Welcome Week prepares new students for life at McMaster

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For new McMaster students, there is a lot to take in the first week of school. From adjusting to roommates and life away from home, sometimes they feel overwhelmed at the path that lies ahead.

McMaster is helping ease the transition through several events and activities planned during Welcome Week, Sept. 3-11. Activities begin Labour Day weekend with the production of IRIS (Inspiration, Reflection, Integrity and Success), a First Year Experience drama production written, produced and performed by upper-year students.

The play, to be performed in front of nearly 3,000 first-year students, welcomes new students to their first year by offering a glimpse of the opportunities and challenges they or their classmates, and roommates might encounter over the year ahead.

“We know lectures and conferences during Welcome Week don't work,” says Michelle Corbeil, co-ordinator, First Year Transition. “What we do know is drama is a very powerful way to educate students without it being in a lecture and being talked at.”

Written and produced by current McMaster students, in consultation with Student Affairs and academic departments, IRIS uses drama, humour, multi-media and music to explore academic issues such as academic integrity, time and stress management, effective study strategies and seeking assistance from TAs, professors and campus resources such as the Centre for Student Development. In addition, themes of a more personal nature are addressed such as; health and wellness, safety and security and personal choices with respect to sex, drugs and alcohol.

The vignettes and personal monologues were written over the summer by the cast and reviewed by various Student Affairs co-ordinators and managers, other campus partners as well as key people in several academic program offices. Through fictional vignettes, personal monologues, interactive theatre and the multi-media composite of first-year, students reflect on their hopes and dreams for first year.

Six shows will be presented over Labour Day weekend in MDCL Rm. 1305 and 1307.

Several other activities during Welcome Week are planned to help students adjust to university life.

Across campus, groups of students, staff and faculty will aid new students in finding their place within their particular student organization, department or faculty.

On Tuesday, students will be broken into their respective faculty groups to participate in team-building activities. At 2:30 p.m., there will be a McMaster United Faculty Welcome, hosted by President Peter George and dean of students Phil Wood, who will address the first-year class.

Prelude to Mac is a new initiative offered by the FYEO. Prelude to Mac is an online orientation program designed to get new students familiar with the campus, its resources and its people, months before they set foot on campus. The website, which is organized around nine weekly themes and comes with videos, information, weekly quizzes and message boards. There will be a meet and greet for those who, since July, have logged on to the site and participated in the message board.

Corbeil says Welcome Week is crucial in preparing students for the year ahead. “It connects students overall to the university,” she says. “One of the goals of Welcome Week is to let students know that no matter where you come from, whether it's from a big city, a small town, across the world, Vancouver or PEI, you belong at McMaster.”

Click here to see all the events planned during Welcome Week.