New members of the Class of 2026 are now on campus and have participated in a mask-optional Orientation Week, also known as “O-Week.” Returning students moved into their new North Campus dormitories and apartments in Collegetown. Now, with the changing COVID-19 masking policies, the first week of classes is underway for a somewhat “normal” semester.
This autumn, three new residences were opened on the North Campus after the North Campus residential expansion project. Barbara McClintock Hall, Hu Shih Hall and Ruth Bader Ginsburg Hall welcomed the newest members of the Class of 2026, showing off the new facilities, including the new tennis courts and turf field.
“Overall, I’m very happy living in Hu Shih Hall,” said Jason Mun ’26. “I am able to control the air conditioning in my room. The shower and kitchens are also very nice.”
Mun moved after his participation Outdoor odysseythe pre-orientation trip in Cornell’s 50-year tradition, and expressed that his move-in process was smooth thanks to the help of residential advisors and University staff.
“[I had] great experiences with all my RAs and other adult members at Cornell,” said Mun. “They have all been very helpful with my move and gave me great advice. Most importantly, they have been very kind, making the moving process smooth, quick and easy for all of us. Overall, I had a great time moving to Cornell.”
Family members helped students move into North Campus on Saturday, Aug. 20, 2022. (Julia Nagel/Sun Photography Editor)
According to residential advisor Yemisi Mustapha ’25, all undergraduate residential advisors arrived on August 7 to prepare and equip themselves to properly host the incoming Cornellians.
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“We did a lot of preparation trying to welcome the freshmen, apart from basic training,” Mustapha said. “‘In our training, we made sure to emphasize how to guide residents’ transition to Cornell and become a very present resource for our residents. As RAs, we try to create a supportive community and a culture of ‘care to let first-year residents know they are not alone on campus because Cornell can be isolating at times.’
Lauren Mckechni ’26 said the unique merchandise and small gifts provided by residential staff members and the Cornell community made the freshmen feel welcome.
“I would say the move was very easy. We have a lot of fun merchandise and stickers,” McKechni said. “I was told that my residence hall, Donlon Hall, was the only residence hall that provided decals, so we felt really good.”
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Freshmen and transfer students also experienced their first O-Week, which was mask optional for the first time since January 2021.
“We were able to host much larger events where more students could participate at once, and overall we made each event much more engaging and fun,” said Orientation Steering Committee co-chair Janna Zilkha ’23. in a statement to The Sun. “It was really nice to see the excitement on the faces of the new students as they enjoyed the events OSC had planned for them.”
This year’s O-Week events included the first year of the Barton Hall Festival, which celebrated the first day of O-Week with bounce houses and other inflatables, paint nights and the favorite event of Zilkha: A S’mores and Movie Night on the Arts Quad in collaboration with Campus Activities and Cornell Cinema.
“The turnout was bigger than I could have imagined,” Zilkha said. “We were giving away hundreds of bucket hats and water bottles, and they were gone within the first hour!”
Students mingle and roast marshmallows during S’mores and Movie Night on the Quad. (Julia Nagel/Sun Photo Editor)
O-week events weren’t the only places where masks were optional. Following the University’s new COVID-19 protocols, face coverings in classrooms were “strongly encouraged, but not required” for the first day of classes.
Under the new policy, some teachers chose to wear masks, but none required them to.
“I think I feel really good about it. I understand the importance of masks as a safety measure, but I also think it’s a transition period from the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Salma Hazimeh ’24 of politics . “Each semester I come back, I feel like things are getting more and more normal, especially with the COVID-19 restrictions. As this semester starts off normal, I have high hopes for this semester and the rest of year”.
Likewise, for Gigi Ike ’23, her last first day felt like a return to pre-pandemic normalcy.
“[During my first year], I took Psychology 1100 in Bailey Hall. This semester, my first class of the day was oceanography,” Ike said. “I haven’t been to Bailey since my freshman year, so it made me feel like a freshman in a way. It felt like a new beginning.”
