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Welcome Week Rep Survival Guide", August 2008
With Welcome Week only a WEEK away (YAY!!!!), many upper year students are starting to prepare. Not as participants, like they were last year, or in years before that, but as Welcome Week reps.
For the past three years I have been a Welcome Week rep. I was a residence rep three times, for Whidden in 2005, and for Bates in 2006 and 2007. I was also a Social Sciences rep in 2006. This September I’ve chose to be a rep again, but this time as a Maroons rep. Because I have three years of being a rep under my belt (although most of the time I never wore a belt with my rep suit...), I thought it would be useful for all new reps to know what they’re getting into, and how to prepare for the week. Read on, and learn about how to survive Welcome Week!
Sleep
Get as much sleep as you possibly can before rep training starts, especially if you’re a Residence Rep. The first two days of Welcome Week will be 18 hours each, and physically exhausting due to move-in. None of your days will start after 10am, and most days don’t finish before 10pm. As a Res Rep, most of my days started at 8am, and finished at 1am. Add in all of the heavy lifting for move-in, and all the running around and cheering you will be dead tired. If you have any opportunities to take a break (even for a few minutes) try and take a nap of some sort.
Hydration
Three of the past four Welcome Weeks have been hot (last year being the hottest, with one day going up to 42C with the humidex). You will be wearing some sort of polyester suit that does not breathe. You will be sweating in it even if it’s a cool day. Make sure you drink plenty of water to keep yourself hydrated. However, you should also drink other liquids, as drinking only water does not replenish everything that is lost through sweating. Last year I ended up in emergency with dehydration from drinking only water. So please remember to drink juice and Gatorade/Powerade as well to replenish the electrolytes you lose (or you could be really hardcore and buy Pedialyte, but that stuff is REALLY expensive). That being said, if you’re drinking caffeinated beverages remember that they are diuretics and make you lose fluids as well.
Throat Lozenges
You will lose your voice. You will lose your voice more than one time. The best way to keep cheering after you voice has gone is to take some sort of throat lozenge meant for sore throats. I personally like Cepacol because they numb your throat. Other people prefer to use Halls, but I don’t like them because they tend to burn. You may also want to have tea with honey a few times over the course of the week as well.
Sunscreen
Considering Welcome Week takes place at the end of August/beginning of September there is the possibility for bright sunlight and a high UV index. It’s totally mom of me to remind you about the sunscreen...but you don’t want skin cancer now do you?
Change of Clothes
Know how your mom wanted you to always bring a change of clothes when you went away somewhere? Well, Welcome Week is another one of those places. If it’s really hot this year, you’re going to get really sweaty, and if it’s rainy like it was in 2006, you’re going to get damp, if not wet or totally soaked. Either way, you’re going to want to change your clothes and it’s hard to do so if you don’t bring any to change into. Same goes for shoes. You spend a lot of time on your feet, so you don’t want to spend part of your day in squishy shoes. If your feet get sore, it’s a good idea to have something to change into, because it will alleviate some of the pain in your feet.
Deodorant
Apply every morning. Bring to campus. Reapply as needed. No one is friends with the smelly kid.
Talking to People
Be as friendly as possible! You want to make sure that any student is comfortable talking to you, regardless of if they are from your building or faculty. You want to be approachable! You have to talk to people as a rep...which can be harder if you’re on the awkward side. It can also be difficult if the student you’re talking to is kinda shy. Although I must admit I’m not the best at small talk, you get a little bit of practice after awhile. Here are some suggestions for keeping a conversation going, that go beyond the ‘where are you from, how many siblings do you have, do you have a significant other’ type questions:
-What music they listen to
-What the favourite movie they saw this summer was
-What they’re looking forward to most during Welcome Week
-What sort of activities did they do in high school
-What course are they not looking forward to taking this year
Obviously there are tons and tons of other questions you could ask! As I mentioned, I’m not really good at asking questions, but I tend to better think of questions on the fly, especially since I can gage the kinds of questions I will ask based on earlier answers.
