Anticipation Builds for Getting Started Weekend

by Ryan Bower, Assistant Director of Public Relations – August 3, 2015

Getting Started weekend kicks off with freshmen move-in beginning on August 14.

In less than two weeks, Cedarville University will come to life as students return to campus for the university’s 128th year. Getting Started Weekend marks one of the most anticipated times of the year at Cedarville.

Approximately 848 freshmen will move into their residence halls beginning on Friday, August 14, as Cedarville could once again see a record enrollment. Registration for new students runs from 9 a.m.–5 p.m. on Friday and 9 a.m.–1 p.m. on Saturday, August 15.

Getting Started features a mix of orientation sessions, activities and workshops for new students and their parents. It’s an exciting time for everyone involved as a new crop of freshmen begin the next stage of life.

In addition to familiarizing themselves with campus, students will also get the chance to interact in small groups, explore extracurricular opportunities and participate in several fun activities.

But the excitement isn’t just limited to students. Even faculty and staff members who have called Cedarville home for decades still look forward to the start of a new year.

“Each year, I get to enhance existing relationships and build new ones,” said Dennis Flentge, Ph.D., chair of the department of science and mathematics. “Students bring a certain level of excitement with them that spreads through the campus. Part of that excitement is the anticipation of what God is going to do in their lives.”

Flentge is entering his 36th year at Cedarville and, although he has seen thousands of students pass through his classes, still finds joy in watching their development.
 
“There is nothing more rewarding than seeing students mature intellectually and spiritually,” he said.

His sentiments are shared by another long-tenured faculty member. Murray Murdoch, Ph.D., senior professor of history, is entering his 51st year of teaching at Cedarville and also notes that the students are what drives him to this day.

“Early on I dedicated my life to Christian education and that calling still reverberates today,” he said. “We’re called on to invest in the lives of our students and instill in them a Biblical worldview, which is more important today than ever before.”

The excitement isn’t just limited to the first weekend of the year, as the progress made by students throughout the year also brings enjoyment for faculty.

“Seeing students flourish is very rewarding,” said Angie Mickle, D.N.P., interim dean of the school of nursing. “There are moments for each student when things click, and witnessing those moments are the most enjoyable.”

More information on Getting Started, including a digital guide for mobile devices, can be accessed at cedarville.edu/gettingstarted.

Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University is an accredited, Christ-centered, Baptist institution with an enrollment of 3,620 undergraduate, graduate and online students in more than 100 areas of study. Founded in 1887, Cedarville is recognized nationally for its authentic Christian community, rigorous academic programs, strong graduation and retention rates, accredited professional and health science offerings and leading student satisfaction ratings.