Jump to Content:Office Highlight: Center for Health Promotion  The Center for Health Promotion will help you develop the skills and identify the resources necessary to make healthy choices in college. Primary areas of emphasis include harm reduction for alcohol and other drug use, building resiliency, and finding balance so you can thrive during college and beyond. You can access free, personalized wellness coaching sessions through our THRIVE @IC Program and free and confidential consultations about substance use through our BASICS Program. Our Health Promotion Resource Room offers free safer sex supplies, sleep kits, nicotine quit kits, and more.
Come visit us on the lower level of Hammond Health Center; you can also contact us at healthpromotion@ithaca.edu if you have any questions or concerns regarding your health and wellness at IC or if you would like to schedule a confidential appointment.
CHECK OUT THE CENTER FOR HEALTH PROMOTION New Student Chat: Transfer Students  Tune in to our Instagram, @ictransition, this Thursday to hear from a transfer student about life at IC. Learn about our thriving transfer community and all the resources that are available! As always, view the entire New Student Chat series on our website.
WATCH THE NEW STUDENT CHAT Student Org Spotlight: IC Genes  IC Genes engages and educates about all things genetics! Bi-weekly meetings feature conversations about ethical debates within the field and the occasional at-home science experiment. We also partner with Ithaca’s local Sciencenter, where we offer genetics lessons to kids between the ages of 5 and 12. No scientific background is necessary—just an interest in the topic! Members include psychology, theatre, and many more majors, so there is no expectation that you’ll be an expert. If you’d like to join or even just check out a meeting, email mjones22@ithaca.edu or visit our Engage page for more information. We hope to see you this semester!
LEARN MORE ABOUT IC GENES Programs between Move-In and Orientation  There is plenty you can do between the day you move in and the official start of Orientation this Thursday, August 19! After Convocation (your official welcome to the IC academic community on Wednesday, August 18, at 10 am) and the Community Picnic to follow, you’re invited to participate in the first Wellness Day, from 12:00 noon until 6:00 pm (ET). The Fitness Center will be open for individual workouts and pick-up games, and the Campus Center Quad will have lawn games and inflatables for you to enjoy. Drop by for however long you’d like to make new friends and have fun!
Wednesday night will feature our annual De-Stress Fest: Make friendship bracelets, paint rocks, and much more! Don’t miss out on these programs before Orientation officially begins!
EXPLORE PRE-ORIENTATION SCHEDULE HIGHLIGHTS Get Excited: Orientation Starts This Week!  We are so excited to welcome you to this year's Orientation program, August 19–21! Each day, you’ll meet people and make friends, learn about Ithaca College, and enjoy a warm welcome to your school and major. At night, join us at signature Orientation events—including socials for every mood, from Paint and Sip (following along with Bob Ross) to Club Glow, our outdoor neon dance party!
You won’t want to miss our culminating event, Fall Fest! Each quad will host a different activity: Watch a special outdoor movie on the Academic Quad, or tune in to live music at the concert on the Campus Center Quad. You’ll also enjoy food trucks, carnival games, and inflatables across campus. We’re excited for you to take part in all these activities and hope you are, too! Find more information on our website.
GET EXCITED FOR ORIENTATION! Be Safe while Enjoying the Beauty of Ithaca's Gorges  The gorges in Ithaca are beautiful! As you enjoy them this fall (and beyond!), please exercise caution; they can be dangerous. Too many people have been injured and have even died as a result of misuse of the gorges and failure to heed posted warning signs. Pay attention to the weather, and please stay out of the streams especially in the days following a rain event. Water volumes build over many miles, creating strong currents that can unexpectedly sweep you off your feet. Please also follow these gorge safety guidelines:
- Remain on marked trails. Walking in prohibited areas creates an imminent risk of falling from cliffs or being hit by falling rocks.
- Swimming is prohibited as streams in the gorges have dangerous, hidden currents. People have drowned in them.
- Use of alcohol or other substances increases all of the dangers described here.
- Do not hike on unlit trails after dark. Cliff edges are closer than they look, and it is easy to become disoriented in the dark.
- Do not use trails that are closed in the winter.
READ MORE ABOUT GORGE SAFETY Ithaca Tradition: Downtown Ithaca  In the heart of downtown Ithaca is a four-block pedestrian shopping area called “the Commons” featuring more than 100 independently owned and operated shops and boutiques, restaurants, art galleries, and more. (Several are alumni owned!) Many annual events are hosted on the Commons, including a free summer concert series, Apple Harvest Festival (a previous Countdown to Ithaca feature story), the Chowder Cook-off, and others.
Only one block north of the Commons are Dewitt Park and the Dewitt Mall. At the edge of Dewitt Park is Boardman House, the original site of the Ithaca Conservatory of Music—which grew to become Ithaca College. (Weather and pandemic permitting, the park is the site of IC’s annual Founder’s Day concert featuring the IC Wind Ensemble!) Dewitt Mall boasts Moosewood, the world-famous vegetarian restaurant; local cooperative Buffalo Street Books; and the legendary Café Dewitt (try their brunch!).
Learn more about what the Commons and the Dewitt Mall have to offer you on the Downtown Ithaca website.
VISIT DOWNTOWN ITHACA Final Reminder: Becoming an IC Bomber 101  Remember to complete the Becoming an IC Bomber 101 online course. You’ll learn tons of need-to-know information about IC and how to connect with helpful campus partners. This course must be completed before you move in. Access it in IC Connect via your New Student Checklist!
COMPLETE THE BOMBER 101 COURSE Let’s Connect! If you have questions about anything IC or Ithaca, please reach out! Email us at nstp@ithaca.edu, call at 1-607-274-1908, or talk on Live Chat at www.ithaca.edu/orientation. Follow us on Instagram @ictransition to keep up to date with happenings on campus and our New Student Chats! CHAT WITH US NOW! Warmly, Kevin Perry, Associate Director Charlie Ellis, Graduate Intern
Maddy Jones, Orientation Coordinator & Mentor
Abby McGuire, Orientation Coordinator & Mentor Office of New Student & Transition Programs | 
