O‑week o‑verview 2017

Few periods have as profound an influence on a student’s university experience as Orientation Week. New friendships are formed, important lessons are learned and new foundations are laid for success both in the classroom and the community.

The Dalhousie Student Union (DSU) and the university work hard every year to help make sure it’s a stellar experience for all new students — and this year is no exception.

“Orientation Week is all about meeting new people and getting acquainted with your new community, so we have a fun and exciting program planned that will help students make the most of it,” says Cory Larsen, vice-president of Student Life with the DSU.

More than 1,800 students are expected to register for O-week this year, with nearly 250 leaders across campus working together to plan events and activities. Registration gets students a bracelet they can use to get into all events.

Registration for incoming international students began August 30 in Halifax and starts Sept. 1 on the Agricultural Campus in Truro.

Day One: Saturday

Official O-week festivities kick off for everyone on Sept. 2, which is move-in day for all new students living in residence in Halifax and Truro. Following all the heavy lifting, students in Halifax are invited to head to the Studley Quad for a “field party” that includes dance-offs, music and a BBQ.

Later that day, after students head back to residences or the McInnes Room in the Student Union Building (SUB) to connect with residence and off-campus leaders, they are invited to return to the quad for the opening ceremonies and a Rock the Boat concert featuring East Coast music or to head to the Grawood pub in the SUB for a lower-key experience. Festivities continue late into the night with the After Jam, a chilled-out gathering where students can take part in a musical jam session, play board games and do other activities. All O-week activities are alcohol free.

On the Ag Campus, students are invited to a welcome lunch, hay-bale sculpting, residence house meetings, and a bonfire. They’ll also take part in Induction, which is their first official welcome into the scholarly community at Dal.

Day Two: Sunday

The following day, Sept. 3, begins with Dal 101 — a campus fair/pancake breakfast where students can learn all about campus resources and attend interactive workshops on everything from Halifax’s hidden treasures to acing your first month on campus.

Students then decamp to their residences to practice chants and songs before eating lunch and heading to a big Cheer Off, where they get to show off their Tiger pride and rack up points for house spirit and energy. Students then have the option of heading out into the surrounding Halifax community to explore and give back through small volunteer activities.

Local sex shop Venus Envy will visit campus that afternoon to co-host an educational sex talk with Dal, an event the DSU bills as “sex ed unlike anything you’ve ever seen before.”

That night, students are invited to gather with new friends and explore different parts of campus and beyond in an activity called Choose Your Own Adventure.

Students in Truro start the day with a “Get to know your fellow Aggies”event, followed by a health-information session dubbed “Healthy is the New Sexy.” After lunch, students can attend a session on diversity and inclusion and then head to an Ice Cream Social. That evening, buses will take students to participate in a River Breeze Corn Maze event.

Day Three: Monday

On Sept. 4, each Faculty will be hosting a welcome event for students that will be jam-packed with info about what students can expect from different programs, where to find classes, and other important details. Fun social events, including Minute to Win It, Dalympics and Art Attack, will follow.

Later, students head to Induction where they’ll hear from faculty, administrators and student leaders and take the New Student Pledge as they get set to start their academic journey.

And it wouldn’t be a proper O-week at Dal without a Tigers game to get the school spirit flowing. Students are encouraged to don their best black and gold and hit the stands before heading to their first classes the next morning.

On the Ag Campus, students kick off the day with a pancake breakfast. A Dal 101 info session and a Q&A meeting with Orientation leaders follow in the morning. In the afternoon, students are encouraged to attend “Making the most of Dal-AC” — a gathering where they can learn all about clubs and societies, Athletics, the library and other university services. End O-week off right at the Country Fair.

Check the full schedule of events for more details on Orientation in Halifax and Truro. Enjoy!