UA’s 2016 Week of Welcome Features Service, Events and Fun

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Service projects, a convocation and several meet-and-greet activities highlight The University of Alabama’s Week of Welcome, or “The WOW Factor,” for freshmen, transfer and returning students beginning Saturday, Aug. 13.

Organized by UA’s University Programs office, the Week of Welcome offers more than two-dozen events designed to usher in first-year and transfer students to the UA community. All events are free; students may register for events at upua.tix.com.

University Programs will show “Now You See Me 2” at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 13, on the UA Quad. An Action Card will be required to admit students. Refreshments will be available, and vendors and UA departments and organizations will have tables.

Fun at the Rec will bring students to the University Recreation Center for sports and activities from 8 to 11 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 14. The event will serve as an opportunity for new and returning students to learn about the healthy options and recreational facilities available through UA.

The Ripple Effect day of service will run from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday, Aug. 15. Check-in will be at 8 a.m. at the Ferguson Center before students head out into the community. During Ripple Effect 2016, student volunteers will work with the Boy Scout of America’s Camp Horne, where they will be helping with grounds beautification; Habitat for Humanity, where they will be helping with pre-existing projects; Crestmont Elementary, where they will be helping touch up paint around the school; the West Alabama Food Bank, where students will be sorting and packing donations; and other sites.

A UA students-only Week of Welcome Concert featuring artist Ludacris with NAWAS and opener Walker Hayes will start at 7 p.m. Monday, Aug. 15, at Coleman Coliseum. Doors open at 5 p.m. Students will need Action Cards and tickets for entry. Bags and purses will not be allowed in the coliseum.

The annual Convocation will be from 3 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 16, on the Quad. Convocation showcases the values of the Capstone by introducing freshmen to the Capstone Creed. Students may meet fellow newcomers as well as UA faculty and staff in an informal environment. Following a brief ceremony and barbecue, students will have a chance to participate in a new tradition — Alabama’s first “Script A” photo with their entering class and the Million Dollar Band at Bryant-Denny Stadium. In addition, all students will be given a UA Convocation tassel to commemorate the event.

On Wednesday, Aug. 17, and Thursday, Aug. 18, Crimson Compass will feature returning students helping freshmen and transfer students find their classes from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the Quad. In addition, Welcome Back Breakfasts from 7 to 9 a.m. Aug. 17 and 18 on the Ferguson Center Plaza will feature Chick-Fil-A biscuits and bottled water served under tents while supplies last.

University Programs and the Black Student Union will be hosting Onyx for the Friday @ The Ferg gathering from 7 p.m. to midnight Friday, Aug. 19, on the Ferguson Lawn. Students can learn about minority organizations on campus and meet with local businesses. An Action Card is required.

The Music Glow Run 5K with music will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 20, outdoors at a venue to be determined. University Programs will partner with the Student Government Organization, the Women and Gender Resource Center, the Office of Disability Services, Veteran and Military Affairs, the Office of Sorority and Fraternity Life, SafeZone, Crossroads and the Student Recreation, among others, for the event. An Action Card is required. The first 200 participants will receive a free T-shirt and a bag of glow-in-the-dark items. Students are invited to come dressed in glow-in-the-dark-themed clothing.

The SOURCE and the Office of Student Involvement offer the fall Get on Board Day from 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 25, in the Ferguson Plaza, Promenade, Ferg Lawn and Gorgas House lawn. Student organizations will present information on student engagement in campus life and how to get involved with the more than 550 student organizations on campus.

For more information on Week of Welcome, go to https://wow.sa.ua.edu/.