By Rebekah Riley
SUNY Plattsburgh opened its doors to high school students from all around New York, for an Open House on Nov. 4. Open House allows students in high school who are interested in SUNY Plattsburgh and to tour the campus, talk to people who are involved in their major of interest and take a look at some of the clubs they could be a part of. Prospective students also have the opportunity to apply to SUNY Plattsburgh with the help of staff in the Admissions Office and they can talk to Student Financial Services and see all the possible ways they can afford college.
“I think an Open House is the one true way to get a good idea what the school is really like in a synced way. Sometimes, when they come for virtual orientation or virtual meetings, they don’t get a chance to see the whole school so an Open House gives them an opportunity to see the whole school,” Taj Ellis, an adviser in the Admissions Office said.
The day started out with all the possible incoming students and families going to the auditorium in Hawkins Hall. They were welcomed by President Alexander Enyedi. The presentation started at 10 a.m and the Vice President for Enrollment and Student Success Karen McGrath gave the opening speech.
McGrath talked to the visitors about how they should be true to themselves and she touched on financial aid opportunities. After the opening welcome, she invited Enyedi to the podium, where he welcomed and told students that he would be around all day wearing his signature red SUNY Plattsburgh hat. Enyedi can be seen around campus and he is always posting on his Instagram page (@plattsprez) about student events he was present at.
“For me personally it is important to meet with the students because we want to show that every person on this campus is interested in their success and is dedicated to supporting their educational journey,” Enyedi said.
Ellis talked about his experience at SUNY Plattsburgh. He informed students of all the reasons SUNY Plattsburgh is the college to choose, mentioning things such as location between uptown and downtown Plattsburgh, only 20-30 minutes away from Canada; lots of food options such as chain restaurants like McDonald’s, Starbucks, Chick-fil-a and Taco Bell as well as mom-and-pop shops. Enyedi also talked about the benefits of campus life such as the number of dorms and the places to eat on campus in addition to SUNY Plattsburgh’s course and major offerings, from healthcare to business majors and minors.
Ellis also got four students involved, all from different majors, and had them on a student panel and had them answer questions based on the topics he talked about.
After Ellis finished his informational presentation with the student panel he told the visitors about the breakout sessions and instructed them to follow students who were leading the groups for a tour. All of the breakout sessions were based on the major which interested the visiting student. As majors were called, they were told where to exit the auditorium. The tour ended at the Angell College Center, where families and students could help themselves to snacks and drinks, have the chance to view the Academic Fair, as well as meet with someone from the Admissions office or Financial Aid office to receive help applying to and affording SUNY Plattsburgh.
David Soder, one of the financial aid advisers who was present at the Open House shared that having financial aid present at open house is helpful because they can help families plan ahead and see how affordable college is, and with the process starting early that can help students and their families.
Inside the academic fair, there were many tables set up, and most of these tables were used for academic purposes. Students could visit each of the tables and learn about opportunities that they could be interested in and possibly find a new interest in a minor. Some of the tables were for biology, gender and women’s studies, childhood education and sociology, among others.
Some of the other tables were used by the student body. Students used these tables to set up informational boards and items that will tell students about the club they have, some of the clubs were Dance Corps, women’s rugby and the Tabletop Guild, which is a club for anyone who likes playing board games and video games.
University Police was also present at the Open House. Detective Zachary Reese has said they were there to inform people who they are.
