Elgin Community College has opened their doors for another academic school year to an estimated 2,800 incoming students this August. For incoming students, meeting new people can cause anxiety and fear when transitioning to a new institution, fortunately ECC organizes and hosts multiple events to encourage both incoming and returning students to intermingle and get to know one another.

The New Student Mixer and Movie on the Lawn were held on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2017, on the Greenspace next to Building C. As the event started, many activities were seen to captivate incoming students such as volleyball, Jumbo Jenga, ping pong, and Giant Connect 4. Spartan Leaders and Ali-Reza Kashani, First Year Programs Coordinator, hosted the event. Raffles were held for participating students. Six raffle winners were announced as the night continued, winners received ECC branded tumblers with a variety of assorted chocolates.

“I’m looking forward to enjoying ECC, making new friends, making new connections, and especially volleyball season.” said Krystal Figueroa, a first-year student.

“Student Mixers are hosted in both fall and the winter. It is a great way for students to connect to one another, both incoming and returning. It is important to do something outside of your comfort zone. Introduce yourself to people you don’t know, take classes about a subject you’re unfamiliar with, just take this time to explore all concepts of ECC,” Kashani said.

As the night continued, both returning and incoming students quickly bonded together over a very competitive game of volleyball until the Movie on the Lawn was announced to begin.

The Movie on the Lawn for fall 2017 was the Marvel’s, well received, space adventure, “Guardians of the Galaxy: Volume 2.” As the sun set, students and their families filled up the Greenspace with chairs, blankets, and excitement. Both the Student Mixer and Movie on the Lawn worked as successful ways to begin a brand new year.