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Carthage greets 800-plus promising new Firebirds
![New residential students moved into their halls as fall 2022 orientation activities began Sept. 3.](/live/image/gid/91/width/700/35234_52332182366_9f6cf7ab64_k.rev.1662255466.jpg)
In fall 2022, Carthage welcomes more than 810 new Firebirds to campus.
A four-day New Student Orientation began Sept. 3, helping the incoming class and their families to embrace the transition. A community welcome event in Tarble Arena set the tone.
“When somebody needs to roll up their sleeves and get things done,” President Swallow said, “that is what I want Carthaginians to be.”
As of Sept. 1, the entering class included more than 740 freshmen and about 75 transfer students. Enrollment figures are finalized in early October each year.
As president of Student Government, Tyler Kelly ’24 empathized with students who endured remote learning at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, he urged them to shed those socially isolating habits and make the most of their time at Carthage.
“Your tuition does not pay for guaranteed experiences,” he said. “It pays for opportunities.”
Measured by GPA and test scores, the Class of 2026 is one of the strongest Carthage has seen. These students’ top academic areas of interest include nursing, psychology, management, marketing, criminal justice, and education.
“We’ve got your back,” she said. “So go try the thing that’s hardest for you, stay alive, and then do it again.”
Professor Julius Crump, who teaches religion and has a leadership role in the Office of Equity and Inclusion, offered a soothing message for the families adjusting to a new stage of parenthood: “Trust the work that you’ve put in.”
Dozens of returning Carthage students work as orientation leaders, conducting group sessions to break the ice and get the first-year students off and running. Even after classes start Sept. 7, new and returning students alike are invited to a series of year-opening Kick-Off Days events.