With how empty campus gets over winter break, it’s easy to miss news about the community. As first week of classes kicks off Jan. 27, so do plenty of events that you might not know about.
Welcome Week this semester is titled ‘Howdy Beacons,’ complete with a Western theme. According to the SAEC, it features workshops, celebrations and WOWs, where students can “talk directly to organization members and get to know more about their services,” which take place on the Campus Center 1st floor Terrace. Each WOW is hosted by a different organization for an hour-long block.
The week starts on Monday with the Chancellor’s Morning Welcome at 7:45 a.m. on the Upper Level of Campus Center. There is also a Campus Kickoff put on by the SAEC from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on the Terrace.
Tuesday, Jan. 28, begins with a Western Wear Decorating event from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on the Terrace, where students can decorate hats and bandanas. Later, there is the Chancellor’s Afternoon Welcome on the Campus Center Upper Level at 1:45pm. There will be snacks and giveaways for those in attendance.
Wednesday, Jan. 29 marks the 41st birthday of SAEC, and a celebration will take place from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on the Terrace. There will be sweet treats and birthday crafts for the occasion.
On Thursday, Jan. 30, there is an open house in Campus Center, 3rd floor, suite 3100 for the Student Multicultural Affairs from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Students are asked to bring their Beacon Card for access. In the evening, there is a line dancing workshop in the 3rd floor ballroom with lessons starting at 7:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.
On Friday, Jan. 31, there is an open house in the Game Room from 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Campus Center Upper Level. The game room is to the left of OneStop, past the ATM and parking validation.
On top of that, starting Jan. 27 at 10:00 a.m., staff and students can purchase tickets for a ski trip to Pats Peak on Saturday, Feb. 1. Tickets are $70 for students and $88 for staff, and two tickets can be purchased per valid UMB ID. A bus will take attendees from UMass Boston at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday and depart from Pats Peak that night at 9:00 p.m.
Welcome Week isn’t the only thing to look forward to this week. From Monday to Thursday, there will be open gymnasium hours in Clark Athletic Center from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. There are also open hours on Friday from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Saturday from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and Sunday from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
The Beacon Fitness Center also has workout classes such as Pop Pilates, Cycling and Total Body everyday. Check out UMBeInvolved for more information.
Not into athletics? No problem. Auditions for the University Chamber Singers is on Monday, Jan. 27 from 2:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. or by appointment. This audition is open to all majors. For those less confident in their abilities, there is also The University Singers who meet Mondays and Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m.
The next week, UMass Boston Theatre Arts is holding an open audition for the Spring play, Peter and the Starcatcher. These will be held on Feb. 4 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Feb. 5 from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. There will also be callbacks, if necessary, on Feb. 6 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
No matter what your niche, UMass Boston has something for you to enjoy this week. Welcome back, Beacons.
