Photo by Nicole Williams
Ramapo hosted its first World of Ramapo event, themed “64 or More (You’re Almost There),” this past Thursday. The event, which was held at the Grove, was hosted by the Junior Year Student Engagement Committee and was designed to give juniors valuable information about their remaining time in college.
“Our goal is to expose you to the various resources and services on campus that will help you succeed throughout your experience here at Ramapo and after graduation,” reads the email sent out by the Third Year Experience Board. “The purpose of this event is to provide you with integral information specific to your academic and post-graduate needs as well as the opportunity to network with fellow students, staff and faculty from various areas of the Ramapo Campus Community.”
The “64 or more” theme symbolized the credits necessary to be at the halfway point to graduation. For students who attended, there were various prizes and giveaways, like free tickets to Roadrunner Central’s trip to the New York Jets game. Most importantly, there were many resources for students of all levels; however, the information available was specifically targeted toward the junior class in order for them to take advantage of their remaining semesters at Ramapo College.
Just outside the Arch, were over 20 tables set out to inform undergraduates of the many services Ramapo provides. Representatives from the George T. Potter Library attended, giving out literature for students of different majors. The Center for Reading and Writing provided students with schedules detailing workshops for those who have trouble with writing essays, from citing sources to writing MLA style papers.
There was also a representative there to talk to students who may want to continue their formal education past an undergraduate degree and one table that informed students as to the importance of having a mentor. These were only a few for the many resources at the event, made available through the help of Ramapo’s faculty, staff and students.
The administration also did their best to make the World of Ramapo fun and engaging, and being that the event was geared toward juniors, any junior who swiped in was given a “World of Ramapo” passport. Of the many stations, only 10 carried stamps for the passports. The goal was to collect a minimum of five stamps from different stations and turn in a passport to be included in the raffle for the various prizes, including sweatshirts and Jets tickets.
“Our goal is to help students succeed, whether it is academically, emotionally or physically,” Venus Hewing, psychological counselor at Ramapo, said. “A lot of times, I have juniors in my office who are stuck saying, ‘Where am I going to go? What am I going to do?’"
The ultimate goal for Hewing and the Junior Year Student Engagement Committee is to help students remain focused and be more goal-oriented. Hewing stressed that it is not only about academics. Health, counseling, peer educators, athletics and others all play a role in student development.
The Junior Year Engagement Committee is still new and developing, but is taking a strong approach by informing students of what it takes to develop themselves, not only as students, but as adults as well.
rwhite2@ramapo.edu
