SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC NEWS) – For the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the University 100 ambassador group has begun giving tours on Syracuse University’s campus.
Brycen Greco is a junior studying cybersecurity in the I-School. He joined U100 his freshman year at SU. He had experience from giving tours at his middle school and high school and wanted to continue doing so during his college years. He joined the program and quickly completed the required training.
“Usually, you have to do 3 shadow tours where you just watch and then you do 2 tag team tours with someone who is already approved and done it for a long time and then you do an approval tour… I did those six tours in one week because I really just wanted to get into it,” said Greco.
He said the program aims to have around 100 students, but it sometimes varies. Greco said that when he first started giving tours, he would bring prospective students and their families into buildings like the students center and the Carrier Dome.
“Now because of COVID and the construction that’s going on we are not going into any buildings so that’s definitely a weird change of pace. I’m glad at least the weather’s really nice. It’s 50 and 60 degrees instead of during the colder times of year it’s 20 and 30… But now that it’s nice it’s really not a problem” Greco said.
Tour guides like Greco, who give numerous tours and dedicate their time to work events for U100 on campus earn their “rugby,” a long-sleeve, blue and orange striped collared shirt, to show their achievement.
“I had always wanted to be a part of the program. I saw that it was a very prominent influential organization and I had seen a lot of notable people who had worked on it,” Thomas Simmons, an SU sophomore, said.
Simmons was recently accepted into U100. He said he begins his training to become a tour guide this week. However, some guides have been in the program for over a year and still not ever given a tour on their own.
Connor Hanan is a junior studying in Newhouse and the I-School. He joined U-100 during the spring of his sophomore year. Hanan had completed two shadowing session before students were sent home early in the spring of 2020.
“Part of the reason why I wanted to become a tour guide is because of the tour guide that I had when I was an admitted student. He was also from southern California so he helped ease the transition of understand that moving from San Diego to New York is possible and I know I can have that same effect on other people” Hanan said.
Tours are currently being given in-person Monday through Friday on campus. There are also virtual options available for prospective students.
