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Welcome Aboard, Class of 2022!
Virginia Wesleyan's newest Marlins arrived with a splash for Marlin Nation Orientation August 26-28
University News | August 30, 2018
Photos: Marlin Nation Orientation (MNO 2)
Virginia Wesleyan welcomed 437 first-year students to campus August 26-28 for the second session of Marlin Nation Orientation, a series of events that acclimates new students to campus and marks the beginning of their lives as Marlins. A welcome assembly took place in the Convocation Hall inside the Jane P. Batten Student Center Sunday, where students were greeted by VWU President Scott D. Miller.
“As a graduate of a private liberal arts college myself, I commend you on choosing Virginia Wesleyan University,” Dr. Miller told students. “You are about to embark on an incredible journey for the next four years—a journey that will have a profound impact on your future.”
Students spent time during orientation discussing the University’s 2018 common read, Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng, the story of a Chinese American family living in 1970s small-town Ohio. The novel is summarized as a "moving story of family, history, and the meaning of home…a sensitive family portrait, exploring the divisions between cultures and the rifts within a family.”
Students read the book as part of VWU’s “First Year Experience (FYE),” a one-credit course designed to engage new Marlins in activities and exercises that explore the nature of liberal arts. The common read is used to build community through shared experience and to expose students to multiple liberal arts viewpoints through the focus on a single text.
Discussion of the common read was just one of the many activities that took place during the three-day orientation. Also on the agenda was a powerful message from Ken E. Nwadike Jr.—a peace activist, inspirational speaker, and video journalist popularly known as the "Free Hugs Guy"—as well as a Luau dinner, Freshman Festival, a Glow Party, and Casino Night. The orientation closed with a group photo of the Virginia Wesleyan University Class of 2022 (pictured above).
The University welcomes a total of 555 new students this academic year, with 437 as part of the University’s undergraduate liberal arts and sciences programs, and 118 University College students enrolled in VWU Online, Evening and Weekend, Non-Degree, and Early Enrollment programs.
“Immerse yourself in this new learning experience and all the excitement that our campus offers,” Dr. Miller urged students. “Get connected, get involved, and discover your new community. All of us are rooting for your success at Virginia Wesleyan University.”