At orientation, everyone is waiting for somebody else to say hi first. Be the somebody.

A room full of new people is a room full of people assuming everyone else is less nervous than they are. That shared assumption is what keeps everyone standing in their own small space. Whoever speaks first is not braver by nature; they have just decided to spend the awkward ten seconds.

Pick one person near you and say your name. Ask something ordinary about where they came from or what they are here for. You will have done the hard part for both of you, and most of the time the relief is visible.