WILSON, N.C. — August 16, 2023 — Barton College faculty returned this week to prepare for the opening of the 2023-2024 academic session, while coaches and student-athletes were back on the courts and fields practicing for fall competition. Student residence life assistants returned early to help the Division of Student Engagement staff prepare the residence halls for fall semester, and student orientation leaders were back on campus ready to welcome new students for their first year on campus. Yes, Barton College is excited and ready for what’s next!
“We are thrilled to welcome our new students and returning upperclassmen to campus for the year ahead,” shared Amanda Metts, vice president for student engagement at Barton College.” There’s a tremendous energy on campus as the students return this week, and we all look forward to an exciting opening of school. Our students hail from as far away as Malaysia and as close as our hometown of Wilson. Yet, in the week ahead, we will come together as one family at Barton.”
New students will move in on Thursday and Friday, Aug. 17 and 18, while returning Barton upperclassmen will arrive on campus this coming weekend. There’s a wide variety of events and activities planned to engage Barton’s newest students into their campus community during Welcome Weekend.
Beginning Friday evening, Aug. 18, a “tower of light” will shine from campus for several miles beyond Barton’s boundaries as this academic community welcomes its students to campus and begins its semester-long celebration of the College’s motto “Habebunt Lumen Vitae.” Translated from Latin, it means “They shall have the light of life” and comes from the Gospel of John 8:12. The foundation of Barton’s mission is firmly supported by this 100-year-old motto, established on campus in 1923. The College has planned a number of opportunities throughout the semester to celebrate the 100th anniversary of its motto. Barton’s “tower of light” will be shared with the community from 8:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. each evening through Thursday, Aug. 31.
Also on Friday evening, new students and families will enjoy a social that will lead into additional Bulldog spirit activities before the women’s and men’s blue/white soccer game double header (not open to the public). Saturday promises to be a day packed with team-building activities and games while new students get to know each other and begin to build freshman class spirit. Welcome Weekend events for new students culminate with Sunday’s Induction and Naming Ceremony as new students are formally welcomed into the Barton community with this time-honored tradition of “sharing the light” held in Howard Chapel. The ceremony will be followed by a New Student Reception, hosted by President and Mrs. Douglas N. Searcy at the Barton-Graves House.
All Barton students will enjoy Welcome Week on campus as classes begin on Monday, Aug. 21 with Welcome Back Barton Day, sponsored by the Wilson Chamber of Commerce and the Campus Activities Board. The week ahead will also include a number of special activities for student engagement planned each day and ending with a “Night on the Lawn” event on Saturday evening Aug. 26, with special music and food for Barton students, as they celebrate the end of a successful first week of classes.
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