Food
I think as a res rep this is what bothered me the most. You get the most interaction with students, and have the longest days, and yet you get the least amount of appreciation. You will get two meals, both of which are on the move-in days. After that you have to supply your own food, and that $100 you are made to put on your meal cards usually helps cover that. If you’re Maroon on the other hand, you’re lucky enough to get most of your meals paid for. Faculty Reps are somewhere in between the two. Some good choices for food to eat on campus (to help you survive Welcome Week), includes sources of protein and carbohydrates. Protein helps keep you full and gives you energy, so try and have some at every meal. Another good food to have is soup. It has lots of salt, which you will need to replace over the course of the week. You will likely also want to bring things that aren’t sold by Hospitality services, such as fruit, cheese, Red Bull, peanut butter sandwiches or granola bars.
Weather
Remember to check the Weather Network website every morning before you leave. Then you'll know what to expect (at least a little bit...the forecast for Hamilton isn't always 100% right) in terms of weather for the day. Then you'll also know to bring an umbrella, sunscreen etc.
DFF
This is THE MOST IMPORTANT THING for you to remember. In residence you learned that DFF was don’t eff your floor. As a rep, it means don’t eff your frosh. If you happen to be really interested in one of your students, please wait until after Welcome Week before doing anything about it. You are a leader and a role model; starting a relationship while you are still seen as those means taking advantage of a first year student. NOT COOL! You can wait until August 8th, and if you can’t you’re in this for all of the wrong reasons. And by extension, this means don’t start anything with any of your co-reps either.
Just remember...it’s more fun being a rep than it is being a first year. I was told that in my second year, and I have to agree. I’ve told the same to tons of students down the line, and they have also agreed with me. Be smart, be safe and HAVE A BLAST AND A HALF!! (and hope to hell it doesn’t rain like it did in 2006).
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Welcome Week Rep Kick-Off Event!", August 26 2008
Welcome Week is less than a week away now (w00t!!!), and what better way to start it off by having a giant party? This Thursday August 28th is the campus-wide Welcome Week Rep Kick-Off Party at Quarters. This is a GREAT way to see everyone you haven’t seen since school let out in April, as well as raise money for a great cause!
The McMaster Social Sciences Society Welcome Week Planners, Zack Marchesini (aka 'Crombie) & Michael Pett (aka Fitch) have organized this awesome event for all reps, regardless of whether they are reps for SOCS, Faculty, IRC, Maroons, Residence or other groups. All money raised is going to Shinerama and CURE Canada. Another good thing about the event is participation (i.e. attendance) helps gain points for the newly-reinstated Welcome Week Rep Cup!
The winning rep team gets a prize as well as bragging rights for all of Welcome Week. Points are awarded as follows:- Total Donated by Team (Into Cover Jars) / Total # of Reps on Team
- # of Reps from Team That Wear A Toga / Total # of Reps on Team
- Total # of Reps That Attend / Total # of Reps on Team
Another incentive for you to come: ‘Crombie and Fitch will each be wearing a little bit less of their togas as the night goes on (and who doesn’t like a little bit of nudity). Although one may think that this is due to the “ginger ale” that is being served that night, it is because for every $50 that is raised a piece of their togas will be cut off.
So bring your toga, your student ID, your government-issued photo ID, and your wallet and prepare to have an awesome night!
Call me a cynic...but I bet you’re also wondering if all the money raised corresponds directly to points for Soc Sci for the Faculty Spirit Cup. It doesn’t. All money raised is being collected by the MSU’s Fundraising Initiative Team (FIT), and in turn does not benefit any one team. It only benefits the cause (and helps McMaster go from the post secondary school to raise the sixth highest amount of money nationally, so something higher this year)!!
