BMCC’s New Student Assembly program, held on Wednesday, August 6th, at Theatre 1, drew in so many prospective students that Theatre 2 had to be opened in order to accommodate the large, excited group. The entire Theatre 1 auditorium was filled with students eager to enroll at BMCC and further their education, with few empty seats in sight.
Volunteers and ushers distributed information packets to prospective BMCC students, who filled out information cards with their name and intended area of study. Dressed in colorful BMCC sashes and white shirts, volunteers made themselves noticeable for anyone in attendance at the assembly who had a question or concern.
From the packed Theatre 1, Dean of Student Affairs Marva Craig waved to the large video camera off-stage that was broadcasting the assembly to the prospective students in Theatre 2. Referring to the large crowd, Craig said in her welcoming speech, “This semester, we have many more students than in the past—the more, the merrier.”
Dean of Academic Affairs Erwin Wong excited the audience by telling them, “Everything we have here is upgraded to the level that a private university would offer,” especially referring to the campus computer labs and free tutoring services.
BMCC attracts local and international students
A screen on Theatre 1’s stage welcomed students from all over the world, and flashed pictures of colorful flags from countries such as Japan, Israel, Mexico, Bangladesh, and more. Not only is BMCC home to many New York natives, but international students are also attracted to BMCC, and come from over 100 countries to study in New York City. At one point Craig joked with students that have an informative ‘green card’ about enrollment procedures in their BMCC welcome bags—and not the U.S. citizen ‘Green Cards.’
Pang Tan, who was seated in Theatre 1, is originally from Burma, and plans to study Liberal Arts this fall at BMCC. “After that, I’d like to study Criminal Justice,” says Tan, who attended high school back in his native Burma, but not college. Currently living in Brooklyn, Tan first heard about BMCC from friends and decided to apply. “I’d also like to improve my English while I am here,” says Tan. “I like that the school is very diverse.”
Brooklyn native Amlak Saleh was also at the New Student assembly program. After graduating from high school in Crown Heights, she set her sights on BMCC. “I will probably end up enrolling here and major in Liberal Arts,” says Saleh. Eventually, she hopes to shift her academic focus to law.
In his introductory speech, Student Government Association President Curtis Browne advised incoming BMCC students to get involved. “Join a club and take advantage of all the amenities we have at BMCC,” he told the audience.
Students arranged by major
After being welcomed to the BMCC family with introductions from Dean Craig, Vice President G. Scott Anderson and other invited guests, prospective students were broken up into groups by their major, with Nursing, Writing and Literature, and Liberal Arts drawing some of the larger crowds.
These groups were then brought to individual classrooms or to the BMCC lounge, where a BMCC faculty member talked about the major, and what to expect as a BMCC student. There was even a group for students who were undecided about a major.
In room N444, nursing faculty member Anne Lavelle spoke to about 60 prospective nursing students. “We need nurses. It’s a wonderful profession, but a lot of hard work,” she told them. “You need to maintain high grades—so don’t talk to any current nursing students about the program,” she joked.
After breaking up into groups, the new students were invited to the Third Floor Lobby at BMCC where various on-campus departments, such as Athletics, SGA, Learning Resource Center, and more, set up booths for the new students to learn about the clubs and activities BMCC has to offer. This meet-and-greet also allowed the new students to interact with BMCC faculty, staffers, and current students.
With so much to learn and see at the New Student Assembly, BMCC Vice-President G. Scott Anderson reassured the large number of incoming BMCC students, “You have a voice here. You’re here because of a lot of sacrifice. We all recognize that, and the faculty and staff are here to serve you all.”
