University of Regina welcomes students

0
1303
U of R Residences. Sarah Carrier

This years welcome fest features food and fun

This week the University of Regina welcomed more than 15,000 students to the campus, with many of them arriving for the annual move-in weekend. Students and their families got settled in one of the five on-campus residences (plus the Pride Centre’s Colourful Campus House for 2SLGBTQQIA students), getting to know each other and the lay of the land, in what is, for many, their first time away from home. 

         This year there is a line-up of entertainment and activities planned throughout the week to kick off the 2019/20 school year. The University’s annual Welcome Week celebrations are an opportunity for new and returning students to get to know each other and find out about clubs and activities available to them on campus. 

            Societies on the Green – where academic and social clubs set up on the quad to attract new recruits – gives students the opportunity to find communities of people who share their interests and academic goals.  

“The societies have all signed up ahead of time so students can get to know them,” said Jessica Rusitch, who is co-ordinating her first ever Welcome Week this year. There are nearly 200 on-campus clubs registered with URSU Vibe – the students’ union’s online hub for all things social. Between Societies on the Green and Vibe, new and returning students can find a club for just about anything – from Amnesty International to the Biology Undergrad Society (BUGS) to the Dungeons and Dragons Club. 

            There are plenty of Welcome Week-specific events too, said Rusitch 

“We have the rock wall, the Euro bungee, and the Welcome-fest concert,” which will be held on Wednesday.  

In the past the concert has been held on the weekend, but Rusitch says they’ve pushed it to Wednesday – the first day of classes – to take advantage of the fact that more students will be on campus. Life of Kai and Flatland Funk will be playing at what has been dubbed the “Glow Fest.” And for those who are just hungry, there are Red Frog pancake breakfasts on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. 

            Along with the fun, there are practical sessions for students that will go on through the entire month of September, including Conquering yoUR First Semester (we see what you did there and we don’t like it), Navigating Your Syllabus (because you WILL be told it’s on the syllabus), and Effective Note Taking (because there’s nothing worse than sitting down to review your notes and realizing that they’re completely incomprehensible). All told the month of September will be full of great opportunities for students to settle in on campus, get in the swing of classes, and try and get on track before it’s already time for mid-terms. 

Faraz Khan, who is returning for his second year at the U of R, said that when it comes to starting the year off on the right foot, he appreciates the Welcome Week atmosphere. “The campus is kind of bustling,, students are engaged, having fun with activities.” There are other perks as well. “Last year we got mini-donuts.” 

TagsU of R

Comments are closed.