Opinions

Matthew Steinbach

opinions @theotherpress.ca

 

 

   
 

Matthew
Steinbach

Opinions Editor

I remember the days of Douglas College before there
was the Office for New Students, before orientation,
when all we had to rely on was the Students’ Union.

Four years ago, an introduction to Douglas
involved obtaining a student union planner in the
concourse, and possibly even attending a welcome
back pub night a couple of weeks later.

When I first arrived at Douglas College, teachers
and other students had to aid in my pursuit to discover
what extracurricular opportunities our school had to
offer. Without some of this assistance, my time here
probably would have taken a much different turn. I
most likely would never have become as involved in

student life as I am now, something I have definitely
enjoyed being a part of.

In the lead-up to a student’s first week these days,
students have already been able to obtain their student
card, been introduced to many facets of the college
on tours, and been able to be a part of many other
activities on campus as well. In the coming week,
there will be many vendors in the concourse, as well
as other games that will give new students yet another
opportunity to fully immerse themselves into student
life quicker than they were able to when I first came to
Douglas.

These orientations have also aided many of the
different departments and organizations on campus
to coordinate their efforts to reach and inform the
students about the opportunities on campus, which has
mutually benefited each group.

Obviously, Welcome Week runs a risk that
Douglas may appear as a “party school,” but in all
honesty, this is a way for the school to inject some
energy into their presentations, so that students will
remember them better. Who has had that dreary lecture
and recalled any information from it at all?

Students are blessed to have these opportunities,
which only serve to enhance their experience on

 

campus. A strong student life has been lacking at
Douglas College for many years. This is nothing new
and many have attempted to address this issue; the
Office of New Students is merely the group providing
the most significant contribution towards a solution at
this time.

I only wish they had come sooner, as I know
I would not have been so intimidated by such an
enormous institution, which really does have an
internal community and a heart that is not so difficult
to see if one is given the appropriate tools to discover
what Douglas has to offer.