<p>Just wanted to say how impressed my husband and I were on how efficiently and smoothly our daughter's freshman move in went a week ago today. Everyone also was helpful, warm and friendly, which helped a nervous freshman a lot! In addition, it's wonderful that Elon puts the freshmen in their Elon 101 groups for many orientation weekend activities, including dinner. This ensures that kids have someone to eat with and to spend time with and by the time they have their first formal Elon 101 class, they know some of their classmates. We also enjoyed the orientation group event for parents, in which we got to meet and talk with both the teacher and the TA (an enthusiastic and engaged Elon student.) We also loved the new student convocation, in which each new student gets an acorn (that Gossip Squirrel must have been very very busy in the weeks leading up to that event!). We found it admirable that, in his speech, President Lambert stated that there is no place on Elon's campus for racism, sexism and homophobia, and even addressed sexual violence.</p>
<p>I agree. I thought President Lambert’s speech was excellent!</p>
<p>So glad to hear you had a positive experience!</p>
<p>I second NotMamaRose! Elon did a beautiful job with everything.</p>
<p>My daughter is a senior. Rest assured, virtually every thing Elon does will live up to the high standards you witnessed on move-in weekend. It’s hard to explain to people who haven’t experienced Elon convocation, on a beautiful morning Under the Oaks, just how moving it is and how well President Leo Lambert connects with the students. Check out YouTube for Leo Lambert’s speeches - last year’s graduation Charge to the Graduates is only 5 minutes but it’s just as inspiring as his annual message to incoming students. </p>
<p>My biggest fear about D’s graduation in May is that it will rain and they won’t be able to have the ceremony Under the Oaks. I would be crushed, as would my D who has attended graduation the past 2 years to see her friends graduate. (If it rains, graduation is in the fieldhouse and each grad gets TWO tickets for parents/family/friends. They simulcast it at auditoriums and gathering places around campus, and the rest of the families/friends have to go to those remote sites to watch.) </p>
<p>And yes, D still has her acorn.</p>
<p>We too loved the whole move-in and convocation experience. Elon does an outstanding job of helping the kids get settled. D1 was a freshman two years ago at an urban university with little to no orientation. It took her 6-8 weeks to become as comfortable as D2 in a week at Elon…What difference.</p>