IntroDUCKtion paves way for new Ducks, families

Being a native of Bend, Ore., 18-year-old Megan Heinrich was drawn to one thing in particular about the University of Oregon: climate.

“It doesn’t snow here,” she said, laughing.

True enough – when the central Oregonian arrives in Eugene this fall, she’ll trade a locale that gets 20 inches of annual snowfall for a place where even a light dusting makes the paper. Heinrich’s comment was among the colorful offerings provided during IntroDUCKtion, the summer orientation program for freshmen and other new students that can be an exciting and bittersweet rite of passage for families.

During IntroDUCKtion, which continues through Aug. 2, incoming students and families get acquainted with campus and discuss university life with current students and faculty. Students learn about academic requirements and support services and meet with an academic advisor to plan a first-term class schedule.

This year, 3,356 freshmen are being served during IntroDUCKtion, 56 percent of whom are Oregonians. Another 651 transfer students are being served – 65 percent of them Oregon residents – as well as 2,600 parents and family members of new students. The remaining new fall undergraduate students will be served during International Student Orientation and Week of Welcome in the fall.

There was almost a “Game Day” energy to the EMU at lunchtime this week as incoming students and families perused university services and activities.

Her father’s “Win The Day” T-shirt was a dead giveaway for what 18-year-old Lauren Ronning of Keizer, Ore., is looking forward to as a Duck: “The student section of the football games!” she said. “I grew up to it. My parents went here, my grandparents went here. It was inevitable that I would be a Duck.”

“And it was good to turn down the Beavers,” her father, Mark, added, smiling.

The transition to college can raise a host of emotions for moms, dads, sons and daughters: anxiety, excitement, relief, sadness, fear and happiness, to name a few. Some of the UO’s newest Ducks said the two-day orientation put their concerns to rest, promising a new, green-and-yellow family to support the one back home.

Idella Watts, 18, of Oakland, Calif., said she was a bit overwhelmed by the challenge of scheduling all her classes and familiarizing herself with campus. But she can’t wait to get into Color Guard, the Student Alumni Association, volunteering and other UO activities.

Her mother, Tunisha, meanwhile, is bracing to say a temporary goodbye to her firstborn when school starts in the fall. There will be tears, Tunisha said, but she and her husband, Alonzo, are comforted by the sense of community they’ve experienced on and off campus.

“The UO seems like a close-knit group in a close-knit community,” Alonzo said.

“When I went to college, I just went – there wasn’t anything like orientation for the parents,” Tunisha said. “I was really impressed with how informative the faculty and staff were (during IntroDUCKtion). It’s very welcoming.”

Alex Almeleh, 18, of Bellevue, Wash., wants to be a Duck because she loves the greenness of the campus and the historic character of the buildings. Samantha Ochoa, 17, of Los Angeles, is looking forward to a more relaxed lifestyle, closer to her rural roots.

Molly Heinrich, Megan’s mother, said her daughter will benefit from opportunities that weren’t available when she went to college – working with an advisor on a career path, for example. “I’m beyond excited for her to make these connections,” Molly said. “My kid’s kind of quiet. This is encouragement for her to come out of her shell.”

New Duck Courtney Lo, of Issaquah, Wash., was drawn to the UO for its school spirit – “it will be like high school, times 100,” she said. Joey Halpern, of West Lake Village, Calif., who is interested in advertising, likes the School of Journalism and Communication.

While the 17-year-olds bonded over a shared distaste for math, their mothers – Lisa and Robyn, respectively – also became fast friends during IntroDUCKtion.

“The moms met for lunch because (our daughters) wanted to be alone,” Lisa said.

“Lisa and I realized our girls are identical,” Robyn added. “We can text or email each other and be each other’s support. And the girls can support each other, too.”

- story and photos by Matt Cooper, UO Office of Strategic Communications