Want more info? Check out the Facebook event here. Some other pivotal information: the party is from 10pm-3am, at Quarters. There will be kegs on the dance floor, $2.75 domestic bottles, $3.50 domestic pints, and a special “Shinerama Shot”. Cover for the event is a minimum donation of $3.00.
Can you attend even if you’re still underage? The answer is yes! You will just be subject to the X-ing/wristband policy of Quarters.
And in case you’re wondering...Zack and Mike aren’t actually going to be naked under their togas.
But I’m wondering...who is the guy in the poster? And I’m sure lots of single people are hoping that he will be there too...
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Shinerama", August 2008
You may have noticed over the course of the last week that the Maroons (aka the people in the Maroon jumpsuits) have been trying to raise money
for Shinerama by selling water and glowsticks, having a dunktank, and the ever-popular Charity Casino (and getting donations of spare change too). What is Shinerama? And what is the HUGE SHINERAMA event occurring on Saturday September 6th? Read on for more details!!
Shinerama is Canada’s largest post-secondary school fundraiser, involving students from more than 65 universities and colleges. The campaign has raised over $17 million to help fund cystic fibrosis (CF) research and treatment programs since its inception in 1964. What started as a shoe-shining campaign has turned into a huge fundraiser with funds going to monetary items as well as shining (or cleaning) objects.
CF affects the lungs and digestive system, and is the most common, fatal, genetic disease affecting young Canadians. Since the creation of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the life expectancy for those with CF has gone from the tender age of four to thirty-seven. Tremendous accomplishments have been made in the battle against CF; however, currently there is no known cure. The more money that is raised for this cause then hopefully the closer we can get to finding a cure.
On the morning of Saturday September 6th, the HUGE Shinerama event takes place. The Maroons will hook you up with a FREE T-SHIRT, stickers, tattoos, jellybeans, buttons, and a donation box and send you across the city to take part in shoe-shines, car washes and other fundraising campaigns.
After a busy morning of shining, you will come back to campus for the McMaster stadium’s GRAND OPENING for a free lunch and McMaster Marauders soccer home opener against Windsor!! GO MAC GO! Make sure you’re there to catch the half-time show, the free stuff, and the hilarious cheers!! Let’s get a little bit rowdy! R-O-W-D-Y!!
After the game marks a favourite Shinerama activity: the SHINE-OFF COMPETITION!! This Welcome Week Cup event is a time to cheer and get dirty with your residence!! The more people you bring, the more points your team gets so be there and bring your residence or society closer to the Welcome Week Cup!!
For the last 38 years, McMaster students have supported this fantastic cause in a big way. We hope you carry on the tradition and help us reach this year’s goal of $40,000!! Last year McMaster had the sixth highest amount of money raised for the cause, and this year our goal is to do better. Shinerama is a great time guaranteed! You won’t want to miss it!!!
The MSU Fundraising Initiative Team (FIT) is the group responsible for running the fundraiser. The FIT is a related, although separate part of the McMaster Maroons. FIT promotes student involvement in fundraising initiatives both on and off campus. They also host many awesome events through the year such as casino trips, bar blitzes, tournaments, and awareness campaigns – all of which aim for students to have some fun while working together for a worthy cause. If you’d like to get more involved with FIT, please check out their website, or send an email to the FIT Coordinator Alayna Kolodziechuk at fit@msu.mcmaster.ca, or alternatively you can visit her in MUSC B109.
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New Student Checklist: May 15 to August 29 Overview", May 14 2008
You have accepted McMaster. w00t! You are now going where such prestigious alumni as Howard P. Whidden (he liked to ski), Ivan Reitman (director of Ghostbusters and producer of Animal House), Michael Lee-Chin (the guy who the new wing of the ROM is named after [ironically the ROM is affiliated with UofT], Eugene Levy (Jim Levenstein’s dad from American Pie), Roberta Bondar (astronaut), Teresa Cascioli (creater of Lakeport Brewing Company), John Candy (Uncle Buck in Uncle Buck), and Martin Short all once attended.
