Freshmen share favorite experiences of O-Week 2016

<p>Events in this year’s Orientation Week included small-group discussions with FACs, a new session called “Duke it Out: Intersectionality in Action” and a dinner in West Union.</p>

Events in this year’s Orientation Week included small-group discussions with FACs, a new session called “Duke it Out: Intersectionality in Action” and a dinner in West Union.

Most freshmen will never forget their Orientation Week. The Chronicle spoke with the new students about their impressions of the week and their favorite events.

“I think the best part about O-Week was just meeting people in general because in the first week everyone’s really open-minded about it. I don’t know if that’s going to change later, but it will be nice to get into a routine, so I think after O-Week we’re all really excited to start classes and I think it’ll be fun.”—Karissa Tu

“O-Week was really, really fun. It seemed like the theme of the week was ‘Duke is very difficult,’ but they taught us about all of the resources you really have on campus, so that was really cool. It almost felt like a summer camp, but more like transitioning into the school year, and it was a good way to settle down right before classes start.”—Akanksha Ray

“So far at Duke, it seems like everything’s pretty busy. Whether it’s an activity or a mandatory meeting, like True Blue or Alcohol Edu and stuff like that, or meeting with the FAC or social activities, it seems like everyone’s busy all the time, which is good because it means there’s always stuff to do.”—Joseph Saldutti

“Orientation was so chaotic. It was also kind of hard settling in because I was homesick for a while, but the people were very nice, and everyone wanted to help, so I’ve had a great week.”— Kedest Mathewos

“I really enjoyed O-Week. The schedule was a bit cramped but I found it very enjoyable, and the people who planned O-week just made the transition to college so much more entertaining, and they really helped facilitate this assimilation into our new home.”—Ahmed Almansoori

“If I had to describe O-Week in one word, it would be ‘overwhelming.’ There have been a lot of events, meeting new people all the time, so it’s definitely been very different but I’ve really enjoyed getting to meet so many new people. There’s so many intelligent, talented and passionate people all in one place and I think that’s very special.”—Alicia Sun

“[O-Week] was very hectic, and I almost want my classes to start because you’re meeting all of these new people, but you don’t really know them that well yet. Overall it was very fun, but I don’t think I’d want to do it again now.”—Sarah Sung

“My favorite event at O-Week was when we took a trip to DPAC and listened to Bryan Stevenson talk about his novel "Just Mercy." That was very inspirational, and it taught me a lot about how I should think about my future in helping others and helping affect people’s lives that haven’t been like my own.”—George Crawley

“My favorite part about O-Week wasn’t one specific thing—I think it was collectively all the events, because it helped show me all of the different opportunities and resources at Duke, especially the things that are going to sponsor the kind of change I want to make in the world, and not just in the campus.”—Naomi Lilly

“I would say my favorite part about O-Week was getting to know my RA and my FAC and the people around my dorm because these are definitely going to be the people we see the most all throughout freshman year.”—Milan Hamilton

“A highlight of O-Week was definitely the intersectionality session, because it was interesting to see where our classmates stood on different issues and to hear different opinions and opinions that were like our own.”—Peace Okpoko

“My favorite part of O-Week was probably the discussions we had with our FACs, just getting to know everybody. We had one activity where we asked a lot of very personal questions and then saw who in the group shared our backgrounds, so it was really interesting to get to know people on more than just a superficial level.”—Patrick Botros

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