Whether a student is from Paris, Texas, or Paris, France, after this weekend, all newcomers will be Sooners.

Thursday was official freshman move-in day and the beginning of New Sooner Orientation.

This year's orientation is themed "O the Things U Can Do." Sheppard McConnell, New Sooner Orientation chair and anthropology senior, said the committee got the idea from the Dr. Seuss book "Oh, the Places You'll Go," which some seniors receive as graduation gifts.

McConnell said the goal of New Sooner Orientation is to bring an instant sense of community and family for the new students.

"We want them to know that Norman and OU are not separate entities and we value the students that come to Norman," McConnell said.

Wearing lime green T-shirts with the words "Welcome to Soonerville," New Sooner Orientation leaders were seen around residence halls answering questions and helping freshmen move in.

Representatives from campus offices like Parking and Transit and Housing and Food Services were available under white tents throughout Walker-Adams Mall.

University College freshman Zach Gilliam and his parents picked up free items.

Gilliam said he concurrently enrolled in OU classes in his last year of high school, so he was fairly familiar with the campus. But for those students who were new, OU was at their fingertips.

"It's great because you don't have to call like 500 people to ask questions, it's all just right here," Gilliam said. "Now I'm really excited about school and looking forward to the experience."

McConnell said there are about 50 businesses participating in orientation, including Bank of America, Bed Bath & Beyond and the Geek Squad from Best Buy.

"If a student needs a computer, we have people here for that; if a student needs a checking account, we have people here for that," McConnell said. "Anything a student could possibly need, we have provided."

In addition to the festivities on the Walker-Adams Mall, seminars, workshops and special events are scheduled throughout campus over the weekend.

While some students will take time to become acclimated to life without parents, others will have the task of adapting to American culture.

Dozens of international students spent Wednesday and Thursday learning about a variety of topics, including immigration, campus security and student code.

Michele Bailey, international programs adviser, said cultural adaptation is hard for international students.

"There is a lot of information to absorb, so if they miss something, misunderstand a topic or are just completely overwhelmed, we provide them with lots of handouts [and] Web addresses," Bailey said. "And of course, they can always come to our office."

Gokhan Koc, management information systems senior from Turkey, said there was too much information coming to him at once for him to process it all.

Koc said some students will probably forget a lot of what they heard.

"Some of it is beneficial," Koc said. "But I admire them for their willingness to make us feel comfortable and at home."

Accounting and finance sophomore Lennisha Young, from England, said the orientation was very helpful, but a lot of the information was just common sense.

Young said the campus is massive, so a tour would help, but she's ready to jump into OU life

"There are a lot of people here and they are a lot nicer than back at home," Young said. "I'm really looking forward to being more social."

Bailey said she wanted the international students to participate in New Sooner Orientation activities.

"It's an event for all OU students, not just new ones," McConnell said. "So don't be afraid to come out and have fun."
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