School spirit

Thin summer crowds deflate the profits of Chapel Hill businesses, leaving some owners gasping for air.

But UNC’s orientation programs are able to provide a light draft to help uplift these businesses until students arrive in the fall.

Carolina Testing and Orientation Program Sessions, a series of two-day summer orientations designed to acclimate students to campus life, brings thousands of potential consumers to Chapel Hill.

“The orientation programs will bring in about 3,700 students and 3,400 parents this summer alone,” said Judy Deshotels, director of new student programs. “We have 13, two-day C-TOPS sessions, and two, one-day (Transfer Student Orientation Program) sessions scheduled.”

Deshotels said more than 35 UNC departments are involved and benefit economically from the orientation programs.

Students who plan to use campus housing in the fall pay a fee of $146 to attend C-TOPS. This fee allows C-TOPS to arrange special programs, such as renting the Student Union auditorium for speakers.

“Our standard fees are distributed to several different departments in order for the programs to happen,” she said. “Food services, housing, the Union and parking — the list goes on.”

Deshotels also said that while the profits for these departments might not be large, the orientation programs help these groups during the summer when funds characteristically remain low.

She said businesses outside of the University also gain from the orientation programs.

“While C-TOPS doesn’t advertise for parents or students to seek out hotels versus staying in the dorms, local hotels and inns highly benefit from these visitors,” she said.

John Jones, director of Student Stores, said the orientation program brings in profit through the Carolina Computing Initiative.

“The main effect on our revenue is through the CCI program,” Jones said. “The majority of students buying a laptop pick them up at their C-TOPS session. The remainder of our revenue is often the clothing.”

Jones said Student Stores representatives also market the store toward the new students throughout the summer.

“We market the CCI program, the summer reading program book and the textbook preorder to the incoming freshmen and transfers,” he said.

Greg Gerrans, general manager of Alpine Bagel, said the orientation programs provide tremendous support for dining services in several aspects, including support of the community outside of the University.

“We hire people from off-campus,” Gerrans said. “These programs keep us afloat so we can provide employment opportunities, versus cutting back on staff, like most businesses do in a lull like this.”

Gerrans also said the crowds from the C-TOPS and T-SOPS programs keep the profit margin high enough for them to continue to support their charities throughout the summer.

“The incoming students keep us from having to penny pinch,” he said, "And at the same time we are able to build relationships with our future clientele. You can’t go wrong with a summer situation like that.”

A Charlotte native and mother of a rising freshman, Sheryl Phillips said she decided to pay the $57 fee to stay in a residence hall during her son’s C-TOPS session because she did the same with her daughter a few years before and enjoyed her experience.

Phillips, who stayed in Joyner Residence Hall this past C-TOPS session, also said paying to stay in the residence hall was beneficial.

“I think staying in the dorms gives the parents a unique perspective in regard to what the kids deal with throughout their on-campus experience,” she said.

Phillips said that even though she is familiar with the area, she preferred to eat on campus during the C-TOPS program.

Phillips said her family also spent a fair amount of money through the CCI program and at Student Stores while participating in C-TOPS.

“We certainly bought our share of paraphernalia,” she said. “It was a good thing my son was not there at the time, because I would have bought even more.”

Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.