JC readies for school year to begin

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John M. Steiner / The Sun A new parking lot sits where the 1912-era Thaw Memorial Hall building once stood on the campus of Jamestown College. More than 30 new parking spaces will be available to students and others attending classes and events on campus. The Hansen Center, home to Jimmie volleyball and wrestling, is seen in the background.

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Students have begun arriving at Jamestown College, and last-minute preparations for the start of the school year on Aug. 22 have begun.

“Everyone is just super excited,” said Brittany Cochran, a resident assistant majoring in nursing at the college. “You just don’t know what to expect.”

Cochran arrived at the school Tuesday, as did the other members of the soccer team, which started practice Wednesday.

Student athletes in the football and volleyball programs will begin practice Monday. Basketball players will arrive on Aug. 15. Athletes in the golf, track and wrestling programs will begin later.

Resident directors started at the school Monday. Resident assistants start Aug. 12, and will go through four days of training.

“I’m excited to have everybody back,” said Cochran. “It’s just fun.”

Then there are the students who never left town after the last school year ended. About 60 of them remained on campus over the summer, working or attending summer school.

College staff and faculty members have been preparing for the new school year since before the spring term ended, said Gary Van Zinderen, dean of students.

Residence halls have been cleaned, repaired and repainted, and the college’s grounds have been groomed and maintained.

The faculty will meet to make their final preparations Aug. 16 through 18.

Exact enrollment figures for the new school year will not be available until after the term has started, but according to Tena Lawrence, dean of enrollment management, there will be a significant increase in incoming freshmen and transfer students.

“We’re very pleased with the increase, but we still want to remain what we are, which is a small campus with one-on-one interaction with students and faculty,” Lawrence said.

By the time new students who aren’t in sports arrive for the start of the fall term on Aug. 18, most of them have already visited Jamestown College once to register for classes.

New students’ first four days at school are spent in orientation, when they meet with their advisers and start some preliminary academic work. They also have opportunities to participate in fun activities, including karaoke, a dance and the annual block party downtown.

“They bond with classmates, and by Monday, they’ll be ready to be part of the college community,” said Lori Listopad, director of residence life and new student orientation.

As classes get closer and closer to starting, college staff is coordinating the last spate of move-ins, finishing last-minute housing assignments and creating name badges, student lists and packets for orientation.

For example, promotional items, coupons or informational inserts are still wanted for the welcome bags students receive when they arrive at school. Anyone interested should email Listopad at llistopa@jc.edu.

“This is go time for pretty much every department on the campus,” Listopad said. “We’ll be working hard (to get ready) until Aug. 18.”

Sun reporter Kari Lucin can be reached at 701-952-8453 or by email at klucin@jamestownsun.com

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