Blue Mountain Community College will remember those lost on September 11, 2001, during a special 9/11 tribute during its Welcome to the Pack student orientation event on Friday, Sept. 11.
A fire truck from the Pendleton Fire Department will display a large flag in front of the college, while the National Guard’s Color Guard will lead a contingency of those who serve and protect onto the stage in the Bob Clapp Theatre on BMCC’s Pendleton campus. The public is welcome to attend this remembrance ceremony from 9-9:15 a.m.
Following the tribute, BMCC will introduce new students to its programs, services, academics and student life through the second annual Welcome to the Pack event. Students will have an opportunity to sample a class (including “Rocks, Fast Cars and Other Science Stuff”, “Math is Not a Four-Letter Word – Or Is It?”, and “Cow vs. Bull and Other Conundrums”), participate in a scavenger hunt around campus, visit with community and campus organizations during a community fair, and enjoy a free BBQ lunch served up by BMCC administrators. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. at the Welcome booth on campus, and the event runs until 3 p.m.
Welcome to the Pack will also offer a special session for parents and other support people in students’ lives to learn about how they can help their students be successful in their educations. This session will take place from 12:30-1:30 p.m. in the room 214 in the Science & Technology building.
Students who participate in Welcome to the Pack will also have an opportunity to earn a one-credit tuition waiver. Prizes will also be drawn – including for scholarships and a tablet – and students will receive multiple giveaways.
Data from the 2014 Welcome to the Pack event survey revealed that 84 percent of participating students knew where to go for assistance, help or answers to questions at BMCC following the event, and 93 percent of participating students said that Welcome to the Pack would help them to be successful at BMCC. All 182 students who participated in the 2014 event were still enrolled at BMCC at the end of the fourth week of the fall term, and 85 percent of these 182 students successfully completed all of their attempted credits. One-hundred twenty-seven of the original 182 participating students – nearly 70 percent – subsequently enrolled for the winter term.
The 2015 Welcome to the Pack event anticipates 300 new students to participate on Sept. 11. A full schedule can be found on BMCC’s website.
