By DARRYL CAMPAGNA The initial weeks of fall semester at UConn are among the most frenetic of the entire year for all students, but for the members of the freshman class, they are especially turbulent. There are several programs designed for students to facilitate the adjustment to college and the accompanying new educational and social situations. Although these services are not limited always to freshmen, new students in particular can benefit from them. The orientation program, which may often be a freshman’s first detailed exposure to the campus, is the focus of meticulous and organized planning. Robert Des- noyers. who directs this five year-old program, says that al- though'the basic outline has Friday, September 10, 1976 Connecticut Daily Campus Page 7 ‘The greatest single problem most freshmen‘ must contend with is fear? remained unchanged, it is still undergoing improvements and revisions. Ten UConn students are select- ed each year to be orientation group leaders, and are given intensive training during the spring semester prior to their first What the pass up. I ,0 J ‘_.O,“‘_‘.O,_‘_\O/_‘.O,_;.'/j[\O.-__. BlOENERGETlCS?? The answer can be found at Yggdrasil, the campus i i? Center for Personal Growth. A group being offered at Yggdrasil for the first time ever, entitled, EXPERIMENTS IN BODY AWARENESS: BIO- fi ENERGETICS AS A TOOL FOR PERSONAL GROWTH REPRESENTS A NEW APPROACH IN THE FIELD OF Hunanistic Psychology. The workshop begins Oct. 4, so come on over to the house on 4 Gilbert Rd. and register now. or call 486-4737 for more information. This Sunday 1% your ast c a ce ree broad ast JO rna ism e ucation This Sunday, September 12th, WHUS Radio News is holding an introductory meeting for anyone, student or non-student, interested in broadcast journalism. Previous experience is not a prerequisite — we’ll teach you everything you’ll need to know to handle the reporting, writing and on-the-air production. when you’ve finished your training, you’ll have a choice of news beats to cover, both on campus, in the surrounding communities, even the Capitol! And you’ll work with the Associated Press and the ABC News Network, both of which WHUS News is a member. There are plenty of opportunities for those interested in reporting, announcing, reviewing, and engineering, and it won’t take a big bite out of your other activities — as little as four hours a week will keep you on the staff and on the air. If you think you have the interest and the time, come to Room 113 of the Student Union this Sunday, September 12th at 7:00 pm. It’s a chance too good to "-_‘\'v'.‘,-' ."'..~' ..-'».‘."<.." heckis ora experience as leaders. The freshman class entering UConn this fall contained 2,400 students. In past years the orientation program has made a concerted effort-to reduce what Mr. Desnoyers termed the ‘num- ber feeling’ that may arise as the immense complex of buildings is seen closely. Each group of 15 students spends one-and-one-half days at orientation. During this time. the group leader is responsible for showing the students certain mandatory areas and services of the campus. such as the Women's Center. the Infirmary, and related Health Services, Yggdrasil, the center for personal growth. and the Wilbur Cross Library. Desnoyers explained that al- though the orientation program is still essentially a service which reaches the freshmen before their first classes, there is an interest in extending the contact between the freshmen and the program as the semester progresses. Mr. Desnoyers remarked, ‘We're heading in that direction’, by initiating a questionaire this October to freshmen in an at- tempt to determine the long- range value of orientation. An innovation such as this in moc banana or strawberry. I Get the reat new taste , coconut, questionaire can be a constructive step towards realizing what areas of U(‘nrm freshmen need to know bout most. Desnoyers noted in recent years freshmen have shown an increasing interest in choosing the right career. as well as a concern about the purpose- fulness of higher education. Another organization which can benefit freshmen is the hard- working Student Orientation Ser- vice. comprised of 100 students who wish to help freshmen. 'branchfers'. and transfers with their first exposure to life within a UConn residence hall. James Duke. a student who serves on the six-member execu- tive committee of the S.O.S.. explained that the service is formed of an entirely volunteer group of students working with a faculty advisor. Up to last year. the volunteers were called ‘student counselors‘. but are now known as student advisors. Duke explained that the change was made as the word ‘counselor’ suggested a trained professional. while the students who work through the service do so on a strictly voluntary basis. The advisor attempts to deve- lope a stem of personal contact between himself and new stu- ARTS & FEATURES JOPROOFANDREADYIOGO Kickers, 30 proof, ©1976, Kickers Ltd., Hartford, Conn. Campus groups assist students in orientation dents within the residence hall. This contact can include advice on ideal weekend meal sources or referrals for a student with a serious problem. The S.O.S. works very closely with the Resident Assistant of the dorm in which the advisor is located. One advantage of plac- ing advisors within the residence halls is that the program ‘can reach to students in unofficial relaxed atmosphers. As there are presently only 100 advisors working thoughout all of the residence halls. the service is continually trying to reach an ever-expanding number of new students. The training session for a pro» spective student advisor consists of one formal three-hour period. ‘Most of it‘. Duke remarked. ‘is common sense.' The advisors are encouraged to use their own ingenuitv in de- veloping any ideas which might help incoming freshmen. such as setting up an informal welcoming committee. The greatest single problem with which most freshmen must contend is fear. Many new students. Duke said. enter college with a wealth of misconceptions based on the experiences of friends or siblings. The advisor thus finds that the first month of each new semester is the most vital in helping students. al- though S.O.S. operates through- out the year. Any university dealing with such large numbers of students must necessarily work on a systematic basis. but the need for a personal attitude remains. Through such services as orientation and the S.O.S. this need can be trans- formed into a reality.