The Olympian Task of Planning Orientation
Desiree Baker (Student Transitions and Family Programs) is an unsung hero at Emerson. She plays a crucial role at the College, leading New Student Orientation programs in the fall and winter and welcoming our incoming students in true Emersonian fashion. With Orientation being such a massive undertaking every year, where does she even begin?
“The process can be confusing,” Baker said, “but my job restarts once Orientation ends.” From the moment Orientation concludes in the winter, Baker and her team are up and running, planning to do it all over again the following year. The first order of business is hiring a team of six Orientation Coordinators (OCs). OCs work tirelessly to diagram every Orientation event and detail. This is a yearlong process; OCs are hired in October and are employed until August of the following year. Backing up the team of OCs are Orientation Leaders (OLs)—a group of approximately 100 students who guide new students through Orientation programming. “It’s easy for OLs to be branded as ‘tutu wearers’ who dance on Boylston Street, but they are truly superheroes in the way they are able to impact the new student experience,” said Baker.
Aside from Baker’s passionate team of OCs and OLs, a number of departments help fill out the program. “While OCs coordinate socials and events for new students, I take a look at what offices and departments need to be involved in Orientation,” she said. Some of the departments involved in Orientation programming include the Office of Equal Opportunity, the Healing and Advocacy Collective, Academic Advising, the Career Development Center, the Center for Spiritual Life, Housing and Residential Education, and the Emerson Wellness Center.
One of the many exciting Orientation events that happens annually is the keynote, which is given by a public figure. In the past, speakers have come from all sorts of backgrounds—from performers to creatives to execs. “We start looking for a keynote early. OCs train in the spring, and then their roles go into full force at the beginning of June, which is when our designated Keynote OC begins outreach,” outlined Baker.
The Fall 2023 keynote speaker was trans actress and activist Dylan Mulvaney, who is best known for her LGBTQ+ advocacy on social media, including her TikTok series Days of Girlhood, which documents her transition journey. She is an empowering figure for the queer community by providing a positive outlook on her identity. It was a huge undertaking to bring Mulvaney to campus, given her immense following, but Baker and her team made it look effortless.
The inspiration for bringing Mulvaney on as the keynote came from OC Megan Riley, who saw her put out a call to speak on college campuses. “Since Mulvaney was a bigger name,” said Baker, “there was always the possibility of ‘what if she can’t come?’ Nonetheless, I said to Megan, ‘Draft something up; let’s try.’ We’re so happy we did, because it was so cool! I had never talked to someone with such popularity. It was amazing to see her onstage and to watch how she connected with students so personally.”
Every year, the keynote speaker is a surprise—much anticipation leads to a grand reveal toward the end of Orientation week. According to Baker, the secret was kept for about two weeks, since they had to make sure “all the I’s were dotted and the T’s were crossed.” A handful of staff were involved in arranging Mulvaney’s arrival, including Maureen Hurley (Student Transitions and Family Programs), Jim Hoppe (Campus Life), and Shaya Gregory Poku (Social Justice Collaborative).
“Being able to work with a big agency [Creative Artists Agency] to bring Mulvaney here was very rewarding, and I’m proud of Megan for shooting her shot. It never hurts to ask, and going through the process of having someone with a ‘name’ here was a proud achievement,” said Baker. “We were so happy that [Mulvaney] was able to be a resonating voice for students.”
Sage Liebowitz ’24