Willkommen, Bienvenue, Welcome…to Spring Semester
For the first time, the ASUC is managing a Spring Welcome Week, starting January 17th and ending the 19th. Okay, I lied. It’s not really a whole week, but ASUC insists that three days is, in fact, week enough. You start your weekend binge drinking on Wednesday night, too, don’t you?
Organized by Ilana Nankin and Curtis Lee (both of Student Action), this welcome week will feature events every day…while class is in session. There’s sponsorship from IFC, Panhellenic, Rally Committee, Cal Spirit, Superb, Cal Corps, and Hall Association, so that means tabling up the wazoo. Have you already had your fill of welcome weeks? Avoid Sproul altogether on Wednesday the 17th (between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. — yea, good luck with that) or go with the tried and true: no eye contact, sunglasses, iPod or cell, and both hands full. Full speed ahead.
Wednesday, January 17
SPROUL SHOWCASE, 12pm - 1pm
Numerous campus performance and culture show groups will showcase their
talents on Upper Sproul.CLUB FAIR,- 11am - 2pm
Clubs will be tabling on Sproul during the hours of 11 AM to 2 PM, with
sign up sheets and information regarding their clubs.MIXER, 7pm - 9pm
Notable Campus Leaders will share their experiences at Cal with Spring
Admits and Transfer Students. Through this event, new incoming students will
have the opportunity to interact in a social environment.Thursday, January 18
MTV ROCK THE CAMPUS BENEFIT CONCERT, 9pm - 12am
MTV Rock the Campus will be providing two Bands: “Sublime Remembered” and
“Arlington View,” to perform in Pauley Ballroom. We will ask for donations
at the door to go towards under funded Berkeley musical programs.Friday, January 19
CAL CORPS “Volunteer With Youth Fair,” 11am - 1pm
There will be on campus and off campus groups that have volunteer
opportunities for Cal students looking to get involved with youth in the
local area.NOON RALLY, 12pm
In collaboration with UC Rally Committee we are hosting a Noon time Rally
to showcase Cal Band and Cal Spirit.GREEK BBQ, 12:30pm - 2pm
With the help of the Greek Community, there will be a BBQ on Lower Sproul,
following the Rally. This is to highlight the Greek Community’s focus on
philanthropy and service. All proceeds from this event will be donated to a
Non profit organization.SUPERB MOVIE, 7pm and 9pm
ASUC Superb will be viewing “The Prestige” in Wheeler Auditorium.
It’s rather inconvenient to have Spring Welcome Week during the first week of instruction. True, you don’t do that much in class, but welcome weeks work so well because no one has anything at all to do. In less than two weeks we’ll be scooting around for books (more like inching slowly in the student bookstore line) and making sure we get all our syllabi. School’s in session, son — ain’t got no time for dilly-dallying. (Sorry, don’t know where that came from.)
Spring Welcome Week has always been a lackluster introduction to Cal for many incoming students because virtually no returning students come back to Berkeley until the Sunday before school starts. Having these welcome week activities on the week following the official welcome week is a great idea, as the events will draw in bigger crowds and allow for that crucial social atmosphere.
Comment by Chris Smyr — January 7, 2007 @ 3:05 am
Great. The ASUC is spending its time and resources doing something the university already does so a couple of people can put their names all over campus. Whoopdiedoo.
Comment by Ben N. — January 7, 2007 @ 3:30 am
Berkeley shouldn’t take spring admits. It’s just a backdoor.
Comment by Bhanu Singh — January 7, 2007 @ 12:51 pm
what’s wrong with the backdoor ??
Comment by anon54 — January 7, 2007 @ 1:25 pm
Spring Admits do just as well here as any other student.
And the res halls DO put on a Spring welcome week, but it is not as grandiose as the one ASUC is planning. Also, events in the res halls during Spring welcome week will not see the massive crowds and social atmosphere as Fall welcome week does, but this new ASUC one likely will. That’s improvement.
Comment by Chris Smyr — January 7, 2007 @ 2:57 pm
If it were me, I’d wait until I actually saw whether massive crowds and social atmosphere show up before declaring it an improvement.
Comment by Beetle — January 7, 2007 @ 4:53 pm
The very idea of it is an improvement over the welcoming that Spring Admits get now. Having welcome week events when all students definitely must have returned to Berkeley at least gives the opportunity for large turnouts at programs and events, as we see in the Fall.
Comment by Chris Smyr — January 7, 2007 @ 5:56 pm