There are a few things you need to start doing now that you are on your way to being a McMaster student...that is of course assuming you do not have your offer revoked due to a drop in your grades. But let’s hope that doesn’t happen. Once the university has gotten your final grades from high school, you will get your final letter of acceptance. It is only until you have gotten this letter that are you actually considered a McMaster student.
In the meantime, there are a few things you can do to facilitate the new student process now. Some of them seem a little bit stupid to do right away, but in the end you’ll be glad you did them when I told you.
If you are planning on living in residence, you have slightly less than two weeks to fill out your application form and send in your deposit. The due date is May 28th at 4pm. Any later than that and you have missed the deadline, and Housing and Conference Services will not do anything no matter what excuse you give them. Remember when you are ranking your choices to consider the cost of your accommodations, as you will be paying anywhere between $3805 and $6110 in addition to the cost of your mandatory meal plan. And if you have at least a 78% average, you are guaranteed a spot in residence...but that doesn’t mean you’re going to avoid a triple occupancy room.
Once you have gotten your residence application sent in, set up your MAC ID. You will need this to pick your courses (Your faculty will begin sometime between June 30 and July 4th as per the Office of the Registrar’s website. The closer to the course selection days you are, the more likely you will not be able to access the site as it will crash. Too much traffic makes the McMaster server crash. It’s really irritating, but if you take steps to avoid it you will not have to deal with the frustration.
Will you need some sort of financial assistance in first year? If so, consult with the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP). Find out your eligibility, and begin the application process. There are some scholarships and grants that you must apply for before a certain date. To have OSAP as a payment agreement when picking courses you must have applied by a certain date as well. Danny Vacar wrote an excellent article about OSAP in early May, and it is a worthwhile read if you are considering applying. And I suppose you could go to the main OSAP website if you wanted more information too.
If you have concerns about picking your courses, the First Year Experience Office (FYEO) is offering an orientation program focused on academics. The Easy Summer Orientation Program (ESOP) has sessions on academic success, goal-setting, decision-making, and an inspirational video. You can read up about the program and find out what days it is offered by checking out the FYEO website. These sessions run between the second and seventeenth of July.
However, the previously-mentioned sessions are not mandatory. If you want to find out what day your faculty picks courses, you can go to the Office of the Registrar’s website. Remember, if your MAC ID is not functioning you cannot pick your courses. This means the section or sections you may want to be placed in by the time you are able to access SOLAR. Last summer, Chad wrote an article about picking courses that you should check out. What he addresses in Class Selection Tips and Help is an incredibly valuable article, so you really should read it. Even if you went to the FYEO sessions, or on planning on attending them it is full of useful information.
If you are having issues, or have questions about courses, please post on the forums. Since this is a site run for students and by students, your peers will be able to help you with the process. And you may even meet some of your future classmates along the way. We just ask if your question is different than ones previously asked to post a new thread, rather than making existing ones super long.
If you breezed through the process really quickly, and have developed some tips you think may be worthwhile please contact Chad (chadfullerton [at] gmail.com) or myself (danielle.lorenz [at] gmail.com) via email, Facebook or Private Message. Then between the two or three of us, hopefully we can get a new article up...and by you! We encourage all students to write for us, even incoming students!
High school is over for you now, so get off your butt and get a job if you haven’t already! University can be expensive so start squirreling away money now!
In July, you will receive more information from the school in the mail. This obviously will have occurred once the McMaster has gotten all of your final grades. You will be getting a mixture of publications, info sheets and other tree-killing things. Make sure you read every single page you get, as they are included for a reason. If you find some of the information not useful, recycle it.
In this package you will get literature on your MacPass, your all-access pass to Welcome Week at McMaster. There are some items during Welcome Week you can only get into with your MacPass wrist band. Currently, at posting time the exact price of the MacPass is still to be determined. However, there is a motion to make it much cheaper than the $130/140 dollars from 2007. I wrote an article about the MacPass last year, and with the exception of cost, most parts seem to be the same. However, we will be writing an updated article for this summer once we get more information.
