Orientation Week Changes

Promising a "fresh look at what we're about," Dean of Freshman Elizabeth S. Nathans yesterday announced major changes for next year's orientation week schedule.

The new plan will expose first-years to race and gender issues and includes a chance for students to explore the surrounding communities, Nathans said.

And in an effort to schedule events around the Rosh Hashanah holiday, which will fall at the end of the week, Nathans said events will extend into the first week of classes.

"Certain pieces which have traditionally fallen later in the week will need to be rethought," Nathans said. "We need to get away from assuming orientation ends after the first few weeks."

Nathans said required placement tests will be moved to the first three days of the week, before the Jewish holiday, so that observing students will not have conflicting obligations.

Despite time constraints, Nathans said students will also have more time to meet with proctors and advisors, prefects and upper class students. Nathans said a host of new programs will provide students with a "different perspective" of Harvard, adding she hopes entering students will come away with "a sense of whom to ask."

Nathans said one full day will be devoted to issues of race relations and diversity. She said issues of sexual orientation would also be discussed in "small group meetings and experiential meetings."

Shai A. Held '94, former chair of the Hillel coordinating council, called the focus on such issues a "critical step."

"If we can gather to talk about plagiarism, we can gather to talk about race relations and diversity issues," he said.

And Natosha O. Reid '93, former Black Student Association officer and co-chair of the Harvard Foundation's Student Advisory Committee, said the plan to devote a day was "very positive and very necessary."

"Students need to be aware that they may need to confront these issues on campus," Reid said.

"There are things in this [orientation] program that haven't been looked at in a long time," Nathans said, adding that some of the changes she hopes to implement "are probably overdue."

Nathans attributed some of the stasis to required events, like placement testing. "Things tend to get set because of things which must get done," she said.

The Freshman Dean's Office (FDO), Nathans said, worked in conjunction with Harvard-Radcliffe Hillel to insure "Harvard's very distinguished observant Jewish community" is "made comfortable" during the orientation period.

Nathans said no required events would occur during the Rosh Hashanah holiday, but final plans were still "under discussion."

Acting Hillel Director Rabbi Sally R. Finestone, who worked with the FDO on scheduling, said "They were a wonderful help and assistance. I'm delighted with the amount of foresight they have shown."

Finestone said Nathans contacted her "months ago" concerning potential scheduling conflicts. "Usually, we have to initiate, "Finestone said. "This was a nice change. It shows [Nathans] cares a lot about freshmen."

Nathans said entering students will also be exposed to issues of gender earlier in the year.

"Calling It Rape," performed in December last year, will be held during the orientation period.

Nathans also announced the Radcliffe Convocation will be held the first Monday of classes, and will "focus more on gender issues involving both men and women."

The changes were received favorably by students interviewed yesterday.

"Since some incoming first year students have had little exposure to the issues of rape and date rape, the scheduling of "Calling It Rape" during orientation week is critical to raising awareness week is critical to raising awareness about the issue," said Maura H. Swan '94, co-chair of the Radcliffe Union of Students.

Increased Interaction

Nathans said new plans also aim to foster increased interaction between first-years and upper-class students. Orientation week will "carve out a more substantive role" for prefects throughout next year, she said.

Concentrating gatherings will introduced entering students to upper-class concentrators, Nathans said.

And a plan to have graduating seniors write essays on their Harvard experience for entering first-years should also help them feel more at ease, she said.

"We want them to book in early to a network of student information," she said, "forming comfortable links in the student community."

Nathans also announced an ambitious program for acquainting students with Cambridge and Boston. Entering students may choose between 50 and 80 possible city-related activities which will take place during the latter part of the first week.

The proposed community-related events, such as a walk through historic sections of Boston or a trip to a Red Sox game, would be directed by Harvard and Radcliffe faculty and may entail required reading in advance, Nathans said.

The programs will allow students to "focus on their particular interests" in an area "beyond Harvard's gates," Nathans said.

"We want to get first-years to think about what they're doing here," she said. "We want them to think about all the communities they're joining. Even as late as Thanksgiving there were students yet to get into downtown Boston. That shouldn't be," she said.

