By: Emily Ferro and Alexandra Ventura –
When a student nears the end of their high school career, there is one subject that is brought up continuously: college. What schools are they looking at, when do they need to apply, are they excited to leave home? But before students can start prattling off the list of schools they wish to attend, it would first help if they visited the campus to make sure that they wish to apply.
Media Credit: Emily Ferro - Vianis DeBarros (left) and Kayla O'Connor (right) offer popcorn to prospective students as they run the CAB table at open house.
And that is where Salve comes in. Every year the University hosts many events in order to welcome in any potential students, whether they are just visiting, or they are attending the end of the year Accepted Students Day event.
Salve kicked off its annual Fall Open House on Sunday, September 25. It is a day that allows high school students and their parents to explore the school. The students come from all around the country with the intent of finding the place that they can live the best four years of their young lives.
So, the question is asked, how about going to Salve? The students who gave their opinions of Salve raved about the beautiful landscape and architecture. They were delighted with the friendliness of the current student body, and the professors seemed to be especially knowledgeable of their subject fields. Each of the students that provided insight regarding their view of Salve didn’t have anything negative to say, nor did their parents.
With a cloudy start, people began checking in at Ochre Court around 9:30am to begin their tours. The clouds cleared, and the sun made everything seem more picturesque and surreal, sort of like a fairytale. Jessica Hanratty, a high school junior from Westchester, New York remarked, “This campus is absolutely beautiful, and I can definitely see myself here.” She also added that she would feel safe and at ease while walking around.
Hanratty came accompanied by her cousin, Hope Galvin, who is also a junior at her high school. These girls are both aspiring psychology majors, who have begun taking college prep courses at their high school. They claim to be very excited, and they believe that Salve is a really fun campus. These girls may only be juniors, but they have begun searching for the right college earlier than most. Now, they have something to look forward to, and motivation to get them through their next two years in high school.
As usual, Salve did not let its visitors go hungry for information or sweets. As prospective students moved between buildings, each new destination offered up a table with sweets and someone to give them a new insight about campus.
One such destination was Wakehurst Student Center. Visitors trickled in and out of the building, stopping to grab a bucket of popcorn offered by Campus Activities Board, or to listen to the WSRU DJ who played in the Fireplace Lounge.
While there were not hordes of people buzzing into Wakehurst, Heather Barbour, the Director of Student Activities, was not disappointed by the turnout. People were coming in “slowly but surely,” she said. Wakehurst was a part of the self-guided tour, so she was confident that families would find their way there as the day went on.
Cristine Amaral and her friends Julie Grant and Brianna Butler, traveled from Warwick, RI to visit Salve. These friends, all high school seniors, already have an idea of what they want to study. Amaral and Butler aspire to pursue nursing, and Grant strives to be a business major. The girls heard about Salve from a friend from school, who is now a freshman at Salve. Grant says she is extremely attracted to what the school has to offer. She states, “I have met a couple of the professors here, and they seem extremely helpful. I also really appreciate the small class sizes. The business department seems perfect for what I’d like to accomplish in life.”
Amaral’s mother, Yvette, likes the campus as well. She says that she would have no problems with sending her daughter to Salve, except perhaps for concern of missing her daughter, but that is expected with any college.
Grant hopes that college will be “just like the movies,” she says. She looks forward to late-night studying, making new friends, and an all-around good time. “I look forward to this new atmosphere,” she said. “It requires new things of us that we will need to start utilizing.”
Attendees of the event learned many new things at Salve’s open house, from how to use the trolley system to a suggestion to invest in a nice pair of rain boots and a cute umbrella. Students and parents alike complemented the event. “The open house was very well organized,” said Yvette Amaral. “The way it played out was excellent, and the professors were a great help with explaining how the classes are conducted.”
By 3:00 p.m., families began to leave, and Salve became calm.
Later in the year there will be more Open Houses and Accepted Students Days, so no doubt these faces will turn into familiarities.
