Weeks of Welcome is a tradition that is intended to make the campus feel inviting for incoming students. Planning weeks of events and activities involves the contributions of many around campus.
“WOW is such a collaborative event,” Assistant Director of Student Life Lauren Dougherty said. “It pulls in a lot of different people; it's not just one department, and I think that's what makes it so great.”
New students can really benefit from attending WOW events because there is something for everyone.
“There are multiple different programs where they can find their niche and meet new friends or try different activities,” Dougherty said. “It's the collaboration and the variety of programs that we can offer students so that there is a place for them to enjoy something.”
This fall, numerous clubs and organizations featured events. Geneseo Late Knight also hosted activities every weekend such as concerts, comedians, a foam party and fireworks.
The Knights First Day of Service was a WOW event centered on student interaction. The day was dedicated to volunteerism and fostering a sense of community among freshmen. Students had the opportunity to work around the Geneseo area, allowing them to give back, according to the College Union's WOW page.
“The main benefit is making connections with your community,” Director of Student Life Chip Matthews said.
The Student Organization Expo, a longtime staple of the opening weeks of the semester, also brought together new and old students. The expo had live performances and food and allowed students to see all of the extracurricular activities available at Geneseo.
This year on the first day of classes, WOW added a new element: greeters. Students and faculty were stationed around campus to help students find their classes and answer any of their questions.
“We do a lot of things to welcome students to campus and then a lot of things socially to bring them together and amp up social wellbeing. But we also wanted to show students that we really take pride in why they're here, which is their academics,” Assistant Director of Residence Life Sarah Frank said. “We all really love doing this, and we can't do it without students, so we're thankful that they come here because we get to have a really good time doing what it is that we love to do.”