First Term off to CHILLY Beginning

How can you tell it Is First Term at Elmira College? The leaves are turning, students are bundled up on their way to class, and most importantly… MOUNTAIN DAY SINGING HAS STARTED!

Dean Anstice Harris instituted the Mountain Day tradition at Elmira College in October of 1918. The day is not a designated holiday, but rather a day in which classes are cancelled allowing for students, faculty, and administrators to relate to each other in memorable and less formal ways. To persuade the President to grant a Mountain Day, students gather during a period of several nights in front of the President’s home, singing various Mountain Day and original songs. When the day off is finally granted, various morning activities are arranged on campus, lunch is served on Carnegie Lawn, and the remainder of the day is spent enjoying the weather, games, and outdoor events, including the “Ya Gotta Regatta” race where Dr. Meier and students race across The Puddle in rafts.

So far, Dr. and Mrs. Meier have been entertained by a wide range of creative songs, costumes, and dances from clubs, team, floors, and class years. For every additional night of singing and as the days become increasingly colder, students, faculty, and administration are all growing evermore anxious for a Mountain Day. When will it be? Your guess is as good as ours.

The fall is also one of the busiest times here in Admissions. Our counselors are on the road attending fairs, making high school visits, and hosting a slew of Open Houses on campus. With the grand opening of Meier Hall next fall, Elmira College and the Admissions staff is looking to increase enrollment for the 2010-2011 academic year. If all goes well, the Class of 2014 will be the largest freshman class ever admitted to Elmira College. Keep your fingers crossed!

Welcome Back EC!

EC is happy to welcome back the Talented Class of 2010, the Spectacular Class of 2011, the Astonishing Class of 2012, and to welcome for the first time, the Lucky Class of 2013.

The campus is finally back to normal after a fun-filled, jam-packed, Fall Orientation weekend. The 2013s arrived with a bang and jumped head first in to college life. They participated in games, bonding and floor activities, and attended Encore performances and classes (somewhat reluctantly of the latter). The first-years were joined shortly after by the rest of the student body, in a flurry of cars, vans, and even U-Hauls stuffed with everything from bedding to books to bulk cases of Ramen noodles. The feeling on campus now is one of excitement and anticipation for another great year here at Elmira College.

Check out the campus calendar for upcoming events on campus, Encore performances, and athletic competitions.

What are we looking forward to next?... Mountain Day, of course! Stay tuned for photos, blogs and more!
Check out more Photos from Fall Orientation 2009

Moving In Tips

Fall Orientation is just around the corner and many of you incoming freshmen may be feeling the pre-college jitters. Here are a few tips to help ease the move-in process at Elmira College. These tips are all from previous and current students who have gone through the jitters of moving into a dorm.

• First thing is first: Make the bed. This is the first step to feeling at home in your new home. Plus, it will keep mom from tearfully hugging you for a few minutes.


• Get here early. There will be more than 300 freshmen moving in this year, and you definitely want to beat the rush. And, the first one to the room can choose what side they want.


• On the same note, the earlier you move in the longer you have to unpack and organize before orientation actually begins, and the more organized you are that day will mean more time for much-needed naps between sessions rather than more time needed for unpacking.


• When you first check in, immediately put your room and dorm keys on a lanyard or keychain. It will make then easier to identify and harder to misplace during the hectic move-in process.


• Make sure to contact your roommate PRIOR to moving in. There will not be enough room for two fridges, two TVs, or two Playstations. (Ok, there may be space for the game systems, but you get the point).


• Pack conservatively! Between you and your roommate, space is limited so think twice before packing all 27 pairs of flip flops or sneakers. You may want to consider leaving heavy winter clothes at home until the October break or Thanksgiving recess.


• Check your room thoroughly when filling out the Room Condition Reports (RCRs) during move-in. Make note of even the smallest cracks or chips in furniture so you aren’t charged at the end of the year for something that was there before you moved in.


• Only use 3M tabs to hang decorations- at the end of the year they can be removed without ruining the walls, that way you won’t be charged for room damage.


• Avoid bringing large plastic bins. They are good to pack in, but terrible to store in the rooms… again, limited space.


• Bring bed risers: whether they are the plastic kind from Target, or simply cinder blocks from Lowes, a higher bed will give you a bit more storage room, and keep you farther from the floor where the most germs are.


• Remember: No Extension Cords. They are not permitted. Instead, invest in one or two surge protector power strips.


• Do not pack loose items. Since first-year students have the advantage of the Orientation Leaders as move-in helpers, do everyone a favor and pack in boxes or bags. This will mean fewer trips, and faster unpacking time.

