Welcome Week With a Bam

In a week-long festival to welcome new and returning students back to UCI, Welcome Week will provide numerous activities to entertain Anteaters. With the club fair put on by the Office of the Dean of Students, to the various social events put on by Associated Students of UCI, and the orientation events for numerous clubs and organizations, there will be plenty to keep Irvine students busy.
DOS will host the annual Anteater Club Fair and Barbecue on Sept. 19 from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Aldrich Park. Three hundred clubs are expected to have booths in the park.
In addition, the DOS plans the New Student Convocation, which will be held on Sept. 19 at 9 a.m. in the Bren Events Center.
‘The big difference this year is we have a new chancellor [Michael Drake], and he’ll be speaking at the convocation to the new students,’ said Jill Halvaks, director of New Student Programs. ‘He’ll also be at the barbecue welcoming students and walking around the fair.’
This year, there is a completely different format to the Welcome Week festivities than last year.
‘This year, we condensed things down to three different nights. This gives us a few more days of promoting so more people show up. These activities are going to be a little more fun [for the students],’ explained Nathan Lee fourth-year international studies and sociology double major and ASUCI vice president of student services. Lee has been planning this event since he was elected last spring, along with Assistant Executive Director of ASUCI Lance McLean, Interim Director for ASUCI Chuck Piper, and an outside contactor.
Everyone at ASUCI seems to be buzzing about the Viva La Bam rock concert in Aldrich Park on Thursday night at 7 p.m.
‘I think probably the main attraction that is going to bring the most people is the concert in the park with Viva La Bam,’ said Carlos Feliciano, ASUCI president and a fourth-year criminology, law and society major.
The cast of MTV’s ‘Viva La Bam,’ Ryan Dunn and Don Vito, will take center stage at Rock Night. They plan on setting the show up like their own show and anticipate using audience members in their show. Local band Open Hands, will also be performing.
‘It’s going to be a nighttime show in the park and we’re going to have spotlights set up,’ Lee added.
One other attraction of this year’s Welcome Week is Comedy Night in the Bren Events Center on Wednesday evening at 7:30 p.m.
‘My favorite Welcome Week activity has always been Comedy Night,’ Feliciano said. ‘We brought a variety of comedians and it’s a lot of fun to go with a group of friends to see a free comedy show.’
This year, Comedy Night will follow the same format as that of years past. Lee hired two professional comedians and two UCI dance performance groups, the Modern Completely Insane Anteaters and the Chinese Association Dance Crew.
Not only will ASUCI be providing students with entertainment on Wednesday and Thursday night, they will be having their annual foam party at 8 p.m. out on the Cross-Cultural Center’s loading dock on Friday. This will be the last of the events to welcome students to their first week of the new school year.
This is only a preview of the many activities available for both new and returning students to enjoy.
Don’t be overwhelmed, though; these are all great ways to get to know your campus and your people.
‘I think freshmen should go to as many events as they can on campus, because you never know what you’re going to end up liking, and you never know who you’re going to end up meeting,’ Feliciano said. ‘That’s what college is about