Windsor Welcome Week is a time to begin building community, says Beth Oakley, director of the Educational Development Centre.

“We work hard to help students establish that sense of belonging,” she says. “All our activities, whether social or academic, are geared toward creating networks of support.”

Oakley will be immersing herself in the experience more than usual as she participates in Sunday’s Camp on Campus, staying overnight in the residence quad.

“There will be a big teepee from the Aboriginal Education Centre, and I’ll be sleeping in there with (executive director of student development and support) Brooke White,” she says—adding she’s unsure how restful they can expect the quad to be.

A first for UWindsor, the camp is intended to give first-year students living off-campus a taste of residence togetherness. Oakley says the camp is generating a lot of excitement and registration is already surpassing expectations.

Other highlights of the week’s activities include:

• Sunday, September 4. Residence move-in day ends with a reception for parents at 3 p.m. Students will hang around for a presentation by Harlan Cohen, author of The Naked Roommate and 107 Other Issues You Might Run into in College, followed by the Graffiti Party in the Thirsty Scholar pub.
• Monday, September 5. The University of Windsor Students' Alliance is sponsoring a pancake breakfast to lead into the tailgate party and pep rally in preparation for the Lancer football season opener on Alumni Field at 1 p.m.
• Tuesday, September 6. Adrenaline Rush features a jam-packed afternoon with something for everyone—inflatables for jousting or Twister, a Minute to Win It competition, and some free snacks. From there, head down to the riverfront for a beach party.
• Wednesday, September 7. Orientation day for all faculties and programs takes place in the morning, with fellow students offering the inside scoop at Turf Talk. At 3 p.m., Welcoming Celebration will explain why their futures are so bright, new students have to wear shades.
• Thursday, September 8. The first day of classes also offers a Vendor Fair outside the CAW Student Centre, with freebies, fun and friendly faces. The evening performance of Single & Sexy presents trials, tribulations and triumphs of eight students navigating their way through first year of university.
• Friday, September 9. All comers are invited to participate in the Campus Community Clean-up, with a litter patrol and ceremonial tree planting, before heading out on the taste of Windsor walking tour to explore off-campus restaurants.
• Saturday, September 10. Shine Day will kick off with a pancake breakfast to energize UWindsor students joining the largest post-secondary fundraiser in Canada, taking their shoe-shining skills to the streets of Windsor to benefit cystic fibrosis charities.

Visit www.windsorwelcomeweek.ca for a full list of events, locations and times, or grab the event guide from the Welcome Tent located between Dillon and Memorial halls.