Summer Registration is Underway!

Greetings from an exhausted (yet extremely excited) Elmira College! Today we wrapped up our second session of Summer Registration here at the College. So far, we’ve met about 200 of the incoming members of the LUCKY Class of 2013. It is shaping up to be an impressive class for sure; even after taking three placement exams, registering for classes, and learning the laundry list of first-year requirements, the students still had the energy and enthusiasm to play dozens of games, sing dozens of college songs, and meet dozens of new friends. What was even more impressive to us was the equally, if not greater, enthusiasm and excitement of their parents. We heard so many great stories (which we’re sure students would be mortified to know their parents shared) about childhood, academic, athletic, and social developments students have made on the journey that has led them to us.

We think students and their families would agree it was a successful program; many new friends were made, bonds were built, prizes were won, and bellies were filled… constantly, no one could ever say they went hungry under Jim’s watch. Our fantastic Orientation Leaders worked tirelessly to prepare for the event and they pulled it off with extraordinary gusto.

Here at Elmira College we are eager to meet the final members of the LUCKY Class of 2013 at Summer Registration III in a few weeks and we look forward to greeting them as a complete class during the Fall Orientation Beanie Ceremony in front of our historic Cowles Hall! See you soon!

Class of 2013

Hey Everyone,

Today I had some time to reflect on Elmira's newest students, the Class of 2013. It was a pleasure to help this class become Elmira College students by looking at their applications, reading their essays, seeing them at high schools and finally congratulating them on their decision to attend Elmira College. This class not only is academically strong, they are also unique and involved.

I am amazed how much they have achieved already. For example some students have done extensive community service projects, held leadership roles inside and outside school. Some have started theater programs at their schools while others have demonstrated dedication on the athletic field, young entrepreneurs have started their own companies and some have led bands on stage performing in front of large crowds. This is just off the top of my head and I could go on much longer with other student's achievements.

There is no doubt that this class is talented. However, the quality of this incoming class combined with the great opportunities and resources that Elmira College provides will make for an exciting time in Elmira's long history. That being said there are high expectations for the class but I have no doubt that they will continue the tradition of student involvement.

-Phil Jackson '06
Assistant Director of Admissions

Hi, I'm Valdis

Hello everyone. My name is Valdis Sustko ’07 and I am an Admissions Counselor. I graduated from EC two years ago and can be a great resource for prospective students.

Hmm what to write? Well, it is finally nice and warm outside. Suppose to be in 70s today, yey! Tomorrow, April 25th, we have a Junior Open House and Admitted Student Day. We are expecting approximately 150 families visiting our campus. You also should come up for a visit; we are open Monday through Saturday all year.

Oh yeah, Term III just started! Everyone on campus is having a great time. Many students are taking advantage of Term III trips abroad!

Women's Hockey Update

My name is Rebecca Coakley '08, and I am an Admissions Counselor at Elmira College. I graduated from Elmira last year where I was a proud member of the Varsity Women’s Hockey team for four years. Last weekend the Soaring Eagles of Elmira hosted the ECAC tournament. The four teams participating in the tournament were; Elmira, Plattsburgh, RIT, and Neumann. On Saturday the Soaring Eagles took on Neumann College and played well coming out on top by a score of eight to one.

Next on the list was Plattsburgh State who they played on Sunday. It’s challenging for me to put into words how amazing the game was. Over my four years as a player I have played Plattsburgh over ten times. They are a strong and deep program, who are extremely well coached, and always show up to play their best whenever we face each other. The Soaring Eagles scored first which is clutch in these games. After the first goal was scored the domes went nuts which set the tone and delivered a strong message- you are in our house. Both teams continued to play hard and the final score was 3-0.

As a retired player it was bittersweet for me to see my former teammates and best friends playing some of the best hockey I have ever seen them play. I could not be more proud of the women for their accomplishments. Scoring three unanswered goals against a nationally ranked team is huge, however arguably bigger is shutting out one of the top teams in the nation. Allison Cubberley ‘09 (goalie for the soaring eagles, and ECAC player of the tournament) said it best after the game, “A shut out is a team effort”, and that’s exactly what the soaring eagles put forth on Sunday. The season is far from over and next up is Norwich this Saturday at home. The winner of Saturday’s game will travel to Middlebury College for the frozen four. If the girls win next Saturday I will be hopping on the computer to book my hotel room. I am confidant I will be taking a road trip in two weekends to see the women play in the frozen four and I can’t wait!



Congratulations to the Women’s hockey team and the coaches!!!