Students enjoyed the SICE picnic under sun-filled skies.
The buzz is back.
The School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering capped off its annual Welcome Week with a picnic in the courtyard of Luddy Hall that featured music, food, and the excitement of what is to come.
“It’s very exciting to have the students back, and everyone is really looking forward to the new school year,” said Raj Acharya, dean of SICE. “There is so much energy and optimism about what tomorrow will bring, and we’re looking forward to what our students can achieve this year. It’s an important year for SICE as we celebrate our 20th anniversary, and we’re looking forward to the graduation of our first cohort of students in intelligent system engineering. It’s just a great time to be at SICE.”
Welcome Week has been filled with student orientation events for both graduate and undergraduate students, and SICE’s large class of Direct Admit students have had an opportunity to get comfortable at the school. Interested students could meet with potential employers at a part-time job fair, and an Involvement Fair in the lobby of Luddy Hall gave students a chance to learn more about clubs and groups that have formed inside the school.
For Faith Gorrell, a first-year master’s student in the Department of Information and Library Science, the start of the year is a dream come true.
“This is what I’ve been wanting to do for years, so I couldn’t be happier to be here,” said Gorrell, who is specializing in archives management. “I’ve been taking part in quite a few of the orientation events trying to get my feet on the ground and understand what is going on. I’ve been very impressed with how everyone is coming together. There are so many people studying so many areas. Everyone has been so helpful and welcoming.”
Dylan Coles, an incoming freshman in the intelligent systems engineering program from Fishers, Indiana, has used Welcome Week to find his comfort zone.
“I was nervous at first walking onto campus, but now that I’ve been here for a while and been to some of the events, I’m really excited,” Coles said. “I have met a lot of people who live on my dorm floor, and I’ve met some people at the SICE picnic. I’m excited about networking with faculty and new students to build relationships. I love IU. I have my whole life, and I’m excited to be part of the community.”
Sophomore Kali Konstantinopoulos has taken advantage of Welcome Week to get back into the college groove.
“I’m very excited for the school year to start up again,” said Konstantinopoulos, who is majoring in ISE. “I’m happy to be in a place in my college career where I’m already acclimated to campus. I already know what’s going on. There’s not the stress of trying to figure out your life as a college student as well as figuring out your schoolwork. Welcome Week allows you to get a schedule in your head and stick to it so that when classes start, you transition into them pretty well. I’m excited about my classes and to meet new people.”