Last modified: Monday, August 22, 2005
Welcome Week designed to help students feel at home, connect with Indiana University
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AUG. 22, 2005
Photo by: www.homepages.indiana.edu
IU President Adam Herbert again will welcome students arriving at dorms Wednesday
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Welcome Week, a series of activities designed to connect students with the people, places and resources of Indiana University Bloomington, will be highlighted by events such as Freshman Induction Ceremonies on Wednesday (Aug. 24) and CultureFest on Thursday (Aug. 25). The theme for the week is "Proud Traditions: Welcome Week 2005."
Freshman Induction Ceremonies, which will be held at 3 and 5 p.m. at the IU Auditorium, 1211 E. Seventh St., will kick off Welcome Week activities and welcome students into the academic world at IU. President Adam W. Herbert and IU Bloomington Chancellor Kenneth R.R. Gros Louis will preside over the ceremony. Families are also invited to an induction picnic afterward.
CultureFest, which will begin at 4:30 p.m. the following day at the IU Auditorium, celebrates the history of IU and its cultural diversity. Students will have an opportunity to sample the food, music, art and dance of many ethnic groups that are represented on campus. All of the cultural centers on the Bloomington campus are involved with the event and will be represented at the festival.
Kevin Wanzer will be the keynote speaker at CultureFest. Wanzer, a Hoosier native, has spoken to more than 2 million students all around the world, addressed the United Nations, presented at the White House and worked on the David Letterman show. He will talk about living with authenticity, laughter, love and leadership.
On Friday (Aug. 26) at 4:30 p.m., the Office of Orientation Programs, IU Athletics and Residential Programs and Services invite everyone to "Traditions and Spirit of IU" at Memorial Stadium. It will offer a spirited welcome, where attendees will learn the IU Fight Song and find out about other campus traditions found in athletics and other out-of-classroom arenas. The public is invited.
Melanie Payne, IU associate director of orientation programs, said the week's events are designed to help students adjust quickly to campus life. "It is planned with the assumption that, when students feel more comfortable and connected with their surroundings, they can focus more easily, they know where to go for assistance and they feel more at home," Payne said. "As such, they are more likely to succeed."
New this year is IU Guides, a program that will take place during the first two days of classes (Aug. 29-30). Administrator, faculty and student volunteer "greeters" will be in high traffic areas of campus during the time when new students are most likely to need directions to classroom buildings and most likely to appreciate a friendly face and the offer of a campus map.
Other highlights include RecFest, which introduces students to the many services and club sports through IU's Division of Recreational Sports at Woodlawn Field (located at 10th Street and Woodlawn Avenue) on Friday from 1 to 3 p.m., and Taste of the IMU, 5:30 to 10:30 p.m. at the Indiana Memorial Union, 900 E. Seventh St.
Other Welcome Week activities focus on academics, IU resources and opportunities for involvement through events such as Academic Orientation, open houses, residence center events, social events and more. For more information, contact Payne at 812-855-6189 or mpayne@indiana.edu. The Welcome Week schedule is available at https://www.indiana.edu/~orient/welcomeweek/index.html.
