Incoming Freshmen Connect with City, Suburbs

In an effort to get to know the city and contribute to local nonprofit organizations, about 1,300 incoming University of Rochester freshmen will disperse through the city and suburbs on Saturday, Sept. 2.

The incoming class will break off into two groups. While more than 1,000 students, staff, and faculty will be volunteering at 34 different locations for the 18th annual Wilson Day, the remaining students will be exploring the new city and sites it has to offer from the George Eastman House to the Memorial Art Gallery.

President Joel Seligman and Dean of Students Jody Asbury will kick off the day's activities that Saturday morning.

"We see it as very important for our students to understand their responsibility for being engaged in the communities in which they live during college and beyond," Asbury said. "Wilson Day is a way of sending this message at the very start of their college careers."

Wilson Day is a day of service for new students from the College of Arts, Sciences, and Engineering and the Eastman School of Music at orientation. It serves as an opportunity for incoming students to participate in a program that teaches them about their new community while giving them a chance to build relationships with other incoming students. This year, the day's theme is "What's the Issue?" and will focus on youth services and programs offered throughout the community.