When the temperature starts to drop and I-93 starts to get busier, UMass Boston prepares to welcome its students back with open arms.
While students enjoyed vacations, sunshine and warm weather, the Student Arts and Events Council was working hard in preparation for the upcoming year — and most importantly, Welcome Week, two weeks of events at the beginning of every Fall semester. It celebrates the return of many faces from summer break, and the addition of new ones, as freshmen move into the dorms and transfer students find their place.
This year, Welcome Week starts Sept. 3 with the Chancellor’s Welcome and lasts until Sept. 14. This year’s theme is “Extreme Recharge,” which represents “the idea of a balance between adventure and mindfulness,” as Isabella Villegas-Leal and Tiziana Nascimento wrote in a joint statement. These two, along with Ashvi Shah, are the organizers of this year’s Welcome Week.
According to Villegas-Leal and Nascimento, preparation starts in early June and finishes about two weeks into August, with help from staff on the Student Activities team. The process generally begins with picking a theme, planning events and giveaways, and finally, marketing. Finishing preparation weeks before the event itself leaves room for possible changes that may need to be made.
While there are many events, including the First Friday Concert Sept. 6 and Lawn on B Sept. 12, not everything made it on the agenda.
The duo wrote that a zipline was one thing they couldn’t do this year. “The specific set-up needs of the zipline made it difficult to find a good location,” they wrote. This, however, only brings hope for what exciting things students could see in future years as our campus grows.
How much does all of this cost? “We spend about 1/3 of our annual budget on Welcome Week,” Villegas-Leal and Nascimento wrote, including funding for big events and giveaways, free food, UMass Boston merch and more. Like other student organizations and events, SAEC and Welcome Week are funded by undergraduate students as a part of a student activities fee included in their tuition.
Because the students fund Welcome Week, they want student input. Villegas-Leal, Nascimento and Shah are students at UMass Boston, and are directly responsible for much of the event as coordinators. Villegas-Leal and Nascimento encouraged students to attend events and get involved in the SAEC, which meets biweekly to plan events and promote school spirit. The council has also started a new points system to reward active and helpful members. More information can be found on the council’s UMBeInvolved page.
The SAEC invites all students to participate in the festivities in the next two weeks. New local bands will also be performing at the First Friday concert, which will be announced on the council’s Instagram.
“We have very exciting giveaways for the entire student body, from stickers to mini speakers, other than our regular planners and brochures” Villegas-Leal and Nascimento wrote. “All students are welcome to join in, but we have a limited amount, so don’t miss the Chancellor’s Welcome.”
“>
