The first thing you notice on move-in day are the boxes, the bags, the bins.
They come in all colours: blue plastic, brown cardboard, transparent green, beige cloth. Some are expertly packed鈥攖he work of either efficient students or dedicated parents鈥攚hile others appear sorted with a healthy dose of organized chaos.
They arrive in vehicles lined up on LeMarchant Street, inching slowly towards Howe Hall. They come carried in-hand towards Sheriff Hall, precariously grasped by parents and family members proudly supporting the big move. They move past the Student Union Building, where o-week kits are piled up against the wall, waiting to be claimed.
Move-in day鈥攖he official start of orientation week鈥� is not just 鈥榙ay one鈥� for AV俱乐部鈥檚 newest students. In some ways, it鈥檚 a 鈥榙ay zero鈥�: a fresh start, the beginning of a sometimes challenging, often exciting journey that is likely to shape much of their lives to follow.
But even as the students switch from their street clothes to their assigned uniform鈥攁 brightly-coloured T-shirt, different for each house or group of students鈥攖hose boxes suggest that they don鈥檛 exactly leave everything behind.
Hot sauce and headbands
Daniel Alleyne, found waiting in line to check in at Howe Hall, said that he made sure to pack his personal supply of hot sauce.
鈥淐oming from Barbados, the food here in Canada can be a bit bland,鈥� says the commerce student, with a polite laugh. As for the rest of the week, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 really know what to expect, but I鈥檓 excited to meet people.鈥�
Emma Roung, from Hamilton, Ontario, was so excited to get to Dal that her family was the first to arrive at Shirreff Hall, a full 45 minutes prior to the official move-in time. When asked about what items she made sure to pack, she first answers 鈥渕y laptop,鈥� before adding that her headbands are also a must-have.
鈥淚 brought about 17 of them,鈥� she says, noting that they鈥檙e more for fashion than function.
Later in the day, Ms. Roung could be found zipping around the Studley quad on an adult tricycle while water fights and dance parties erupted around her.
鈥淎t times, it鈥檚 overwhelming...I鈥檝e never done something like this before.鈥�
A 'tunnel of love' welcome
That sense of 鈥榦verwhelming鈥� is understandable: even before the afternoon field party breaks out, campus is filled with pirates, fire jugglers, and parents and students hustling together to get their initial campus business done.
Thankfully, there鈥檚 plenty of support. Dal staff and student volunteers are everywhere, sporting green 鈥楢sk Me鈥� buttons and eager to offer answers to inquisitive newcomers.
Then there鈥檚 the more than 260 orientation leaders, wearing white t-shirts featuring the Dal crest. In the morning, most are at the residences carrying boxes and bags, but those waiting for off-campus students to arrive camp out at the SUB, organizing a massive line of high fives for everyone who enters. They dub it, 鈥楾he Tunnel of Love.鈥�
Zac Brown, a third-year history and chemistry student and an o-week leader, stands off to the side, directing students and family members alike to take a run through the tunnel.
鈥淚 was excited when I came through orientation, and I wanted to share that experience,鈥� he says, when asked why he got involved this year.
Fun events, sustainable goals
There are a ton of activities planned for the week, and everyone has their own favourite. Tara Buckle and Hayley Ewing, friends from Sackville, Nova Scotia who are living off-campus for their first year at Dal, say they鈥檙e taking part in o-week to meet new people.
鈥淚鈥檓 excited about the black and gold night, and the Dal vs. SMU rugby game,鈥� says Ms. Ewing. 鈥淚鈥檓 a spirit sort of person.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 really into music, so I鈥檓 excited about all the bands,鈥� says Glen Merkley, from Sydney Cape Breton, waiting in line at the SUB to purchase his o-week kit and switch out his hip hop sweater for a Risley Hall T-shirt.
Also hanging around the SUB is Haley Williams, an o-week leader who is helping support a number of the week鈥檚 sustainability initiatives. This year, each new student gets a reusable coffee mug and water bottle in their kit, and Dal has partnered with the Halifax Regional Water Commission on a water station on the quad that鈥檚 supplying drinking and activity water alike.
鈥淧roviding these water stations for AV俱乐部 orientation week is one way we help聽students聽reduce their use of bottled water and encourage environmental awareness,鈥� explains the commission鈥檚 James Campbell.
The o-week team will also be purchasing carbon offsets to account for greenhouse gas use鈥攑articularly for items like flights for DalFest bands鈥攁nd, for the first time, there will be a baseline number generated that accounts for the total waste generated and energy consumed during the week. It will provide future o-week organizers something to build and improve upon.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 want to compromise a great time, but we just want to keep our city and planet in mind, keep them awesome,鈥� says Ms. Williams. 鈥淲e want to show our new students that we care about the environment here at Dal.鈥�
"Black and yellow, black and yellow"
Other things Dal鈥檚 newest students seemingly care about: bouncy castles, water fights and human foosball.
After a brief period of relative quiet on campus鈥攑resumably, students getting settled in their rooms鈥攖he Studley quad becomes consumed activity for the afternoon field party. There鈥檚 a barbecue and information tables up by the Henry Hicks Building, inflatable activities on the perimeter, and a water-filled 鈥榮plash zone鈥� right in the middle of it all.
Joe Johnson, from Kingston, Nova Scotia, is found getting his 鈥榣and legs鈥� back after a short-but-noble attempt at riding the mechanical bull.
鈥淭hat was scary but fun,鈥� says the O鈥橞rien Hall resident. As for o-week? 鈥淚 love it! It鈥檚 such a blast!鈥�
All across the field, new connections are being forged: not just friendships and acquaintances, but an introduction to a communal Dal spirit that goes beyond just a 鈥榟ouse鈥� or a 鈥榬esidence.鈥�
That spirit truly takes hold shortly after 2 p.m. Following welcome remarks from DSU Vice-President Student Life Jamie Arron, the DJ starts playing a popular track by rapper Wiz Khalifa. As it blasts from the speakers, all the o-week leaders start a giant dance-off that the new students quickly join, bouncing up and down in a giant mass of enthusiasm.
The song may be titled 鈥淏lack and Yellow,鈥� but everyone seems to know, in that moment, what it really signifies: that no matter what colour boxes your stuff came in, or what shade your T-shirt is, everyone on campus is now 鈥榖lack and gold.鈥�
(Nick Pearce photo)