Hear us roar

Vancouver's Marianas Trench plays the Big Ticket Concert during orientation week.

As students, staff and faculty prepare for the Dalhousie campus to come back to life for another school year, the Dalhousie Student Union is putting the final touches on the annual tradition known as Orientation Week.

This year’s welcome for first years is being dubbed "Roarientation" and is an opportunity for new students, both in residence and living off campus, to come together and build some school spirit.

Students will be split into teams based on their residence houses, and off-campus students will also be grouped together. Teams will take part in a series of fun activities all week that will give students the opportunity to mingle, meet new people and make some great memories.

The schedule for the week is jam-packed, and features old favourites as well as a few new additions. Sex with Sue, hypnotist Tony Lee, and the Big Ticket Concert are returning, along with the annual cystic fibrosis fundraiser Shinerama.

The Dalhousie Student Union is also encouraging students of all ages – new or returning - to get involved in Shinerama this year. They are hoping that they will be able to reach the one million dollar mark – a first ever for Dalhousie.

New events include a guided bus tour of Halifax, and a Guinness World Record attempt, which will take place on Wednesday, September 8th at noon. The exact record being broken is being kept under wraps, but DSU VP of Student Life Hannah Dahn promises it will be exciting – and encourages everyone to show up to take part.

All new students, whether they are living on campus or not, are encouraged to register for Orientation Week. “It’s by far the best way to meet people right off the bat,” explains Ms. Dahn. With Dalhousie being such a huge campus, she says, it’s sometimes hard to meet people in large first-year classes.

All orientation events are dry, but lead up to DalFest on Thursday which will feature a concert by Matt Mays, as well as a beer gardens, food, rides, and fireworks at the end of the night. This event is open to students of all ages and is completely free.

Registration for Orientation Week is $115 including tax, and includes entrance to all Orientation week events as well as a Frosh pack full of DalGear and coupons. Online registration closes on Thursday, September 2, but participants may also register on the day of.  An online registration form, a complete schedule, and more specific details such as meeting points and things to bring can be found on the Dalhousie Student Union Orientation website: www.orientation.dsu.ca.