With another school year on the horizon, students everywhere are taking advantage of the last days of summer freedom. While some travel to cottages, or go camping, first year students at the University of Toronto’s Scarborough campus are gearing up for a week of games, contests, and school spirit- commonly referred to as Frosh Week.
This year, Frosh Week on the Scarborough campus will run from Monday, September 6th until Wednesday, September 8th. The theme for 2004 is “Under Construction”, because the organizers felt it best reflects the state of campus development at UTSC.
According to Scarborough Campus Students’ Union (SCSU) President Adam Watson, there will be approximately 1000 first year students, out of 2300, participating. These students will make up 50 different frosh groups, all of whom are ready for their first taste of University life.
Monday kicked off with a basic meet and greet, which included student registration; introductions from SCSU President and Student Affairs; and a presentation of UTSC clubs and events. This was followed by a senior student mix and mingle, intended to integrate first year students with those more experienced. As the day wound down the frosh headed out to a mini-mosaic pub event.
Tuesday will host success seminars to deal with problems faced by all university students, such as: sleep deprivation, getting involved, and health and wellness. After getting some fresh air with a few outdoor events and competitions, Frosh will attend a dinner to mingle with Scarborough professors. From there, participants are invited to enjoy improv and hypnotist shows.
Wednesday, the final day is all about school spirit. Scarborough campus students will be bused to downtown Toronto to participate in the SAC Parade, and the U of T Games Chant-Off. They will also be part of the nationwide Cystic Fibrosis fundraiser, Shinerama. Thousands of students will take to the streets, cleaning cars and shining shoes to raise money for research into Cystic Fibrosis. Later that night, Toronto Centre Island will host a Frosh party, another chance for first-years to intermingle and prepare to sleep through the next day’s classes.
Frosh week officially comes to a close on Saturday September 11th, with a U of T Games Day. When asked what will make this year’s Frosh events different from those held in the past, Watson said that “this year we have our own student centre” and hopes that they “will be able to gear as many introductory events as possible into this new facility.”