In late Julyish, your residence acceptance is supposed to become available. Last year there was a glitch in the system, so the information came out a day later than it was originally supposed to. Last year was also the first year the information was available online; previously you had to sit by your mailbox and wait. Once you find out what residence you are living in, consult with our Residence Survival Guides, Parts One, One and a Half, Two, Three, Four, and Five . Also, read Getting Involved at McMaster Part Six: Residence. Each of these articles should give you some idea of what you should be thinking of in terms of residence.
If you are getting OSAP you will need some sort of photo identification to pick it up. Make sure you have a driver’s license or some other form of photo ID in the mail long before mid-August or you may not be able to pick it up as early as you would like.
Friday August 8th is Welcome Day! You should attend if at all possible. There are many different programs and sessions happening on that day, and they cover all avenues about student life. If you are living in residence, you will also be allowed to see a few examples of residence rooms in your res (but not your specific room). More information about the day’s schedule will be posted on the FYEO website closer to the day.
If you aren’t doing anything from August 15th – 17th, come to the Horizons leadership conference! It is a way for you to meet your incoming classmates, stay in a McMaster residence building, get familiar with the McMaster campus, and experience the fun of Welcome Week two weeks before it starts. For more information on the applications and application process, check out the Horizons website.
Spend the latter part of August packing, posting on our forums (what? I’m allowed to self-promote!), and sleeping. You don’t get a lot of sleep during Welcome Week, so I suggest you start banking as much as possible beforehand. Welcome Week officially starts on Saturday August 30th at 8AM, so enjoy your last little bit of time before adulthood starts.
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Welcome Week Rep Applications Part Four: Residence", January 29 2008
Deep in the heart of the West Quad Jungle, you can hear the West Quad rumble. You listen to them. You can also see them; colourfully adorned and decorated. They are ready to...Welcome?
Your first encounter with them was when they sprinted over to your car and sang you a little song. Afterwards, they promptly unloaded all of your belongings and sent them up to your room (and maybe a fan got a little bit lost along the way?). They have obscure names. They are your Welcome Week Residence Reps.
It is their chief responsibility to welcome you to your new home. They teach you about tradition; both of your residence but McMaster as a whole. For the past three September s, I have been lucky enough to have this opportunity. And it is highly likely that I will be doing the same thing next September too. The first time I was a rep, I was luckily enough to be representing the residence I lived in the year previous (Whidden Whidden Whidden! Bash Bash Bash!!). Although for the next two years I ended up in a different residence (Hey Bates...Fire it up!), I still had a blast and a half.
I was told by one of my Welcome Week reps, Rammer, that regardless of how much you enjoyed your Welcome Week as a first year, you have a lot more fun as a rep. I found that to be true each and every year. I have passed on the same advice each year to my frosh, and for the past two years I have had feedback from them, telling me the same thing.
As reps you form bonds, ones stronger than covalent bonds. These bonds occur with both your co-reps (you spend 10 days together, for at least eight hours a day; it can’t not happen), your frosh, and also to some extent the IRC and RLS staff in the building you rep for. More than three years after my own Welcome Week, I am still in contact with a few of my own reps. And I still talk to and hang out with my frosh from along the years as well. It’s also not uncommon for me to be called by my rep name, or to address my reps, or fellow co-reps by their names. These may be some of the best relationships you form in university.
And all of this without a single drop of rum. As a rep, you are under a contract and there are rules you must abide by; one of which being you will not drink any alcohol for the duration of Welcome Week. There are other things too, you must be aware of. First off, you are not paid; this is strictly a volunteer position. Some of your meals are paid for, but for the most you are on your own. During the summer months you are expected to keep in contact with your HPA in order to help them plan out the various events of the week, as well as themes, t-shirt designs, and cheers. Your summer is shortened: mandatory training for Welcome Week starts the Wednesday before the Labour Day weekend lasting for three days, and Welcome Week starts bright and early the Saturday of that same weekend.
