University of South Carolina
September 20, 2012
uscTIMES
A publication for faculty, staff and friends of the university
USC Times
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University of South Carolina. Aiken
Aik
en /
Beaufort
Beau
fort
Columbia
Lancaster
/ Co l u m b i a / L a n ca s t e r / S a l
Salkehatchie
e tc h i a h e k
on
Sumter
/ S um
Unio ter /
Union
n / Upstat e
the inside
Upstate
7/22/2013
BY LIZ MCCARTHY
THE USC WELCOME Each summer USC welcomes its new students with true Carolina hospitality. Thousands of students and their parents come to campus for an official welcome but a small team of dedicated staff and students are waiting to offer advice, service and a helping hand.
Bethany Naser, director orientation
leaders, mentoring them and helping
and testing services
them reach their full potential.”
Bethany Naser has been working
The orientation staff might be
with college orientation for longer
small, but Walker says the three-
than many in student affairs. With
person team makes it work.
11 full-time summers under her belt,
“We keep each other motivated.
Naser came to Carolina for an op-
The three of us work well together,”
portunity to make some changes.
she says. “I’m excited to finish this
“The opportunity to come here at a time when this office is poised
summer and discuss what we see as the future of orientation at USC.”
for some change is a unique career much opportunity for growth and
Vincent Buonocore, assistant director of orientation and
change, I’m looking forward to
testing services
what orientation will look like next
Vincent Buonocore pictured his
summer. We want to make South
career path completely different,
Carolina a best practice place for
going though multiple majors during
orientation.”
his undergraduate experience. But,
opportunity,” Naser says. “With so
Naser started at USC just a few
like Naser and Walker, he found an
weeks before summer orientation
interest as an orientation leader at
kicked off on May 23 but she says
Springfield College in Massachusetts.
it’s really the students who make orientation successful. “Students really are paramount
“This is probably one of the best jobs you can have in higher education,” says Buonocore, who gradu-
to what we’re doing. They are the
ated from the higher education and
framework and this cannot happen
student affairs program at USC in
without student leaders,” she says.
2012. “We have an enormous responsibility to continue representing the
Merrill Walker, coordinator
university. It’s the beginning of the
of orientation
transition from a high school student
Merrill Walker’s passion for orien-
to a Gamecock.”
tation began as an undergradu-
Buonocore manages the internal
ate student at Carolina when she
and external communication for the
spent three summers welcoming
office as well as the program details
new Gamecocks. The 2011 gradu-
and technology behind USC's orien-
ate quickly changed her career plan
tation. He says Carolina’s orientation
from pre-law to higher education,
program provides a great experience
pursuing a master’s from the College
for new students and the program’s
of Education’s higher education and
future is bright.
student affairs program. “I’m passionate about my uni-
“I think it’s a fantastic experience for new students going through
versity, and I love working with the
orientation,” he says. “We’re grow-
new students, making sure they have
ing and we’re changing and we’re
a positive experience,” she says. “I
getting better. We’re building on the
also like working with the student
strong foundation that we have.”
Wide open spaces Nicholas Lenze, a rising sophomore in the South Carolina Honors College, is spending much of his summer in the mountains — discovering and researching the Appalachian balds for a hiking guide to be published by USC Press. Lenze is working with lead researcher Amy Duernberger, of the South Carolina State Library, to learn more about the balds, open meadows on the summits of mountains where, by all rights, there should be trees. Lenze, who is blogging about his experience said the Honors College’s Exploration Scholars Program played a significant role in his participation in the project.