SUNY Potsdam Welcomes 200th Incoming Class to Open 2016-17 Academic Year

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SUNY Potsdam faculty and staff will greet new students during the annual First-Year Funnel on Friday, Aug. 26 at 5 p.m. Seen here are student's from last year's freshman class.

POTSDAM, NY (08/19/2016)(readMedia)-- SUNY Potsdam is preparing to welcome its 200th class of new incoming students this fall, as the College's bicentennial continues. Founded as the St. Lawrence Academy, the College's first classes commenced in September 1816.

Two hundred years later, SUNY Potsdam is ready to welcome the Class of 2020. The College will greet new and returning students during Welcome Weekend 2016, from Aug. 26 to 28.

New incoming students will arrive during the high-energy move-in day on Friday, Aug. 26. Nearly 800 first-year students and their families will be buzzing around campus and the village, getting acquainted with the area and university life.

The freshman class will be greeted by faculty and staff during the First-Year Funnel at 5 p.m. on Friday. Campus community members will cheer on the long line of new students, as they walk to the Academic Quad prior to their convocation.

Freshmen will take in a welcome picnic at 6:45 p.m., followed by floor meetings in the residence halls. At 9:30 p.m. on Friday, SUNY Potsdam will set off fireworks to welcome the Class of 2020, followed by an outdoor movie screening in Marshall Park on campus. There will be a comedy show and open mic night in Hurley's Night Club beginning at 11 p.m.

On Saturday, Aug. 27, there will be a Transitions Conference for new students who were unable to attend summer orientation, from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. First-year students will tour campus with their RAs, before joining together for a fair in the Academic Quad from 2:45 to 4:30 p.m., which will end with the students posing for their official class photo.

Also returning this year is the Crane New Student Ensemble Concert, showcasing the talents of incoming Crane School of Music orchestral students as they perform a piece all together -- with little to no practice beforehand. The concert will take place at 8 p.m. on Saturday in the Hosmer M. Hosmer Concert Hall. This event is free, and the public is invited to attend.

Students can attend an event with hypnotist Daniel James at 9 p.m. Friday in Dunn Hall, followed by karaoke night in Hurley's and late night activities in the student union.

The College's annual Welcome Weekend Carnival will be offered on Sunday, Aug. 28 from 1 to 5 p.m. in the Maxcy Hall Fieldhouse. The goal of this event is to bring the campus community together to kick off the academic year. The event is free for students, faculty, staff and families.

There will be a variety of carnival games and activities, including tie-dying, indoor rock wall climbing, inflatables, bumper cars, a do-it-yourself stuffed animal station and more. Maxcy Hall will also offer open swim during the carnival. The carnival will also feature plenty of free food, including hot dogs, popcorn, cotton candy and more, while supplies last. There will be an ice cream social at 2 p.m., followed by an appetizer tasting bar at 3:30 p.m.

SUNY Potsdam students will be entered for prizes at the carnival, including an iPad, $200 for spring semester books, a Bear Bus ticket, Beats headphones and more.

Representatives from student clubs and organizations will staff a wide variety of carnival activities throughout the day. During this time, student leaders will also have the opportunity to promote their organizations, with the goal of motivating student participation in leadership activities on campus.

Returning students will move in throughout the weekend. The Fall 2016 semester kicks off on Monday, Aug. 29, with classes commencing that morning.

To cap off the start of the semester, SUNY Potsdam students will once again be invited to the twelfth annual "First Saturday" in downtown Potsdam on Saturday, Sept. 3, from noon to 5 p.m. Co-sponsored by Clarkson University, the event brings together students from both campuses to enjoy shopping specials, food, music and live entertainment in downtown Potsdam.

There will be a variety of "First Saturday" contests and activities to introduce students to the Village of Potsdam and participating businesses. Student performing groups from both SUNY Potsdam and Clarkson will perform throughout the day on the Market Street main stage.

To find out more about what's going on at SUNY Potsdam this fall, explore www.potsdam.edu.

Founded in 1816, The State University of New York at Potsdam is one of America's first 50 colleges -- and the oldest institution within SUNY. As the College marks its bicentennial in 2016, SUNY Potsdam will celebrate a 200-year legacy of pioneering programs and educational excellence. The College currently enrolls approximately 4,100 undergraduate and graduate students. Home to the world-renowned Crane School of Music, SUNY Potsdam is known for its challenging liberal arts and sciences core, distinction in teacher training and leadership in the arts. Empowered by a culture of creativity, the campus community is nearing the completion of Take the Lead: The Campaign for Potsdam, which has raised $33.5 million for scholarships and programs.

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