Lesson #010: "See you at CI!"

Fun fact: This is the CI logo. What is it, you ask? One hint is that it is not a G and a W, as some have speculated. Ask your small group leader when you come to Colonial Inauguration.

Lesson #010: "See you at CI!"

Hey, buff and blue Colonials! In case you’ve been wondering where I’ve been, I’ll tell you: I’ve been at Colonial Inauguration (@GWCI on Twitter)! Let’s back up a little bit…

At some universities, mom and dad pull up in their minivan three days before classes and drop off their students, at which point students are forced to sit in auditoriums and classrooms, learning about university services. Boring, right? I concur. At GW, we have our own brand of orientation and it is called Colonial Inauguration or CI.

Dozens and dozens of professional staffers and student staffers work for over a half year to put the pieces in place for a 2 ½ day spectacular. Chris Kim and Lauren Cattano, the 2012 CIHQ (Colonial Inauguration Headquarters) team, could better explain what it’s all about!

Colonial Inauguration is not only for students but also for the whole family. The siblings program is an opportunity for Future Colonials to get to know the place their older sibling will be living for the next 4 years (in fact, it is so impactful that about 10% of the Class of 2016 is made up of siblings of previous Colonials!). Parents also have an opportunity to get in on the action and learn to adjust to their child going to college, not only for their own purposes but so that they can be there as a resource for the student they are shipping off to a city that could very well be an eerie place had GW not had this orientation every summer.

In working with the Office of Parent Services, I get to witness the wide-eyed parents, students, and siblings as the Colonial Cabinet, CI Staffers, CIHQ, and administration “perform” an award-winning orientation. I can see the excitement in their faces! Even still, I will never forget my own CI experience back in 2010 with my group leader Aubrey, who actually inspired me to minor in creative writing! At CI, students gain resources, knowledge, and friends. I know this first-hand and, honestly, wouldn’t trade that experience for the world.

If you are a member of the class of 2016, be sure to look out for Alyse, who is one of our wonderful admissions bloggers and an excellent addition to the thirty-four member Colonial Cabinet. If you still have yet to come to GW, I don’t want to spoil all of the surprises, but, if you visit www.ci.gwu.edu, you can see for yourself just what CI has in store!

We’ll see you at CI!

Sincerely,

Matt

mtscott@gwu.edu