Sept. 23 is 'Connection Day' at Western

Several departments at Western have come together to ensure that students have dozens of ways to begin connecting to campus life on the day before the start of classes. Some of the exciting activities Connection Day will bring to students include: free outdoor excursions to hiking, biking, kayaking, climbing, and swimming destinations; a campus-wide scavenger hunt; a free hip hop concert in Red Square with free ice cream for up to 2,000 students; a rally for environmentalism and civic engagement; a space for fans, geeks, and gamers; interactive social justice conversations; a community art project; and so much more. The full schedule can be found at: www.bit.ly/wwuconnects.

Connection Day, happening all day on Wednesday, Sept. 23, marks the mid-point of the full Welcome Week lineup of events. The goal of the day is for students to take a moment to be intentional about how they will choose to spend their last day before classes begin. Connection Day is about choice. Students may choose to connect with nature, with the broader campus community, with smaller groups of students who share their passions and interests, or just with themselves or a roommate. Casey Hayden, Coordinator of Student Activities, is serving as the facilitator of the day’s events and had this to say, “All of the planners of the Connection Day events are really excited for this opportunity because it will offer a great follow-up to the huge spectacle that is the Red Square Info Fair. We hope students choose as much from the day as they want while keeping it leisurely. The day is supposed to be about finding your place at Western, feeling comfortable, and having fun.”  

Departments sponsoring the event include New Student Services/Family Outreach, the Associated Students of WWU, the Residence Hall Association, University Residences, Dining Services, Prevention and Wellness Services, the AS Bookstore and BRAVE (Building Resilience and Voicing Empathy).