While there are changes in store for next year’s Welcome Week, many of the usual events will remain unchanged.
According to Director of Student Activities Tom Coy, it is the goal of the Student Activities Office to have the new Welcome Week schedule on the website and finalized by the end of the month. Vice President for Student Affairs Nathan Thomas is reviewing the changes, while the SAO will be confirming details with their key partners.
“There’s nothing major to the changes,” Coy said. “We’ve received [students’] blessings on some of the larger items prior to even taking it to the Student Advisory Council. At this point, we’re kind of where we want to be.”
One of the more significant changes occurring is the movement of the Theta Chi fraternity sponsored B-Glow event to Welcome Week, which was traditionally held in April. This move was made to better the student experience, according to Coy.
The B-Glow event will be one of two large fraternity-sponsored events, alongside Alpha Epsilon Pi’s Foam and Fun party held in the Admissions parking lot annually.
B United, the pep rally event introduced last fall, is focused on introducing new students to Bradley tradition and encouraging them to take part in Bradley culture, according to Coy. Red Sea President Anthony Sperando said he heard great reviews, and plans are place to host it again.
Additionally, the Block Party and Taste of Bradley have changed times to allow the Taste of Bradley to take place earlier in the day. The Activities Council of Bradley University’s Lydstock music event will likely play during these events, according to ACBU President Helen Lagerblade.
“The big change to Lydstock that I know of is the date change to it being during Taste of Bradley instead of the first day of classes,” Lagerblade said. “This idea came up in our post-event evaluations last fall. After discussion between Lauren [Smetana], SAO and the previous Music Live coordinators, it has been moved. Any other changes will be up to the current Music Live coordinators.”
There will also be a Students of Color Welcome Reception in the Garrett Multicultural Center as well as receptions for transfer students and commuters.
“We are restructuring a few of the Welcome Week events that greek life puts on this upcoming year,” Panhellenic Council President Marian Kavanaugh said. “The first [change is] the Block Party is now taking place earlier in the day from 2-5 p.m. I’m sure we can all remember how brutally hot out it was last year, and to combat this, we have plans of getting misting machines for [the] Block Party.”
Kavanaugh also said the greek system plans to change up timing of greek life showcases and performances.
“We are giving our [National Pan-Hellenic Council] organizations a chance to show some of the heritage of their organizations [by] hosting a step show, as opposed to performing their stepping during the Block Party.”
While major changes are few, all changes are part of a continuous process of revision by the SAO.
“It’s important every year that we go back and reevaluate Welcome Week [with] what’s working [and] what’s not working,” Coy said. “We take some time every year, regroup, look at what’s going on and figure out how we can improve next year.”
According to Coy, students are very involved in the changes. Coy said student organizations are the ones truly sponsoring the events, and their feedback is extremely important.
