Seton Hall University begins academic year with first-day furry friends

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SOUTH ORANGE, NJ — The Student Activities Board at Seton Hall welcomed the university community on the first day of classes with a bunch of furry friends, hosting a free animal petting zoo on the Campus Green.

On their way to classes, students and faculty were greeted with baby bunnies, chicks, goats, sheep, a cow, an alpaca and a mini mule. The animals were brought by Mountainside Stables, a traveling entertainment business from Sparta that provides traveling petting zoos.

“The petting zoo is a way for students to get rid of those first-day jitters,” said SAB President Samantha Innamorato, a senior visual and sound media major with a minor in public relations. “A lot of students, especially freshmen, are really anxious and nervous on their first day of classes, so we want them to have a positive first-day experience and to feel welcomed on our campus.”

Every year, SAB continues its tradition of welcoming students back to campus with “Welcome Week,” a weeklong series of activities where students can “meet new people, learn more about campus resources, get involved on campus and, most importantly, have fun.” Some of these activities include Blue Day, an annual carnival with boardwalk games, inflatable activities and boardwalk treats; WINGO, an evening with bingo and wings; Music Under the Stars, a free summer evening concert; and a trip to Point Pleasant Beach.

Among those in attendance at the petting zoo were Zachary Cooney, a political science student who is entering his senior year, and Nate Valyo, a junior economics and IT management major. Cooney said the petting zoo was a great way to start off his last year as a student at the university.

“I am grateful that Seton Hall finds ways to welcome everyone back to campus and welcome the new members of our community,” Cooney said.

Valyo agreed, adding that he loves the first-day traditions Seton Hall brings to its students.

“There was never a moment where I didn’t feel like I wasn’t part of the Seton Hall community. I’m always at home here,” Valyo said.

For Kate Fontes, a freshman student majoring in the 3 + 3 dual-degree B.S./M.S. Physician Assistant program, the petting zoo gave her “a piece of her home” in rural Sussex County. 

“It’s made me feel more comfortable on my very first day of college classes,” Fontes said. “Coming into Seton Hall, I was really nervous at first, but the university has made me feel at home from the moment I set foot on campus.”

Photos Courtesy of Seton Hall University

  Seton Hall University