PC welcomes Class of 2030, transfer students to campus

Move-In Day begins six-day New Student Orientation experience centered on community, connection and honor

Presbyterian College welcomed the Class of 2030 and new transfer students to campus Aug. 20, turning a summer of anticipation into the first day of their college experience as Blue Hose.

Cars packed with clothes, bedding and the necessities of residence hall life arrived throughout the morning as students checked in, collected their IDs and room keys and began settling into their new surroundings. But Move-In Day represented more than a change of address. It marked the beginning of six days of New Student Orientation designed to introduce students to PC academically, socially and culturally — and to the responsibilities that come with joining the college community.

For first-year student Ava Blum of Spartanburg, S.C., choosing PC began with an interest in pharmacy and a familiar drive through Clinton.

Blum said she had wanted to become a pharmacist since her junior year of high school. A friend who lived in Clinton helped draw her attention to PC as they passed the college on visits, and by the beginning of her senior year, she had begun seriously considering it.

The combination of PC’s academic opportunities and its location ultimately helped make the decision.

“It’s only an hour from where I live, so I can still be independent, but I’m super close to home if I ever need to go home,” she said.

Despite the potential for Move-In Day to feel overwhelming, Blum said the process itself helped ease the transition.

“I feel like it’s pretty organized,” she said. “So it’s easy to hop around and figure everything out.”

Fellow first-year student Kaylee Dukes also arrived with pharmacy in mind, entering PC through an early-entry pathway. She said PC was one of the first colleges she visited and that having an undergraduate experience and pharmacy program available at the same institution appealed to her.

Just as important was the welcome she received when she first visited campus.

“Everybody was nice when I came,” Dukes said. “And I was like, this might be the place.”

By Move-In Day, she said she felt good about her decision.

Finding a Place at PC

For Caleb Harris, a first-year student from Greenwood, S.C., football helped bring him to PC, but his goals extend beyond the field.

The linebacker said PC’s reputation for providing a strong education was an important part of his decision. His goal, he said, is to complete his degree and “do great things in life.”

Harris also found an early sense of belonging through his teammates and the people he had already met on campus.

“I love all my teammates,” he said, adding that the people he had encountered at PC had been “really great people.”

Transfer student Brock Welch of Thomasville, N.C., arrived at PC along a different path.

Welch, who enters as a junior, played baseball at Pfeiffer University as a freshman and at Guilford Technical Community College last year. After a successful second season, an opportunity to continue playing eventually brought him to PC relatively late in the recruiting process.

The transition came with at least one familiar face: A teammate from Guilford Tech is now one of Welch’s suitemates.

Welch plans to continue studying business, either business administration or management, with a specific goal waiting after graduation.

He hopes to enter the construction field and eventually use his business education to operate his own general contracting company.

Joining a Community of Honor

By Thursday afternoon, Move-In Day shifted from settling into rooms to formally joining the PC community.

New students gathered in Belk Auditorium for the Welcome and Matriculation Ceremony, where president Dr. Anita Gustafson welcomed them as Blue Hose and reminded them that the transition to college did not have to be navigated alone.

Gustafson encouraged students to reach out to resident assistants, orientation leaders, fellow students, faculty and staff whenever they need help.

“Remember, we will help you find your passion and walk alongside you as you learn and grow here at PC, because your success is our ultimate goal,” she said.

Gustafson then formally welcomed the newest members of the college community.

“You are now a Blue Hose, and we are thrilled that you are here and officially part of our PC family,” she said.

That membership also carries expectations.

Dr. Craig Vondergeest, Ruby K. Phillips Professor of Religion and faculty adviser to the Honor Council, explained that accepting a place in the Class of 2030 also means accepting the responsibilities of PC’s Honor Code.

“The Honor Code is how we hold one another responsible and accountable to conduct our academic work with honesty and integrity,” he said.

Vondergeest told students that the code requires them to do their own work, properly acknowledge sources, respect the integrity of others and hold themselves and their peers to high standards of truthfulness and conduct.

The stakes, he said, extend well beyond avoiding penalties for academic dishonesty. Honor is essential to the value of the education students receive and the community they are entering.

“We want more than anything to help you succeed as people of integrity here at PC and for the rest of your lives,” Vondergeest said.

His simplest advice to students facing uncertainty about what is permitted under the Honor Code was equally direct: Ask their professors.

Anna Lewallen, a member of the Class of 2027 and chair of the Honor Council, reinforced the connection between academic achievement and personal integrity before students came forward to sign the Honor Code.

Lewallen described their arrival as the beginning of a journey filled with discovery, growth and opportunity. She told the new students they were joining a community committed not only to academic excellence but also to personal development and lifelong learning.

Signing the Honor Code, she said, represented a pledge to uphold the values of “academic integrity, honor, trust, respect, and a relentless pursuit of knowledge.”

“As you begin this new chapter, embrace the opportunities before you, challenge yourself, and remember that you are a part of something greater,” Lewallen said.

Students then came forward to add their signatures to the Honor Code, turning an afternoon of welcomes into a personal commitment to the standards of the PC community.

From Moving in to Becoming a Blue Hose

The matriculation ceremony was only one part of a New Student Orientation program running Aug. 20-25.

Move-In Day itself began with First Day Ready, where residential students completed check-in, handled last-minute business with campus offices and received their student IDs and room keys. After matriculation, students met their resident assistants during residence hall meetings, regrouped with their orientation leaders and had the opportunity to finish the evening at Late Night Springs with ice cream, games and karaoke.

On Friday, new students learned the PC fight song and alma mater, heard candid advice from upperclassmen during a “Real Talk” panel, learned about dining and other campus services and were introduced to resources for academic and career success. The day also included recreational activities, athletics and the President’s Reception, another longstanding PC tradition.

Saturday’s schedule turned attention toward wellness and financial success while mixing practical preparation with traditions including tie-dye, Football Fan Fest and the Class of 2030 photo.

On Sunday, students brought their laptops to Smart Start to learn how to navigate Brightspace and other campus technology before getting opportunities to meet classmates through Speed Friending. Later, they took part in a PC service tradition by packing meals for Rise Against Hunger.

By Monday afternoon, students had explored more of campus life through Round Robin information sessions featuring Greek Life, the Student Activities Board, Student Volunteer Services, Student Shepherds, the Student Government Association, Campus Recreation and Presby First+. They also practiced listening and exchanging perspectives during Constructive Conversations and had an opportunity to meet with their academic advisers before classes begin.

Monday evening’s Shuckin’ & Shaggin’ at Bailey Stadium gives students another chance to celebrate the beginning of the semester before orientation concludes Tuesday.

The final day includes Opening Convocation in Belk Auditorium, RecFest and other activities on West Plaza, Party on the Plaza and an evening campuswide worship service at the Outdoor Chapel.

For PC’s newest students, the six days between Move-In Day and the end of orientation are designed to accomplish much more than learning where classrooms, dining halls and campus offices are located.

They are the first steps toward finding friends, discovering opportunities, understanding expectations and learning what it means to belong to a community that asks its members not only to succeed, but to do so with integrity.