Welcome Week wraps up

Welcome Week is designed for incoming freshmen to help stave off the pressures of meeting new friends and navigating IU’s large campus.

Dorm residents participated in various activities sponsored by the Residence Hall Association and Residential Programs and Services on Friday and Saturday, including midnight shopping sprees, treasure hunts and races around campus — all to help the new students become better-oriented with IU
traditions and history.

Amazing Race

Foster Quad residents competed in a race through university grounds Saturday to familiarize themselves with famous IU landmarks and well-known campus buildings.
The Amazing Race, created a year ago by Foster Resident Assistant Leo Martinez, is a fairly new event.

But last year, the race had already garnered the title of “Social Program of the Year” in 2009 by the National Residence Hall Honorary.

The honorary was created in 1964 to recognize leaders in residence halls across the country.

Martinez said he hopes students get a sense of IU’s tradition and history, as well as how to get to-and-from popular spots on campus such as the Herman B Wells Memorial Sculpture and the Indiana Memorial Union.

“We had about 200 kids sign up last year and we anticipate more this year,” Martinez said before the event. “We divide each floor into teams, and each team competes to be the first one to finish. We try to make the clues around campus simple, but not too simple.”

Midnight Madness

Sponsored by RHA, Midnight Madness is designed to help students find and buy
supplies and furnishings to complete their college to-do lists.

Bloomington’s local Walmart opened its doors to students for this one-night shopping event.

Midnight Madness has taken place for years as part of Welcome Week.

Traditions and Spirit of IU

The Office of First Year Experience Programs, IU Athletics and RPS partnered to present Traditions and Spirit of IU, another recurring event.

The event welcomed students to show their IU pride while receiving prizes given out before and during the event Friday.

Students also learned the IU fight song, “Indiana, Our Indiana.”

Other campus events also took place, including the Race for Treasure on Saturday at
Collins Living-Learning Center and a barbecue at McNutt Quad on Saturday.