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COLIN PERRY
Special to The Leader
Whether they were adjusting to new surroundings for the first time or returning to life at Fredonia, students across campus had plenty to enjoy in this Fall’s Welcome Week.
Held at the beginning of each semester by Spectrum Entertainment Board, the festivities — after being shortened to four days last winter — lasted the usual six days. According to Stephanie Willis, senior public relations major and president of the club, the preparation for the events begin months in advance.
“The Fall Welcome Week is something that’s planned over the summer, so we have to be a really good team when we’re trying to do something while we’re not actually in Fredonia,” she said.
Through all that time, Spectrum’s members and collaborators are constantly thinking about what would be the best events for students, and in particular Fredonia’s newest residents.
“We like to think a lot about the incoming freshmen, and things that they would want to do,” Willis said. “This is their first week here, their first impression of Fredonia — how can we make a difference in making the most positive experience for them?”
Sunday, Aug. 23 kicked off the events with an ice cream social in the MultiPurpose Room of the Williams Center. The signage for the event warned students to “build your own sundae while supplies last,” but there was no shortage, even when a whopping 500 people showed up for the evening.
The next day saw the return of an outdoor movie screening to Fredonia’s campus. This time, 250 people munched on popcorn and laughed to “Pitch Perfect 2,” an appropriate fit for the school given the popularity of the many acapella groups on campus. While in previous years, technical difficulties interrupted the program, this year’s went off without a hitch.
The event held on Tuesday, Aug. 25 differed from the others in that it was also cosponsored by STEPS, or Students Teaching Equals Positive Sexuality. According to Willis, the group plays a role in every Welcome Week, and while around 70 people turned out for it, the relevancy of the program remains as clear as ever. This semester’s event, “Equalogy,” was a performance skit set at a house party where an acquaintance rape occurs.
“[Equalogy] had a really good important message,” Willis said, “about how to handle the situation or what to do if someone you know is in it. It was a very good program.”
Last Wednesday brought a combination of nachos and trivia to the MPR. The prizes were gift cards on behalf of the Faculty Student Association to any of their campus locations. The spirit of competition carried over into Thursday’s event, as students tried their hands at bingo. With the chance to win a Keurig, a bicycle, a Samsung Galaxy tablet or any number of gift baskets, another 250 students eagerly tried their best to win.
Finally, Friday capped off Welcome Week with an outdoor block party on the Williams Center patio. The event, a brand new one for Spectrum’s welcome week activities, featured a Velcro wall for students to scale, caricature artists, plenty of popcorn and other refreshments, and live performances from some of Fredonia’s acapella groups, including the allmale Much More Chill and allfemale groups Some Like It Hot and the Riveters.
Brian Guy, sophomore biology major, was one of the many students who turned out for the party. For him, Welcome Week was an important event when he was in the shoes of the current freshmen.
“[Welcome Week] made me feel more at home and that there was a lot to offer here,” Guy said.
Overall, those in Spectrum and those that attended the events agreed on the success of this semester’s Welcome Week. Over the remainder of the semester, students can look forward to other big events such as Activities Night and Family Weekend that Spectrum will be putting on, all while planning welcome week for the next semester.