The possibility of removing Mike "Greeny" Green from freshman orientation has been discussed by top student representatives, among other changes to the four-day event.

    The possibility of increasing the academic rigor of freshman orientation is also being evaluated. Behind the push is Student Government President George Beres ’00, who believes that “academics in orientation may be lacking.”

    Beres told The Lafayette that the idea to improve academics in orientation has been informally discussed with the trustees and the provost, but that possible programs for a more academic orientation are still in “the idea stage.”

    Formal discussion and official reforms to the class of 2004 orientation program will begin this September after the class of 2003 orientation has ended.

    There is no consensus on whether the program needs reform. Assistant Dean of Students and Director of Student Activities Pamela Brewer said that orientation already involves academic programs and that the class of 2003 orientation has an increased academic nature.

    Brewer believes that the goal of orientation is to allow time for students who are adjusting to college life to “become familiar with campus, meet new peers and feel comfortable.”

    Orientation committee member Jade Jaggers ’00 said that increasing the academics is not neccesarily a bad thing but feels that the main purpose of orientation “is to acquaint students to overall college life.”

    There are several programs during orientation that are geared towards academic acclimation to college life. “Excellence in the Classroom” and “Writing for Freshman” are two programs that help acquaint first year students with the academic life at Lafayette.

    However, Beres believes that more should be done to introduce students to academics during orientation. Concerning incoming first year students, Beres stressed that Lafayette needs “to make the right impression,” impressing upon students that “we are an academic environment.”

    Beres believes that an important step in making orientation an academic experience includes the discussion of the assigned summer book. He praised the selection committee for assigning a classic, The Odyssey, this year.

    He feels that if students are exposed to an intense discussion of the book during their orientation, they will be better introduced to and prepared for the academic process at Lafayette. He also feels that this discussion will promote academic accountability.

    Orientation Committee member Mimo Alvarez-Calderon ’00, said that for any book, especially a classic, students need more than a day of discussion during orientation. He commented that “it is not rewarding to read the book over the summer and then only spend one day discussing it in orientation.”

    Alvarez-Calderon believes that it would be more rewarding for the student to discuss the book for a few weeks during the FYS.

    Jaggers agreed that students may not benefit from only one day of book discussion. She said that students “won’t get as much out of the books as they would in a classroom.”

    Regarding the proposal to remove Greeny, Beres told The Lafayette that he is not certain that Greeny’s message is effective. He commented that “in some ways [Greeny] glorifies the use of alcohol” and feels that the speaker’s “message may need to be worked differently.”

    Others do not agree that Greeny should be removed. Brewer stated that “Greeny” has received the highest ratings over all the orientation programs according to student evaluations and that “students find his message valuable.”

    She added that during the past ten years in which he has come to Lafayette, he has adjusted his message to fit with the college’s policies.

    Jaggers commented that Greeny “makes freshmen aware of the detriments of alcohol” and relates to them on their level. Both Jaggers and Alvarez-Caldernon agree that Greeny should not be removed.