Welcome Week 2010 gets students involved on campus

The University of Illinois Springfield kicked off the fall 2010 semester with a variety of activities during Welcome Week 2010 designed to get students involved on campus.

Student Life hosted an Ice Cream Social on Monday, August 23 to get students talking and teach them about opportunities on campus. Student volunteers from WUIS HD2 Xponential Radio manned the booth in the Sangamon Auditorium lobby. They were trying to get more students involved in the newly launched radio station. Volunteers also handed out free ice cream in the University Hall lobby.

Welcome Week also gave programs like the UIS Women’s Center a chance to show off what they have to offer. The center hosted an open house on Tuesday, August 24 where they talked about their upcoming Rape Aggression Defense System course and other programs. They also showed off their new art wall, which will feature local artists.

The Diversity Center also held an open house on Tuesday, bringing students from all over the world together. The center serves as a welcoming environment for students of all races and backgrounds. Students gathered to talk about what they have in common and what makes them unique.

The Center for First Year Students showed off their student lounge and computer lab during an open house on Wednesday, August 25. The center helps students adjust to their first year at UIS and serves as a friendly environment. Students are invited to come to the center and “hang out” in the lounge or work on homework.

Also on Wednesday, the Involvement Expo once again packed the UIS quad with almost 100 student organizations, university offices, non-profit agencies and merchants in attendance. The Expo gave groups an opportunity to recruit new members or introduce themselves to the campus community.

The annual “Foot in the Door” Fair, which is sponsored by The Career Development Center at UIS broke a record this year. More than 70 local employers and organizations showed up on Thursday, August 26 for the event designed to connect students. The fair was for UIS students interested in part-time jobs, internships and volunteer opportunities – both on- and off-campus.

The Office of Disability Services welcomed students during its open house on Thursday as they talked about the services they offer students with disabilities in the classroom. The office works with professors to make sure needs are met for all students.

The week also included a Foam Party at the Student Life Plaza, Bowling for Special Olympics, a first ever Welcome Week concert on the quad by the group Safety Suit, a comedy hypnotist, movie on the quad and a ribbon cutting at the LGBTQ Resource Center.