UMSU orientation week kicks off the school year
From beer gardens to Brazilian dance, UMSU-O offered something for everyone
CHRISTINE LEONG VOLUNTEER STAFF
UMSU kicked off the school year this September with their annual orientation week. Students new and returning took advantage of several perks throughout the week, from free pancake breakfasts to live entertainment.
All of the events except for two — the Hylozoists and the Amazing Race — were free this year and ran from Sept. 7 to the 17. “Get Up, Stand Up” was this year’s slogan and UMSU president Gary Sran said it was chosen to encourage student involvement.
“We want people to ‘Get Up, Stand Up.’ This means to have a good time and come to our events,” said Sran. “Stand up, party, dance. It could mean anything to anyone.”
Every year, UMSU provides students with the opportunity to celebrate the upcoming year with free food, shows, and screenings. On a daily basis, UMSU volunteers served students a free pancake breakfast from Sept. 7 to 13, finishing off the week with coffee and donuts on the 14 and 15. Other daily events included the Vendor Street Fest on the University Centre patio and the Bag Lunch Film Fest at the Gallery of Student Art (GOSA), which screened movies produced by U of M’s very own students.
Degrees diner also hosted a variety of evening events that were new this year, including the Poetry Slam, Sing for Your Meal, Karaoke!, Jazz Jam, and the Emcee and Rap Battle. “The energy at orientation is like nowhere else. There are bands, games, information booths, music, food, and tons of new people,” said Alex Wishart, a University 1 student who also mentioned that he enjoyed attending the beer gardens.
A multitude of events were scheduled at different times through the week.. The African Hand Drumming Workshop, the Brazilian dance/martial arts performance Viva Capoeira, and the Japanese drumming show Fubuki Daiko were a few of the demonstrations.
Other events such as the music performances by various local artists, the pro wrestling match held during lunch hour on Tuesday, Sept. 12, and the joint UMSU/UWSA foam and fire party, “Go Foam Yourself,” on Wednesday night provided students with a chance to let go and have fun.
“[The] live bands playing . . . [are] all pretty awesome and it’s fun to watch,” said University 1 student Chris DeMonye.
“My favorite part [of orientation week] is meeting new people,” secondyear university student Scott Davis said. However, Davis also admits he did not have an opportunity to check out any of the events this year.
This year’s main concert, featuring Canadian hip-hop performer K-OS, was cancelled due to “slow ticket sales.” K-OS was scheduled to perform on Sept. 9 at the Investors Group Athletic Centre, and the cancellation disappointed some students.
“It is great that UMSU had the initiative to book K-OS for our orientation week but perhaps UMSU did not publicize it well enough,” said Ana Cartagena, a third-year medical student at the U of M. “It is unfortunate that Canadian talent goes unnoticed and perhaps unrecognized at the University of Manitoba.”
Nevertheless, o-week provided a lively atmosphere for many students. “The purpose of orientation week is just to welcome students back on campus,” said Sran. “Make them feel like they are a part of the community, allowing them to come to the U of M and meet new people and make longlasting friendships.”
“[UMSU orientation makes] the atmosphere that graduated high school students come to a welcoming, fun, and fulfilling one,” said U1 student Wishart.
Orientation is one of UMSU's biggest expenditures: $25,000 was budgeted this year, plus $3,000 for orientation-week guides.
