New School Year Brings Energy and Excitement to 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock
Students walk across campus on their way to class during the first of day the Fall semester. Photo by Ben Krain.
The University of Arkansas at Little Rock campus was filled with excitement and energy Aug. 22 as thousands of students began the new school year.
Students could be found all around campus Monday playing games in the quad, meeting at Starbucks for coffee, catching up with their friends, and enjoying life with their fellow students.
“The joy of a new school year always brings excitement as we welcome new and returning students to campus,鈥� said Kara Brown, assistant vice chancellor for student affairs. 鈥淲e embrace this new era and welcome you to our Trojan Family!”
Among the many things to be excited about on campus is that enrollment for first time-freshmen and transfer students is trending up for the first time in years. Currently, first-time freshmen are anticipated to increase by about 20%, while transfer students are on-target to see an increase of about 10%.
The 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock Board of Visitors also celebrated the enrollment news with the passage of a historic resolution during the board鈥檚 August meeting that thanked 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock employees and community supporters who have invested their time and passion in the university.
鈥淲e are deeply appreciative for the dedication and professionalism demonstrated by our faculty, staff, administration, and supporters in helping to build a better future for our community by fulfilling our mission to provide students access to an affordable and quality education,鈥� the resolution states.
Thomas Forcum, the new SGA president and a senior chemistry major, encouraged students to take advantage of all the opportunities available for the 2022-23 school year.
鈥淲e鈥檝e been given an incredible opportunity: to learn, to improve ourselves, to make friends, to volunteer, to enjoy the college experience,鈥� Forcum said. 鈥淭he great Roman poet Horace wrote, 鈥楴il sine magno vita labore dedit mortalibus.鈥� Translated, it means 鈥楲ife grants nothing to us mortals without hard work.鈥欌��
Other 糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock students were also happy to be returning to campus. Adrien Mitchell, a sophomore civil engineering major, is concentrating on helping students in a new role as a Chancellor鈥檚 Leadership Corps (CLC) mentor.
鈥淚鈥檓 a CLC mentor this year for the first time,鈥� Mitchell said. 鈥淚 met my mentees last Friday, and they鈥檙e really great. My mentors were great to me last year, so I hope to be a person that my mentees come to as well.鈥�
糖心Vlog传媒 Little Rock students participate in a Block Party Welcome Week event during the first day of classes for the Fall 2022 semester. Photos by Ben Krain.
Ryan Drown, an accounting major and new student on campus, was happy to start his college experience with the opportunity to spend more time with his older brother.
鈥淚t’s definitely unique because the last time I had him in the same school as me was in elementary school,鈥� Drown said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely a change, but I鈥檇 say it鈥檚 a welcome one. It took some of the pressure off all the first day jitters. It makes me happy knowing that my older brother is here and has my back.鈥�
Drown鈥檚 older brother, Bryce Colvert, a mass communication major, was also happy to be starting the school year with family by his side since it鈥檚 the first time the brothers have gone to school together in a long time.
鈥淚 lived with my dad and Ryan lived with our mom during our childhood, so we didn鈥檛 get to have the traditional experience of going to the same school and seeing each other in the hallway,鈥� Colvert said. 鈥淔or me, it鈥檚 really exciting to get to be the cool older brother who knows his way around campus and knows the best spots to hang out. Now we鈥檒l be able to grab lunch every week and hang out between classes, and I think it鈥檒l ultimately help us become much closer.鈥�
