Week of Welcome arrives, new Ducks soon to follow

Just as Capistrano has its swallows, Eugene has its Ducks.

And it’s again time for the great fall migration, when Ducks begin landing on campus in great numbers. More than 5,000 new students will arrive this week, along with an invitation to help with the welcome and a caution about the annual traffic hubbub.

For a complete rundown, visit the Week of Welcome website for schedules, locations and volunteer opportunities. In a nutshell, it will be a busy week.

The Division of Student Life will be at the center of the festivities. New students will be organized into small groups, known as WOW groups, led by student leaders who will make sure their small flocks get in on the many events.

Among the thousands of new arrivals will Hao Tan, a freshman and recipient of the prestigious Stamps Scholar award. A profile and video interview with the new Duck is available here. It is the first in a series of freshman profiles that will appear in Around the O.

The week will include usual events such as Duck N2 the Rec, the Flock Party and convocation. But new this year are a hike up Mount Pisgah, crafting sessions at the new EMU Craft Center and mini-University Day service project.

For sheer numbers, it’s hard to beat move-in day, Thursday, Sept. 25. Thousands of new students and their families will pour onto campus to unload boxes during Unpack the Quack. Volunteers can still sign up to help welcome students and tote boxes up to residence hall rooms.

It’s also the busiest traffic day of the year on campus and a good day for regular commuters to consider alternate travel plans. A parking and traffic map is available here.

Once all the boxes are moved it will be time to settle in. On Thursday evening Duck N2 the Rec will offer activities at the Student Recreation Center from 9 p.m. to midnight.

Friday is Parents’ Day Off, a chance for mom and dad to tour area wineries and breweries or take a trip to the coast. Students are invited to the We Are Oregon pep rally at 4 p.m. at Hayward Field, where the UO Marching Band will lead students to the rally site at the EMU. That’s where the Flock Party (formerly InterMingle) will kick off at 5 p.m. and run until midnight.

Saturday events include the Mount Pisgah hike, university service project and craft sessions, all starting at 1 p.m. A movie will be shown at 3 p.m., and the evening entertainment will be Saturday Night Life at the EMU Amphitheater and Ballroom starting at 9 p.m.

The week wraps up with convocation at 3:30 p.m. Sunday in Matthew Knight Arena.

Students can get more information about the Week of Welcome through a new mobile app, the UO Event Guide. For a link to the app, go to the website and enter a phone number.

―By Greg Bolt, Public Affairs Communications