Nathans she said she hopes leaders will act as guides during the trips into Cambridge and Boston, not "as authority figures."

In addition to these changes, Nathans said she also hopes to involve more parents in the orientation process.

Nathans also said the FDO is currently developing a handbook for parents, which would provide information about college policies and services.

"We want to make parents informed for their discussions with their sons and daughters," she said.

Nathans said the handbook will be "vastly more comprehensive than [mailings to parents] in the past.

Nathans said one full day will be devoted to issues of race relations and diversity. She said issues of sexual orientation would also be discussed in "small group meetings and experiential meetings."

Shai A. Held '94, former chair of the Hillel coordinating council, called the focus on such issues a "critical step."

"If we can gather to talk about plagiarism, we can gather to talk about race relations and diversity issues," he said.

And Natosha O. Reid '93, former Black Student Association officer and co-chair of the Harvard Foundation's Student Advisory Committee, said the plan to devote a day was "very positive and very necessary."

"Students need to be aware that they may need to confront these issues on campus," Reid said.

"There are things in this [orientation] program that haven't been looked at in a long time," Nathans said, adding that some of the changes she hopes to implement "are probably overdue."

Nathans attributed some of the stasis to required events, like placement testing. "Things tend to get set because of things which must get done," she said.

The Freshman Dean's Office (FDO), Nathans said, worked in conjunction with Harvard-Radcliffe Hillel to insure "Harvard's very distinguished observant Jewish community" is "made comfortable" during the orientation period.

Nathans said no required events would occur during the Rosh Hashanah holiday, but final plans were still "under discussion."

Acting Hillel Director Rabbi Sally R. Finestone, who worked with the FDO on scheduling, said "They were a wonderful help and assistance. I'm delighted with the amount of foresight they have shown."

Finestone said Nathans contacted her "months ago" concerning potential scheduling conflicts. "Usually, we have to initiate, "Finestone said. "This was a nice change. It shows [Nathans] cares a lot about freshmen."

Nathans said entering students will also be exposed to issues of gender earlier in the year.

"Calling It Rape," performed in December last year, will be held during the orientation period.

Nathans also announced the Radcliffe Convocation will be held the first Monday of classes, and will "focus more on gender issues involving both men and women."

The changes were received favorably by students interviewed yesterday.

"Since some incoming first year students have had little exposure to the issues of rape and date rape, the scheduling of "Calling It Rape" during orientation week is critical to raising awareness week is critical to raising awareness about the issue," said Maura H. Swan '94, co-chair of the Radcliffe Union of Students.

Increased Interaction

Nathans said new plans also aim to foster increased interaction between first-years and upper-class students. Orientation week will "carve out a more substantive role" for prefects throughout next year, she said.

Concentrating gatherings will introduced entering students to upper-class concentrators, Nathans said.

And a plan to have graduating seniors write essays on their Harvard experience for entering first-years should also help them feel more at ease, she said.

"We want them to book in early to a network of student information," she said, "forming comfortable links in the student community."

Nathans also announced an ambitious program for acquainting students with Cambridge and Boston. Entering students may choose between 50 and 80 possible city-related activities which will take place during the latter part of the first week.

The proposed community-related events, such as a walk through historic sections of Boston or a trip to a Red Sox game, would be directed by Harvard and Radcliffe faculty and may entail required reading in advance, Nathans said.

The programs will allow students to "focus on their particular interests" in an area "beyond Harvard's gates," Nathans said.

"We want to get first-years to think about what they're doing here," she said. "We want them to think about all the communities they're joining. Even as late as Thanksgiving there were students yet to get into downtown Boston. That shouldn't be," she said.

Nathans she said she hopes leaders will act as guides during the trips into Cambridge and Boston, not "as authority figures."

In addition to these changes, Nathans said she also hopes to involve more parents in the orientation process.

Nathans also said the FDO is currently developing a handbook for parents, which would provide information about college policies and services.

"We want to make parents informed for their discussions with their sons and daughters," she said.

Nathans said the handbook will be "vastly more comprehensive than [mailings to parents] in the past.