During Welcome Week, your days are at the very least twelve hours long. Staying until past midnight is not uncommon, and some days you need to be there for 7AM. You do not know what sleep deprivation and exhaustion is until you are a Res Rep. You are expected to help for your entire residence’s move-in; which is about seven to eight hours. You are constantly lifting, cheering, and directing. And sometimes (always?) carrying items up the stairs (Brandon has 11 floors...I’ve only ever had to climb up five flights, and that was still tiring) because the elevator(s) conk out on you. And you have to help your sister residence move-in the other day too (although for not as long). Extreme heat (like this year) in those polyester suits is not fun, dehydration is normal. Or, you get the opposite, which is rain; being damp is only slightly more tolerable than being dehydrated.
Despite this, I have not yet met a rap who has regretted their decision. Many reps go on to rep again, although some go to do Maroons, Faculties or SOCS. But then there are repeat offenders, such as myself who are res reps every year.
You may also think that you must be loud, obnoxious and gregarious to make a good rep. This is not true at all; I have seen some very shy people make very good reps. It may or may not have to do with the suit: it gives you confidence (me too! I’m more confident in my suit).
Like other positions at school, you must attend the info session in order to make the first cut. It will outline other logistical things; such as how the application system works, and what you can expect as a rep (but I’m pretty sure I’ve gotten than covered here). One session is this Wednesday on the 30th (10:15 - 11:15pm). One is on the 5th (5:30-6:30pm), and the last on the 13th (10:15-11:15pm); all are in Council Chambers, Gilmour Hall (across from Career Services).
And now for the shout-outs...
To my reps: E-Mac, Tops, Hondo, Sizzle, Superstar, Bambi, Scuzi, Kwota, Staples, Mumu, Snitch and Rammer; thank you for the inspiration. And thank you for coming back in your suits for Welcome Week 2005 to help us out with the Bedraces Pep Rally.
To the Whidden 2005 Team: Pops, Roo/Veto, Duffman/Akorn, Gromit, Honeybun, Sunshine, Trigger, Casanova, Q-Bert/Jello, Slightly/Slightlier, Head Butt Girl and Plonk; the ribbon we used for Bedraces was pivotal. I’m so glad to have repped with you, it continued what was an awesome first year in an awesome res.
To the Bates 2006 Team: Sizzles, Jewelz, Butter, Beta, Rex, Dice, Chowda, Bud, Chicka, Pitch, J-dawg, and Chi-Chi; we eliminated the stigma against Bates. That was awesome.
To the Bates 2007 Team: Baron, Blackout, Justin King of the Unicorns (JKU), Borat, Akorn/Duffman, Taz, Tetley, Banjo, Lil Fizz, Scaramouche, Nacho, Cinnamon, and Mr. Christie/Calgary; this team was so unique. I got to rep with friends from res, a previous co-rep, as well as frosh from two different years. I will never forget how well and how far we got Bates as res....FIRST PLACE IN AIRBANDS!!!
And thanks to MSU Pres Ryan Moran for everything he did for and with Bates! You really enhanced everything for the students, and made their Welcome Week an awesome one too.
For all of the other reps I befriended along the years: Pix, Porche, Tink/Inspector Clouseau/Fingers, Aqua, Wheaties, Hot Pants, Scotty, Swiss, Wingman, Monster/Squishee/Rocky, Crazy Eyes, Fluoride, Ace, Kodiak, the Llyod Twins, A-Team, and many IRC, faculty Maroons and SOCS reps; thank you for enhancing the rep experience that year(s)! Even though you weren’t on my team, you still made the week amazing.
