Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar incoming freshmen kick off weeklong orientation

This event gave the students and their parents an idea of what it is like to be a Carnegie Mellon student and a Carnegie Mellon parent.

The evening began with a welcome reception during which the students were given Carnegie Mellon giveaways. This was followed with a reception by Chuck Thorpe, Dean; a speech by Gloria Khoury, Assistant Dean of Student Affairs; and a speech by John Robertson, Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs.

Other activities included a current student talking about life at Carnegie Mellon and Education City, a sample lecture and the showing of a video in which parents of current students talked about what it means to them to be a Carnegie Mellon parent.

'Everybody really enjoyed the event. It was informative as well as fun, and it fostered community building and further extended the existing Carnegie Mellon family,' says Mohamed Rezwan Al Islam (CS 2010), one of four Higher Orientation Counselors who organized the event.

Students and their families also had an opportunity to talk individually with Dean Thorpe, members of the student affairs department, faculty members, staff and students who are part of the orientation team. The 200 attendees also enjoyed a light diner buffet.

Al Islam along with Jinanne Tabra (Business Administration 2008), Noor Al Jassim (Business Administration 2009), and Ramsey Ramadan (Business Administration 2009) organized the family orientation event. The 18-member orientation team, made up of students, assisted with the event planning. This special program, along with all of the events during orientation week, was entirely planned and executed by Carnegie Mellon Qatar students.