Mentorship and Social Events

Mentorship Ice Skating

By Gloria Givler

To kick off the spring semester with a festive wintertime activity, PittSWE hosted an ice-skating event at the Schenley Park rink, open to everyone involved in the mentorship program We organized a carpool to and from the rink, and thanks to a student discount, we were able to cover admission for everyone who signed up. Light drizzles throughout the day had us worried that the rink would be closed, but luckily it let up just in time for the event, and we mostly had the rink to ourselves Members had a great time chatting and getting to know each other while trying not to slip and fall on the ice! By the end of the event, everyone was a little chilly and had sore ankles, but there were smiles all around. Overall, the event was a great success, and we definitely plan on holding more field trip events in the future!

Mentorship Major Chat

By Gloria Givler

Leading up to major declaration time at the beginning of March, we hosted a Mentorship Major Chat event to give first-year students a chance to learn more about the various majors in Swanson. Many students enter Pitt unsure of what major they’re going to declare, or just want to make sure that the one they have in mind is the right fit. We had upperclass representatives present from every major in the school, and students had the opportunity to ask questions and chat in a more informal setting than the majors’ open house events The event was open to everyone, even people who weren’t in SWE, as we wanted to help as many students as possible feel confident and informed in their choice. Unfortunately, not many first-year students were able to attend–the majority of them had a big physics exam the next morning! When we host this event again next year, we will be sure to consult with a few first-year students to check that the date and time is convenient for them.

Mentorship and Social T-Shirt Tie-Dye

By Ekaterini Papazekos

The T-Shirt Tie-Dye has become a Pitt SWE tradition. Year after year SWE members gather on Benedum patio to chat with friends, mentors, and mentees all while creating their very own unique SWE merch. This year an already great event got even better through the joint efforts of the Social and Mentorship Chairs. Gloria and Kat put their heads and budgets together to make this year’s tie-dye experience the best one yet! Instead of limiting attendance to just the members of the mentorship program, this year any SWE member could attend. Including all SWE members boosted attendance and created a relaxed atmosphere, perfect for getting creative with T-shirt designs. Although the tie-dye tradition changed a bit this year, the event is still in keeping with Pitt SWE goals. Building a Pitt SWE community through mentorship and social events remains an important pillar in this organization. In the end, this event was very successful, and every attendee left with a cute, personalized tie-dye shirt!