Alumni Association welcomes new students with Sun Devil Send-Offs
The ASU Alumni Association will partner with Sun Devil alumni and families this summer to welcome Arizona State University’s incoming freshmen and transfer students at a series of Sun Devil Send-Offs to be held at locations across the United States.
The send-offs offer a casual, relaxed setting for new and returning members of the ASU community to meet each other. They provide a personal welcome to ASU for students and their families, as well as opportunities to connect with ASU alumni and continuing students. New students are encouraged to ask questions about life at ASU, share their concerns and excitement, and socialize with other students from their home area.
The gatherings are hosted by local alumni, many of whom belong to the Alumni Association’s nationwide network of chapters and clubs. The university’s Undergraduate Admissions unit provides outreach to incoming ASU students and encourages all new students to attend before arriving on campus.
ASU students who have attended previous send-offs give them high marks for helping them prepare for their time at the university.
"I enjoyed meeting both other incoming freshmen as well as their parents,” said Natalie Fleming, an ASU sustainability major who attended a send-off in Madison, Wisc. “It was nice to talk about our individual preparations for ASU, such as purchasing season passes for games and our mode of transportation to Arizona."
Jordan Frakes, a journalism major who attended a send-off in Westlake Village, Calif., said, "I really enjoyed the introductions. Everyone comes from different backgrounds and attends ASU for different reasons. Hearing what other students were majoring in was interesting, too."
Eddie Devall, president of the Los Angeles alumni chapter, said his support of the send-offs stemmed from his positive experiences at a similar gathering when he was a student.
“I went to a send-off in San Diego before heading to ASU,” he said. “I met other students I am still friends with today; another attendee became a future roommate of mine. It was a great event. That's why I still value the send-offs as an alum – they make ASU feel like a comfortable and friendly community as students and their families get ready to join the Sun Devil family for life.”
Nearly 40 Sun Devil Send-Offs are planned for 2013.
2013 Sun Devil Send-Offs dates and locations:
• June 29 – Spokane, Wash.
• June 29 – Indianapolis
• June 30 – Boise, Idaho
• July 13 – Denver
• July 13 – Dallas/Ft. Worth
• July 13 – Seattle
• July 13 – Honolulu, Hawaii
• July 13 – Las Vegas
• July 13 – San Antonio, Texas
• July 14 – San Francisco
• July 14 – Flagstaff, Ariz.
• July 16 – Yuma, Ariz.
• July 20 – Portland, Ore.
• July 20 – Detroit
• July 20 – New York
• July 20 – Houston
• July 20 – Austin, Texas
• July 20 – Salt Lake City/Draper, Utah
• July 20 – Orange County/Ladera Ranch, Calif.
• July 20 – Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn.
• July 21 – Washington, D.C.
• July 21 – Los Angeles/Arcadia
• July 23 – Philadelphia
• July 27 – Albuquerque, N.M.
• July 27 – Columbus/New Albany, Ohio
• July 27 – Orange County/Anaheim Hills
• July 27 – San Diego
• July 28 – Pittsburgh
• July 28 – Chicago
• July 28 – Madison, Wisc.
• July 29 – Los Angeles/Westlake Village
• July 30 – Los Angeles/El Segundo
• Aug. 3 – Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
• Aug. 4 – Charlotte, N.C.
• Aug. 4 – Tucson, Ariz.
• Aug. 4 – New England/Cambridge, Mass.
To learn more or to register for a Sun Devil Send-Off, visit http://alumni.asu.edu/events/send-offs.