Pioneer Experience Blends Fun, Friendship and Service to Launch College Journey Wednesday, August 27, 2025
Students competed in a lip sync battle as part of the Battle of the Boulevard.
Point Park welcomed its largest first-year class in years with a four-day orientation known as Pioneer Experience. Pioneer Ambassadors — upperclassmen who plan and guide the first years through orientation — organized events that ranged from informative to fun, helping students get acclimated to their Downtown Pittsburgh campus.
Of course, it all started with move-in, a multi-day event in which Point Park’s distinctive red bins filled the crosswalk of the Boulevard of the Allies, pushed by parents and students in University swag. Pioneer Ambassadors lightened the load and boosted spirits by cheering and singing.
Students began Pioneer Experience with a welcome event held in the PNC Theatre of the Pittsburgh Playhouse, the University’s state-of-the-art performance center.
President Chris W. Brussalis set the tone by giving the first-year class a set of simple instructions for their college career: “Show up. Get involved. Have fun.” The students took the instructions to heart, as many participated in the orientation events that included trips off campus, service projects and loads of fun.
Breaking Out of Their Shell and Climbing to New Heights
Nick Buono, a junior film production major, served as activities involvement coordinator and planned all of the events in the Battle of the Boulevard, a friendly competition that included events such as the lip sync battle and outdoor games at Point State Park. Before heading to the park, each team decorated Village Park sidewalks with chalk art in their team's color.
“The obvious highlight was the lip sync battle,” Buono said. “The energy in the room was electric and contagious. I had students coming up to me and telling me they didn’t think they’d go on stage, but the event broke them out of their shells. I hope I’ve left a good impression in the hearts of the freshmen about what this school is about.”
Quinn Starrett, a junior musical theatre major, served as the campus involvement coordinator and planned all of the late-night events during orientation. Many were designed to introduce the first-year students to the student organizations they can join, but one special tradition is the trip to the Monongahela Incline. Around 200 students walked across the Smithfield Street Bridge to access the iconic passenger funicular railway that ferries people up and down Mt. Washington. At the top, students caught one of the best views of Pittsburgh.
“Students made friends with people they never would have met had they not gone up the incline together,” Starrett said. “Many groups came back from going up the incline to sit and chat in Village Park. One group at the end of the night even stayed and had a mini dance party, which many of the Pioneer Ambassadors joined. I hope students made friends that will last a lifetime.”
Serving the City They'll Call Home
Students also had an opportunity to serve the city they’ll call home for the next four years. Alexander Hatt, a senior film production major with a concentration in cinematography, served as the service coordinator and organized three possible service opportunities: creating period packs or birthday bags for local schools with students in need, or cleaning up Downtown with the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership.
Over 140 students participated in the Downtown cleanup, while other students created 240 period packs (bags that contained menstrual products) and 250 birthday bags (which contained school supplies, a small toy and a hand-detailed card).
“The biggest highlight for me would be talking to each of the groups that helped out on service day,” Hatt said. “In total, there were over 200 freshmen who attended, and every group that I talked to seemed to be very grateful they could help out. This new class seemed to really enjoy the projects, especially the period packs.”
Connecting with Alumni at a Pittsburgh Pirates Game
The culmination of Pioneer Experience is the traditional trip to a Pittsburgh Pirates game. This year, Student Life teamed up with the Alumni and Advancement office and created a joint opportunity for past and present Pioneers. Alumni and their family members met up with the first years in Village Park, then walked over to PNC Park to root for the home team together.
Welcome, class of 2029!
Check out a full gallery of photos from move-in and orientation
