News Release
August 2003
(Bethlehem, Pennsylvania)— Over 300 Moravian College
freshmen will walk the "Moravian Mile" during the annual
freshman class walk on Monday, September 1 at 11:00 a.m. The walk starts
at
the 1742 oval located at the corner of Locust and Monocacy Streets
and follows the Moravian Mile down Main Street to Moravian's Priscilla
Payne Hurd Campus at Church Street.
The walk is a recent tradition that began in 1996 as part of Freshman
Orientation. The walk symbolically links Moravian's Main Street Campus
with the Priscilla Payne Hurd Campus. A group of Moravian College vice
presidents will lead the walk.
At the conclusion of the walk, the group will gather
in Foy Concert Hall for College president Ervin J. Rokke’s
address to the freshman class at 11:30 a.m. Rokke will draw upon
his extensive military and
international affairs expertise to present an insightful look at the
historical and political context for the war in Kosovo.
After lunch, freshman may tour the classroom buildings
before heading off to the Campus Service Project—a new tradition
at Moravian designed to foster community service. At 4:00 p.m., the
freshman class
will begin making the 6,000 wax candles that will be used for the Christmas
Vespers Services in December. Later, the freshman will enjoy an all-college
Labor Day picnic with the Daisy Jug Band.
Freshman Orientation begins two days earlier when students will be
moving into the residence halls on the morning of Saturday, August
30. Once moved in, freshman have the remainder of the morning to get
their IDs, visit the bookstore, set-up their phones and computers,
and check their mailboxes.
An opening Convocation and Vespers service will
be held for all new students and their families in Central Moravian
Church at 1:30 p.m.
The service is a ceremonial beginning for students and a formal “farwell” for
parents.
Beverly J. Kochard, vice president for student affairs, will welcome
the freshman at 3:30 p.m. in Prosser Auditorium, followed by a number
of social activities throughout the evening designed to encourage the
new students to interact with each other and make new friends.
Sunday, August 31 begins with worship services,
followed by the students’ first “Introduction
to Student Life” class. The class session is dedicated to discussing
The Hemingway Book Club of Kosovo, the book which was required reading
for all freshman. After lunch, students will attend a community event
featuring Paula Huntley, author of The Hemingway Book Club of Kosovo.
At 4:30 p.m., students will attend a discussion with Borko Milosev,
a Moravian College senior from Serbia, who will provide his perspective
on the ethnic conflicts in Kosovo.
The freshman class will be officially installed during the Freshman
Banquet in Johnston Hall at 6 p.m. Dr. John Reynolds, professor of
political science will give the keynote address.
On Tuesday, September 2 classes begin and the fall 2003 semester will
be underway.
The incoming Class of 2007 will be the largest
in Moravian’s
261-year history. From a record number of applications, the College
has enrolled 389 freshmen. The previous high mark for enrollment was
the Class of 2004, when 378 freshmen were enrolled.
The Class of 2007 is among the most academically
prepared. The average, combined SAT score of our new class (1122)
is also at a record high.
More than half of Moravian’s incoming freshmen were among the
top 20 percent of their graduating high school class; 31 percent of
the new students were ranked in the top 10 percent of their high school
class.
