Those who help acquaint incoming freshman and transfer students to Iowa State during summer orientation have started training.

Training for the 26 new Cyclone Aides began in mid-February and lasts for 10 weeks. Aides meet once a week for three hours to prepare for the challenges they’ll face this summer.

Ardys Ulrichson, director of Orientation, said out of more than 100 applicants, 26 aides are chosen, with two previous aides selected as advisers.

Aides are selected by their college and by the number of aides a college needs, Ulrichson said. Aides must also be comfortable with meeting and talking to people.

She said having an understanding of the university is good, but not necessary since all aides are trained.

“Aides are trained to have general information about the university and some information about all seven colleges,” Ulrichson said.

Cyclone Aides also are selected to reflect the student body and the different types of housing on campus.

Freshman orientation begins June 1 and ends with its last program on July 1.

The week before orientation begins, Cyclone Aides will move into the residence halls to begin a week of intensive training.

Aides will insert 6,000 orientation notebooks with information about Iowa State as part of their training. During their stay in the residence halls, Ulrichson said aides will answer questions and help with problems freshman who stay overnight may have by acting as RAs.

Alyssa Armbrecht, freshman in chemical engineering and food science, of Rockwell City, always wanted to be a Cyclone Aide and thought this would be the best summer to apply.

Training, which includes a question and answer session of possible questions incoming freshman might ask, has prepared Armbrecht in learning about all facets of the university.

“By the end, we’ll know more than we’ll ever have wanted,” she said.

At her own freshman orientation, Armbrecht said she remembers looking up to the aides and enjoying the fun skits they put on.

“They knew where we were coming from,” Armbrecht said. “They came down to our level.”

Armbrecht hopes after the incoming freshman leave, they will feel more comfortable with the campus.

“I hope they leave campus counting the number of days they have to come back,” she said.

As a Cyclone Aide adviser, Aaron Robinson, sophomore in exercise and sport science of Ankeny, is involved in helping to train the new aides and preparing them for the summer events.

Robinson, who was a Cyclone Aide in 1997, said he sees the job of an aide, which includes helping ease the transition from high school to college for incoming freshman, as an honor.

“I think it’s one of the most prestigious positions to hold on campus,” he said.