Beavers may be busy, but Ducks are dynamite — especially when it comes to welcoming a new covey to campus.
That’s what will happen as the UO kicks off its annual Week of Welcome for the more than 5,000 new students — and about three times that many returning Ducks — who soon will be landing on campus and in neighborhoods across Eugene and Springfield. The week continues with a full schedule of events to help introduce new Ducks and their families to campus and get students ready for the start of classes Monday, Sept. 28.
The whole enchilada is laid out on the Week of Welcome website. But for those so inclined, there’s also the new Be an Oregon Duck app that delivers the full schedule directly to a phone, tablet or other electronic device.
It all launches Thursday, Sept. 24, with the controlled chaos of Move-In Day, also known as Unpack the Quack. In just one day—and it doesn’t even take the full day — thousands of new students will move into residence halls helped by a heap of UO volunteers (info on volunteering here). The UO’s new president, Michael Schill, will be on hand to chat, shake hands and greet students and their families.
If it were a movie, Move-In Day might also be called “The Day Traffic Stood Still.” Campus and community veterans know to avoid the east campus area in particular on that day to give new students and their families as much elbow room as possible as they unload and schlep a year’s worth of stuff to their rooms. Find a parking and transportation map here.
The day wraps up with the Week of Welcome kickoff at 8 p.m. in Matthew Knight Arena, where new students will gather in small Flocks with an orientation staff member, see themselves on the Jumbotron and light the arena with glow sticks. That’s followed by Duck N2 the Rec, a chance to tour the Student Recreation Center and see what the expanded facility has to offer.
On Friday, students can explore ways to turn their intellectual passion into an academic program at The College Block. They can talk with folks from different academic departments and programs and try out interactive displays to help narrow down majors and minors, find internships and connect with programs to help them along the way. The College Block is in the Erb Memorial Union and The Business College Block is in the atrium of Lillis Hall. Both run from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
In the afternoon, join the class of 2019 for the We Are Oregon pep rally at 4 p.m. at Hayward Field, followed by a class photo that includes thousands. Following that, the Flock Party starts at 5:15 p.m. and goes until late o’clock at the EMU.
For the Saturday, there’s the Ducks’ game against Utah at Autzen Stadium; stay tuned for the kickoff time. Other events that day include a hike on Mount Pisgah, a community service walk, open house at the EMU Craft Center and a night of postgame entertainment at the EMU amphitheater.
On Sunday students will gather for convocation, a university tradition that marks the start of the academic year. Students and faculty will gather at Knight Arena at 3:30 p.m. The event is followed by a chance to meet Emily St. John Mandel, author of this year’s Common Reading book, “Station Eleven,” at 7:30 p.m. in the EMU ballroom.
Finally, the welcome mat gets rolled out off campus on Tuesday, Sept. 29, when UO and community leaders join teams of volunteers to visit near-campus neighborhoods for the annual Community Welcome. The UO president and Eugene mayor will join a hundred volunteers going door to door to welcome students, share tips on how to be safe and encourage them to be good neighbors.
For faculty and staff, Week of Welcome is a chance to join in and help greet new and returning students. See the website for more information on volunteer opportunities.
—By Greg Bolt, Public Affairs Communications