Thursday, August 18, 2011

School is headed back into session and the University of North Carolina Wilmington is helping students get into the swing of classes with a series of UNCWelcome events. Fun annual activities like the Beach Blast celebration, campus fireworks and the Involvement Carnival will help UNC Wilmington students feel right at home.

UNCWelcome has offered fun and sober events at the start of the university's fall semester for more than 10 years.

Unless specified, below events are open ONLY to media and the UNCW community:

Saturday, Aug. 20

Annual UNCW Move-In, 8 a.m. - 1 p.m.

More than 1,800 volunteers will help freshmen move into residence halls as part of a longstanding UNCWelcome tradition. In a matter of minutes, volunteers in teal will cheer on families as they pull up to residence halls, swarm their vehicles and move students into their new rooms. Approximately 40 percent of UNCW students will live in on-campus housing this year.

Monday, Aug. 22

Class of 2015 Trask Trek, Convocation, 10 a.m. - noon

All-campus lunch, noon

The campus will be covered in an ocean of teal when new students gather and walk the first "Trask Trek" of the semester, starting at the Clock Tower, where the Class of 2015 flag will be unveiled, and ending at Trask Coliseum, where Chancellor Gary Miller will speak. An all-campus picnic celebration on the lawn near Hoggard and Alderman halls will follow.

Rock the Rec! 6 - 9 p.m.

Students will enjoy food, music and inflatable games including sumo wrestling, jousting and an obstacle course at the newly renovated Student Recreation Center. Staff will promote exercise with equipment and fitness demos.

Tuesday, Aug. 23

Beach Blast, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m., best visual opps - noon - 2 p.m.

UNCW Surfrider/ECO Beach Sweep, 4 - 6 p.m.

A day at Crystal Pier at Wrightsville Beach (at the Oceanic restaurant) will be followed by a student clean-up of the beach. Around 3,000 students are expected to soak up the sun, surf the waves, enjoy free music and other activities at the annual UNCW Beach Blast. A UNCW student ID will be required to board free shuttles, and wristbands will be required to participate in activities. Student belongings will be checked for alcohol before entering Beach Blast, as alcohol is not permitted at the event. The beach area will remain open to the general public, but only UNCW students will receive wristbands for free vendor refreshments. Around 50 UNCW staff, student leaders and local police will assist with the event.

Wednesday, Aug.24

Student Welcome Lemonade Brigade, Chancellor's Walk

7:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Because it is easy to get lost on the first day of classes, Student Ambassadors will welcome students with free refreshments, maps and answers to questions at lemonade stands located at the Library Commons, Belk Hall and Chancellor's Walk.

Fireworks Extravaganza and music, 7 p.m.

Gazebo Recreation Area near the Student Recreation Center

This event is NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, but community residents surrounding the UNCW main campus need to be aware that they may hear controlled fireworks and music from this closed event. Fireworks to be launched at 9 p.m. Rain location: Warwick Center Ballroom, no fireworks.

Wednesday, Aug. 31

Involvement Carnival, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Nearly 4,000 students will congregate on the Campus Commons near the Clock Tower. Participants will check out more than 275 activities and booths to learn about volunteer, job, organization and entertainment opportunities at UNCW and in the community. This is a visually active event with great interview opportunities.

Military Reception, 3:30 - 4:30 p.m.

Burney Center

Student veterans, faculty, staff and military leaders will mingle at this get-together designed to ease the college transition for current and former military members. Interviews with veterans and military leaders will be available.

As of July, UNCW's newest group of freshmen, the class of 2015, held an average SAT score of 1177 and an average weighted GPA of 3.97. Approximately 1,990 freshmen will be joining the Seahawk family this fall.

Media contacts:

Joy Davis, Marketing and Communications, 910.632.3903 or davisjc@uncw.edu