Last, but certainly not least I would like to thank: Rezult, Fajita/Clutch, Zee, Lusty, Tank, Skittles, Bunk/Diamond, T-Spoon, Boxy, JKU, Blackout and Calgary/Mr. Christie (and anyone I may have missed!); for keeping the tradition alive. I’m so happy to have had frosh who have wanted to do this too!
WHOOOOOO WELCOME WEEK!
Okay, I’m done now.
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Welcome Week Rep Applications", January 2008
The vast majority of people have strong memories about Welcome Week. I am no exception, I have technically had four after all (yup, you read that correctly. FOUR). If I may lend a machete to your intellectual thicket, I’ll explain.
Welcome Week at McMaster is a serious business, with preliminary planning actually occurring before the summer break. Thus, the Welcome Week selection process is underway. The beginning of the process starts with the IRC elections, which start this month. The rest of the reps – Maroons, SOCS, Faculty and Res – start their application process later on. Most commence in February.
This is only the first in the series (and the intro), so sadly this is all of the information I am willing to give up at the moment. But we at MacInsiders will be providing you with detailed accounts (with some personal stories smattered in [and not all of them mine!]) as the weeks progress. Start getting excited, damn it! I am (again/already!).
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A Welcome Week Message", August 2007.
IT’S WELCOME WEEK!!! IT’S WELCOME WEEK!!! The most fun time of your university years is now underway! In case you can’t tell, I’m pretty excited (because it’s super fun for me as well!!).
Even though it has been three years since I arrived on campus, I still have some fond and strong memories of my Welcome Week in Whidden. That first night, a bunch of us went to play ultimate Frisbee at the oval – Mikey, Joanna, Eddie, Alex, Stuey…I don’t think I’m any better at the game now than I was then. Also that night, Joe and I stayed up until 4AM sitting in the rock garden in Faculty Hollow, where we watched the deer. The rest of my week was full of cheering, no sleep, bashing, meeting lots of new friends, general craziness, and most importantly, LOTS of fun.
The last two Welcome Weeks, although slightly different, have been filled with more of the same – general craziness, lack of sleep, and LOTS AND LOTS of fun times. In my second year I was a Residence Rep for Whidden, where I continued the same traditions that my reps had taught me the year before. Again, I met lots of new people and made lots of new friends.
Last year, I was a Welcome Week rep for Bates Hall. It was a completely new and different experience for me than the last two Welcome Weeks were. I had my hand at learning new traditions, and getting even more people pumped up about Welcome Week. As what happened in the last two years, I met lots of new people and made lots of new friends.
This year, I’m a Residence Rep again, but I will not disclose where I will be. Sadly, this will be my final Welcome Week at McMaster (that is unless I don’t get into graduate school…). However, like in years previous I have a whole bunch of new students that I can teach the McMaster and Residence traditions to.
Past froshlings of mine have talked to me about their Welcome Weeks over the years. Common things that they said are that they had an amazing time at the events, couldn’t believe how we could do it all on little sleep, and it always looked like we were having lots of fun being reps.
Now, there is nothing stopping you from not going to events. However, Welcome Week is the easiest time for you to meet new people, as all first year students will be experiencing the same things as you. Get to know the people in your faculty as well as in your residence or SOCS group. These people can be a lot of help to you throughout the year, be it just for class or as future best friends.
You may be a really shy person, and feel awkward being around all kinds of new people. Again, everyone is in the same boat as you are. I’m actually a kind of shy person, but I never found it hard to talk to people during Welcome Week, as everyone was eager to meet new people.
You may also think that some of the activities are really “gay” or “retarded”. First of all, McMaster is an inclusive community, and therefore that sort of language is NOT tolerated. You do not have the right to use derogatory slang for something you consider to be dumb to define a sexual orientation or mental disability. If I can be taught by my seventh grade teacher that that sort language is inappropriate, you can learn the same as first year students.
