[lorend]

A Welcome Week Message
By Danielle Lorenz

IT’S WELCOME WEEK!!! IT’S WELCOME WEEK!!! The most fun time of your university years is now underway! In case you can’t tell, I’m pretty excited (because it’s super fun for me as well!!).

Even though it has been three years since I arrived on campus, I still have some fond and strong memories of my Welcome Week in Whidden. That first night, a bunch of us went to play ultimate Frisbee at the oval – Mikey, Joanna, Eddie, Alex, Stuey…I don’t think I’m any better at the game now than I was then. Also that night, Joe and I stayed up until 4AM sitting in the rock garden in Faculty Hollow, where we watched the deer. The rest of my week was full of cheering, no sleep, bashing, meeting lots of new friends, general craziness, and most importantly, LOTS of fun.

The last two Welcome Weeks, although slightly different, have been filled with more of the same – general craziness, lack of sleep, and LOTS AND LOTS of fun times. In my second year I was a Residence Rep for Whidden, where I continued the same traditions that my reps had taught me the year before. Again, I met lots of new people and made lots of new friends.

Last year, I was a Welcome Week rep for Bates Hall. It was a completely new and different experience for me than the last two Welcome Weeks were. I had my hand at learning new traditions, and getting even more people pumped up about Welcome Week. As what happened in the last two years, I met lots of new people and made lots of new friends.

This year, I’m a Residence Rep again, but I will not disclose where I will be. Sadly, this will be my final Welcome Week at McMaster (that is unless I don’t get into graduate school…). However, like in years previous I have a whole bunch of new students that I can teach the McMaster and Residence traditions to.

Past froshlings of mine have talked to me about their Welcome Weeks over the years. Common things that they said are that they had an amazing time at the events, couldn’t believe how we could do it all on little sleep, and it always looked like we were having lots of fun being reps.

Now, there is nothing stopping you from not going to events. However, Welcome Week is the easiest time for you to meet new people, as all first year students will be experiencing the same things as you. Get to know the people in your faculty as well as in your residence or SOCS group. These people can be a lot of help to you throughout the year, be it just for class or as future best friends.

You may be a really shy person, and feel awkward being around all kinds of new people. Again, everyone is in the same boat as you are. I’m actually a kind of shy person, but I never found it hard to talk to people during Welcome Week, as everyone was eager to meet new people.

You may also think that some of the activities are really “gay” or “retarded”. First of all, McMaster is an inclusive community, and therefore that sort of language is NOT tolerated. You do not have the right to use derogatory slang for something you consider to be dumb to define a sexual orientation or mental disability. If I can be taught by my seventh grade teacher that that sort language is inappropriate, you can learn the same as first year students.

Back to my point, you may think that some of the activities during Welcome Week are kind of dumb (or occur too early in the day). However goofy (or early) they may be, if you get yourself into the mindset you will have a blast and a half. Again, no one is forcing you to participate, but we highly suggest you do. We want you to have pride in your residence (be it on-campus or off), your faculty, as well as McMaster in general. All of the activities that have been planned out for you during this week have the goal of familiarizing yourself with your new home, and developing pride. Please come out and participate! We reps already know how much fun McMaster can be, Welcome Week is for you first year students!

Come, out, have a blast, and get to meet TONS of new people, in both your year and those above!! I am still friends with some of my Welcome Week Reps. I have also developed friendships with my first year students from Whidden and Bates over the last two years. I am sure I will do the same this year too. I'm cool like that, and possibly slightly precocious too.

Remember, sleep is for the weak, SO COME OUT TO EACH AND EVERY EVENT! (You may even get a prize for doing so…*hint hint*) You can always catch up on sleep on Sunday, September 9th.