Dorm Olympics, Haverford’s annual tradition of residence hall pride and student talent that pits dorm against dorm in a camp-color-war-style competition, had to be postponed until Sept. 8 due to rain, but otherwise Customs 2019 was, as this year’s candy-themed logo suggested, sweet.
Customs is Haverford College’s unique first-year experience, which begins with a five-day orientation ahead of the start of classes and continues all year long, as roughly 200 upperclass students support the newest Fords in their transition from high school to college life. Those first five days include Move-In Day (facilitated by Customs teams members who helped carry all those mini-fridges and laundry baskets into the residence halls), several fairs and information sessions introducing the newest Fords to campus resources and academic departmental offerings, advising sessions, the annual SupaFun dance, a hypnotist performance, and—this year—an outdoor screening of Space Jam on Founders Green.
The 364 individuals who collectively make up the Class of 2023 hail from 35 states, D.C., Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and 20 countries from around the world. 48 percent identify as a person of color, 25 percent come from a family where one or both parents did not attend college, and 25 of them are Questbridge-match students.
They are largest and most selective class in the College’s history, and Customs Week allowed the rest of the Haverford community a chance to get to know them and offer them a warm welcome to their new home.
Photos by Holden Blanco ’17 and Cole Sansom ’19.