Classic rock echoed through the courtyard behind Lindley Hall as the August sun warmed the students, new and old alike, who gathered to celebrate the start of the school year.
The School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering hosted the Undergraduate Open House and the Graduate Fall Social with free food and live music from CounterPoint, a band partially made up SICE staff. The event brought together students from all levels to meet the faculty and each other in a relaxed setting.
“I just love the energy of a new school year,” said Raj Acharya, dean of SICE. “It’s so exciting. The start of the school year is a great time to give everyone the opportunity to get to know one another, and it allows everyone to see the wide range of personalities at our School.”
The Open House and Fall Social gave new students a chance to get to know the people they’ll be soon be seeing on a daily basis.
“Getting a chance to meet everyone is beyond important to me,” said Alyssa Rzendaal, who is beginning her Master’s in Library Science. “I did my undergraduate work at the Colorado School of Mines, and this is a much bigger campus. Knowing nobody and living off campus, I need the opportunity to make connections. This is going to make a difference in terms of making me feel at home here."
Christopher Niksch, a computer science major who is studying mathematical foundations, is excited to get back to the classroom following a summer intern experience.
“I was away interning for Target in Minneapolis for the past couple of months,” Niksch said. “It was a wonderful internship, but this is my last semester, and I’m really excited.”
Paula Koronkevich, a junior in computer science studying programming langauges, is getting a head start on her work.
“I’m so excited,” she said. “I’m already finding out all I can about my classes. I love this School, and I just love to learn. It’s so welcoming and exciting.”
Koronkevich, a Madison, Ind., native, had some advice for any newcomers she ran into at the event.
“I’m telling people to try different things and see what you like,” Kornokevich said. “There are so many options here in terms of specializations. You might fall in love with something right away, but take as many as you can to try things out. There are so many exciting areas.”
Niksch stressed the importance of building a support system early.
“I’ve made lifelong friends in my classes,” Niksch said. “You have to enjoy the experience as much as possible, and it’s important to have people in your classes you can lean on.”
Acharya’s advice is simple.
“Enjoy and educate yourself,” he said. “They are equally important. Make the most of your time inside and outside the classroom.”