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URSU Welcome Week 2005 |
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For everyone who went to class, here’s what you missed.
In my biased opinion, Welcome Week 2005 was an overwhelming success for our students, our school and our community. But this was no accident; these accomplishments were the direct result of the continuous, selfless acts of many people: the URSU V-Team, student societies, Student Affairs, the Alumni Association, faculty, staff, and above all, students. YOU propelled the week of festivities! The week began with a blast on Tues. Sept. 6, as activities began out on the Academic Green. We learned quickly that students had not lost their thirst over the summer; they anxiously awaited the opening of the beer tent and purchased nearly 2,000 beer the very first day. Alongside the alcohol, URSU provided carnival games, free cotton candy and sno-cones. We also hosted an information fair, allowing campus groups and societies a chance to recruit new members and gain publicity. There was a great response but hopefully, this event will recur in January after more groups are established. On Weds. we held our first of two Welcome Week feature events: “Melt Your Mind,” a magic show performed by world class magician Derek Selinger. Before the doors were even opened to reveal the dimly lit Education Auditorium shrouded in mist, the line had grown into hundreds of excited students extending into the Kinesiology building. Some students were worried that there would not be enough seating available, so the wings of the Education Auditorium had to be opened to accommodate the crowd. Derek amazed everyone in attendance by bending spoons with his mind, causing objects to levitate, and making playing cards disappear into thin air. It was amazingly invigorating to see the nearly sold out audience awed and inspired by the acts that he performed. The second feature event put on by URSU, in partnership with Student Affairs, was “Naked on the Green.” Without a doubt, this was the biggest live on-campus event in the history of the U of R. Because of the support of many deans and faculty members–to whom we extend a warm thank you–approximately 4,500 students gathered on the green to create a much needed community environment, which we know will now flourish. One of the most positive aspects of Thursday afternoon was the diversity in the audience when Bif Naked began to play: students from every faculty and of all ages, staff from many departments, professors, deans, and even our new university president were in attendance. Although we were all there to simply have a great time, we could easily look around and see what really does make this campus such a great place. Welcome Week 2005 is a clear testament to what can be achieved through hard work, initiative, and cooperation at our school. I hope what was experienced last week will not be a one time thing, but a foundation for growth in building campus community. Please know that your Students’ Union can be counted on to create even more mind blowing, fun loving, and heartwarming events in the near future. Let’s continue down the path of this already historic year! Victor Thomas is the President and Hillary Aitken is the Vice-president of External Affairs for URSU |