97-09-12 Welcome Week is Expanded at Ohio State WELCOME WEEK CONNECTS AND INTRODUCES STUDENTS TO OHIO STATE COLUMBUS -- As some 48,000 students gather on the Columbus campus of The Ohio State University to begin a new academic year, faculty, staff and university officials have planned numerous programs and activities designed to welcome and reconnect the students to Ohio State. Autumn quarter classes begin Sept. 24. President E. Gordon Gee will welcome students on Monday Sept. 22 with a convocation and picnic. The convocation, at 11 a.m. in St. John Arena, will feature a colorful processional of faculty in academic regalia as well as remarks by Gee; David Williams II, vice president for Student Affairs; Richard Sisson, senior vice president and provost; and John Carney, president of Undergraduate Student Government. African American voices and The Ohio State University Marching Band will perform. University, college and student leaders will be introduced. The marching band will then lead the students to the Oval, where Gee will welcome them at a noon picnic on the Oval, with some 22 food and service vendors. The convocation and picnic are part of the expanded Welcome Week, which will take place Sept. 21-28. Following the theme of “Students First,” Welcome Week is a series of activities and programs designed to welcome and introduce faculty, staff and school traditions to new and returning students to Ohio State. Williams said Welcome Week will include more events than last year as a result of recommendations from the Committee on the Undergraduate Experience (CUE) -- a committee convened in 1995 to study undergraduate life at Ohio State -- and as part of Student Affairs’ efforts to continue to improve the student experience at Ohio State. “We won’t stop at the first week. We have to keep the commitment going,” Williams said. “That first week and first year is crucial in the area of retention. We want to get that initial contact with students and make them feel connected.” Between Sunday (9/21) and Tuesday (9/23), almost 8,000 students will be moving into dormitories; about half of them are expected Sunday, the first day residence halls open. To help with the move-in process, at least 600 student volunteers, called OWLs or “Orientation Welcome Leaders,” will unload cars and help cart student belongings into the residence halls. Once students have finished moving in, they can participate in a number of events, including a Student Involvement Fair Monday (9/21) from 1 to 5 p.m. at the Ohio Union, 1739 N. High St., with representatives from some 260 campus and local organizations; a bike maintenance mania provided by University Police Tuesday (9/23) at 1, 3, and 6 p.m. at Blankenship Hall, 901 Woody Hayes Drive; and a recreational sports day on the Oval from 1 to 6 p.m. Also on Tuesday (9/23), some 1,000 students will meet on the West Lawn of the Ohio Union at 9:30 a.m. to take part in “Community Commitment,” where participants perform two hours of community service at sites near campus. A Community Service Fair will follow the service activity. Students can then catch “Scarlet Fever” at a pep rally at St. John Arena Thursday (9/25) at 7 p.m. Ohio State and community dignitaries, sports teams, cheerleaders, Brutus Buckeye and the Ohio State Pep Band will be on hand to welcome students and their guests. Area businesses and Ohio State vendors will give away prizes such as a mountain bike, free room and board, dinners, tickets to special events and more. “Students want to feel welcomed, and this is our way of celebrating and telling students we are glad to have them back on campus,” said Tracy Stuck, director of student activities. “If students feel they are important and are connected to each other and the university, they are more likely to stay and to succeed.” Students can take advantage of a Late Night at Larkins Hall Friday (9/26). This event will incorporate the intramural, sports club, and recreation opportunities, as well as special events and activities with the fun and excitement of an Ohio State-style block party. On Saturday (9/27), a Beach Party Tailgate will be held at the Drake Union from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to watch the Buckeyes play Missouri on three big-screen televisions. Following the party, the Rolling Stones will perform in Ohio Stadium at 7 p.m., and the Columbus Crew will host Tampa Bay Sunday (9/28) at 3 p.m., also in Ohio Stadium. Other events include a roommate fair offered by Off-Campus Student Services, fraternity programs, music, dancing and movies. # Contact: Tracy Stuck, director of student activities, (614) 292- 8763. Written by: Tracy Turner, university communications, (614) 688- 3682. [Submitted by: Von Vargas (vargas.12@osu.edu) Fri, 12 Sep 1997 16:11:40 -0400 (EDT)] All documents are the responsibility of their originator.