By Mallory Bowman
It used to be that new students on the University ofLouisville’s campus had nothing to do the weekend before classesstarted. However, three years ago, U of L orientation coordinatorsDanielle Bristow and Mary Springer changed that.
“There was nothing for students to do, and things on campusweren’t open yet,” Bristow said.
So Bristow and Spring decided to found the U of L WelcomeWeekend. The event is always held the weekend before classes start.Various activities directed toward freshmen and new students takeplace all weekend.
“This is the one event that the whole camps works on,” Bristowsaid.
This year’s event will mark the third annual Welcome Weekend andis scheduled for Aug. 19-22.
Events planned for this year’s Welcome Weekend include a jobfair; cars under the stars, which is a rooftop dance held on top ofthe Floyd Street Garage; an opening ceremony and a reception forparents; diversity workshops, and many other events.
Bristow said there will be icebreaker events to help studentsget to know one another better, and that many of the businessoffices on campus will be open during this time.
“We market this to new students, and try to get residentfreshmen out of their dorms,” Springer said.
However, students who don’t live on campus are welcome at theevent.
U of L Director of Academic Services Cheryl Gilchrist will beheading up academic events during Welcome Weekend. During theweekend students will be introduced to the campus’s academicsupport services such as various tutoring programs and otherservices to insure academic success.
Springer said for new freshmen who might be apprehensive aboutstarting school, this is the perfect event to attend. All theseparate colleges will also be having open houses. Students willvisit the college in which they have declared their major.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for students to make aconnection between summer orientation and the fall 2004 semester,”Gilchrist said. “They will develop some academic and personalsuccess strategies that will help them transition smoothly.”
Bristow agreed.
“There will be friendly faces all around campus,” she said.”This will be relaxed environment and there will be a lot of freefood.”
Bristow said new students who participate in Welcome Weekendactivities feel more comfortable when it comes time to attend classon Monday.