Back to my point, you may think that some of the activities during Welcome Week are kind of dumb (or occur too early in the day). However goofy (or early) they may be, if you get yourself into the mindset you will have a blast and a half. Again, no one is forcing you to participate, but we highly suggest you do. We want you to have pride in your residence (be it on-campus or off), your faculty, as well as McMaster in general. All of the activities that have been planned out for you during this week have the goal of familiarizing yourself with your new home, and developing pride. Please come out and participate! We reps already know how much fun McMaster can be, Welcome Week is for you first year students!
Come, out, have a blast, and get to meet TONS of new people, in both your year and those above!! I am still friends with some of my Welcome Week Reps. I have also developed friendships with my first year students from Whidden and Bates over the last two years. I am sure I will do the same this year too. I'm cool like that, and possibly slightly precocious too.
Remember, sleep is for the weak, SO COME OUT TO EACH AND EVERY EVENT! (You may even get a prize for doing so…*hint hint*) You can always catch up on sleep on Sunday, September 9th.
"
The MacPass" July 2007
Many students have asked about the MAC Pass, which has prompted me to write about it. In this article you will know what a MAC Pass is, what it gets you during Welcome Week, the stuff you get in it, and other random factoids.
What is the MAC Pass?
The MAC pass is an all-access passport that lets you get into every event during Welcome Week. The way you gain admittance to exclusive Welcome Week events is through the MAC Pass wrist band (so don’t loose it!). Also in the MAC pass is gear from your residence (or SOCS) and faculty.
Why should I buy a MAC Pass?
The first reason is so you don’t miss out on an awesome time during Welcome Week! The second is that the MAC Pass funds most (70%) of the events during Welcome Week. So, if no one buys a MAC Pass, Welcome Week won’t be much fun!
How much does a MAC Pass cost?
Until August 10th the MAC Pass costs $130 (taxes included). After August 10th the price goes up to $140 (taxes included).
How do I order A MAC Pass?
There are three ways to do this. The first is to mail in, fax or drop off an order form. The second is to purchase one on Welcome Day – August 10th 2007. The final way is to order one during Welcome Week. However, the price of a MAC Pass increases after August 10th, so it is better to get one sooner rather than later! Learn more about the McMaster FYEO MacPass on MacInsiders!!!
What do I get in a MAC Pass?- a massive laundry bag
- a res/SOCS t shirt
- any other goodies from your res/SOCS such as hats, bracelets, keychains, bandanas etc (it varies). If more people buy in advance, the more money the Welcome Week planners can spend on stuff in the MAC passes, so buy early (PLEASE)!!!
- faculty shirt
- faculty swag (again varies; some items include umbrellas, cups, clipboards, bandanas, shoe bags)
- other random free stuff (this varies from year to year; items in the past have been food, candy, toiletry items etc)
What events does a MAC Pass get me into?- IRIS play (Sunday or Monday; depends on individual residence or SOCS)
- Sunday September 2nd: admittance and participation in Carnival (blow-up games, mechanical bull, food, other stuff)
- Monday September 3rd: Block Party (food, music, contests in each residence quad), Monday Night Social (blow-up games, a live band, speed dating, dance lessons, other stuff)
- Tuesday September 4th: Faculty Day (activities vary by faculty)
- Wednesday September 5th: Pancake breakfast in MUSC
- Thursday September 6th: Faculty night (many faculties do trips off-campus…and the ones I have been on are LOTS of fun)
- Friday September 7th: Charity Casino, Hypnotist Mike Mandel
- Saturday September 8th: ticket to Marauder’s home opener (football game), admittance to concert (if you don’t have a MAC Pass and want to go you have to pay $15 [WW Reps pay $5 with their lanyard])
When do I get my MAC Pass?
Pickup for the MAC Pass is during Welcome Week, starting September 1st. The absolute last day you can pick up your MAC Pass is September 4th.
Is it worth it?
YES!
No, really. Is it worth it?
YES!
