my own freshman orientation. Honestly, it makes me always excited to get up in the morning and go to university. I wake up, and I move fast because I just want to get here. And every year it has the same effect on me. I hope it will inspire the students to embrace AUCA, both as a university and something more personal that will motivate them while they study here and in their lives afterward.

- Aaron Chalmers

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