Eager to launch into the new year!

Monday, August 19, 2024

Photos by Alexandra Butler, photographer/photo editor, and Rob Hinkal, social media specialist (unless otherwise noted)

Launching into the new academic year – Wildcats enjoy a colorful concoction of campus activities as the Fall 2024 semester begins.

The Penn College community rolled out the Wildcat welcome carpet over the past few days, greeting first-year and returning students for the 2024-25 academic year. From Wednesday's move-in for the newest members of the Wildcat family through Monday morning's coffee and advocacy designed to ease those first-day worries, the campus teemed with an array of offerings to orient and entertain students.

Among the fun: food trucks, lawn games, goat yoga, live music, a bonfire, crafts, roller skating, water games, hiking, kayaking, biking, billiards and bingo! Among the informative fare: a "swag crawl" (a treasure hunt of student resources), a "find your class tour," academic program welcomes, community lunches (connecting students in the same majors and those with similar interests) and numerous other sessions designed to enhance students' collegiate success.

If that doesn't sound like enough action, there's plenty more in store in the coming weeks. The Office of Student Engagement's Engage site shares an excellent resource for exploring organizations and event opportunities.

Well, hello there! Yep, the goats are back!

Goat yoga: a lineup of poses and ... poses!

Instagram-worthy material for Jacob A. Martinez, a resident assistant

Demonstrating the best way to start a new semester: Caila Flanagan (left), senior residence life area coordinator, and Cierra D. Miller, a resident assistant

Food trucks entice students with a variety of free eats.

Yum-worthy!

Rolling out the quesadilla carpet, too

Topping it off with acai bowls

Yet another close-up food shot to tantalize the tastebuds

Swag Crawl "game cards" are a hot ticket in the Bush Campus Center.

Orientation leader Chakai A. Stanton, a pre-nursing student from Philadelphia, shares lanyard wallets.

Beautiful weather greets the men's soccer team practice.

Warming up for the new season

Dakoda Buzzy, a freshman in residential construction technology & management from Oneonta, New York, gets a feel for the UPMC Athletic Field.

Students could pot their own plants for refreshing room decor.

The CC Patio offers an ideal venue for crafts.

A game of spikeball on a campus lawn

In CC Commons, students enjoy billiards ...

... and bingo! (Lingo bingo introduces some campus terminology.)

At Rose Street Commons, students check in for activities with the help of Resident Assistant Kianna A. Rizzo (seated at right).

Eryn L. Nichols (right), student engagement intern and alumna, assists with an arm band ...

... and balances work with Super Soaker fun (joined by Resident Assistants Stephanie Campbell and Alec D. Rees).

More water play ...

... the tie-dye kind!

Lending a hand with codes for students to scan is Kaylynne Lee-Taalibuddeen, a resident assistant and peer mentor in the Hudock Center for Academic Excellence.

Sidewalks near the residence halls are utilized for cornhole competitions.

Oh, that youthful energy!

Students who engaged in "Get Rec’d: Biking" savor a sweet stop at The Potting Bench in South Williamsport. (Photo courtesy of Rob Cooley, professor of anthropology/environmental science)

The biking bunch breaks (and brakes) for a group photo along the scenic Susquehanna Riverwalk. (Photo courtesy of Rob Cooley, professor of anthropology/environmental science)

It's Monday morning, and Wildcats are walkin' to class!

A student signals a positive review of the first day of classes.

Another student chats with student advocacy staffers along the campus mall.

Among the team greeting the class-bound 'Cats are (from left): Chuck D. Crews Jr., assistant director for secondary partnerships; Stacey L. Girven, career and alumni events manager; Nate Woods Jr., special assistant to the president for inclusion transformation; Laura M. Machak, coordinator of secondary partnership operations; and Allison M. Savage, coordinator of student success.