“I’m worried about adjusting from a small town to a big city. I’m excited to meet new people and expand and grow and try new things,” said Freshman Chandler Howerton.Ěý

The number of students living on campus or in affiliated housing near campus has grown to more than 7,000 students — triple the number from 10 years ago.Ěý

Check out more from Move-In Day in the video below: 

“Welcome Week is an important traditional program that promotes new student engagement and success by providing students with opportunities to develop fundamental skills, knowledge and personal connections essential for their transition to UofL,” said Loni Yost, director of First Year Initiatives.Ěý

Some noteworthy events include:

Aug. 16

• Move-In Day, 8 a.m.-3:00 p.m., Move-In Day will feature volunteers, complimentary drinks and pizza for everyone courtesy of Papa John’s.
• Cardinal Kick Off, 3:30-5:30 p.m., Library Lawn West, UofL’s Interim President Dr. Greg Postel helps kick off Welcome Week. Enjoy free food, photo booth, UofL swag, music and a chance to win a new bike.
• Bid Day, 3-10 p.m., Students receive an invitation to the sorority they were matched with through the mutual selection process.

Aug. 17

• SOUL: Student Outreach Uniting Louisville, 8 a.m. check-in; 8:30 a.m.– 12:30 p.m. service projects, Student Activities Center, includes a free t-shirt, interactive group discussion and group service project featuring Mayor Fischer with the keynote.
• Kick Back in the Stacks, 6-8:30 p.m., Ekstrom Library, The library features a mix of dancers, magicians and other novelty performers; bingo; interactive service project; a photo station; scavenger hunt; local food samples, etc. Learn about the Library and other important campus resources.

Aug. 18

• Alumni Association Picnic, 6-7:30 p.m., Humanities Quad, Enjoy food, music, giveaways, and fun. Hear from SOAR (Student Organization for Alumni Relations) on how to bridge the gap between current students and alumni.
• Night at the Museum: What’s Your Speed?, 7-10 p.m., Speed Art Museum, Enjoy a night of tours, snacks, games, art-making and adventure as students explore the galleries and get to know the Speed Art Museum.

Aug.19

• CARDnival, 8-10:45 p.m., SAC West Plaza, Join the Student Activities Board for a night out at the CARDnival complete with arcade and casino games, featuring free food, music, inflatables, and prizes.

Aug. 20

• 25^łŮłóĚýAnnual Icebreaker and All Campus Cookout, 6-8 p.m., Red Barn/West Plaza, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and National Pan-Hellenic Council’s (NPHC) fraternities and sororities welcome all new students to the campus.

The full schedule of events is .Ěý

Freshman McKena Alford sheltered from the drizzle outside University Tower, waiting for her parents to arrive and help her move a cart full of her belongings inside. Coming from a family of UofL fans, she had always expected to attend the university one day. That day had finally arrived, bringing with it a lot of emotions.

“I cried this morning because my bedroom was empty,” said Alford. “But I’m excited to start the whole UofL experience.”

Alford’s story is a familiar one, shared by her classmates and countless Cards before her. But this year, many students will be experiencing campus living as no Card has before, thanks to a slew of upgrades the university has made.

“We’re excited to have our residents back on campus and especially excited to add University Pointe and The Nine to the University Housing inventory. The addition of these two facilities, along with our existing buildings, allows us to offer housing to over 7,000 UofL students,” said Director of Campus Housing Julie Weber. “We are also pleased to offer a new home to the Honors Living-Learning Community, which is now housed in Kurz Hall, and to have added a new Living-Learning Community in Threlkeld: the Arts & Sciences Exploring Majors and Careers.”

At the revamped Kurz Hall, Resident Assistant Megan O’Brien was on hand last week during Move-In Day to help students get settled in their new dorms. Having served as an RA there last year as well, O’Brien looked forward to the changes the new arrangement will bring.

“In an LLC, students who live together likely take the same classes, fulfill the same requirements, and have the same scholarships,” explained O’Brien. “It really gives them the urge to form a community.” 

Sophomore Kate Jackimowicz stood in her University Pointe apartment surrounded by boxes of her belongings. Unlike most students, she couldn’t rely on the help of her parents to move in — they were 14 hours away at the family’s home in Boston. But luckily for her, University Pointe provided Student Living Assistants to move her things and help her feel at home, which she expects to be significantly easier this year.

“I lived in Unitas last year, so this is a major step up,” said Jackimowicz. “Living here will definitely help my grades because I do better when I can lock myself in my room and have my own area.”

As the rain cleared and rooms were put in order, students headed off to enjoy the activities that mark the beginning of yet another new school year.

“This is the moment when a whole bunch of parents are entrusting us with the most important thing in their lives, which is their kids. That’s a big deal,” said Julie Weber, UofL’s housing director.Ěý

Welcome Week also kicked off Wednesday and continues through the weekend.Ěý

Watch scenes from move in day below. Photos are .Ěý

Loni Yost, director of First Year Initiatives, said this undertaking helps first year, transfer and returning students get the school year started off right.

“Welcome Week is just one aspect of a great first year and one of our programs that helps students with their transition to the university,” she said. “We offer a variety of fun opportunities to students to develop the personal connections, skills and knowledge that are an essential part of their first year at UofL.”

Many campuses across the country have similar Welcome Week programs, but what differentiates UofL’s efforts are the events that focus on what it means specifically to be part of the UofL Cardinal family, as well as the events – such as Night at the Museum showcasing the Speed Art Museum and the Louisville Sustainability Bike Tour – that are tied to the broader Louisville community.

The First Year Initiatives Team (three staff members and a graduate assistant) plan for Welcome Week throughout the entire year.

“There is little-to-no down time between the end of one Welcome Week and the planning and preparation for the next. In fact, we have already started working on some details and planning for Welcome Week 2017,” Yost said.

There are a number of details that go into each event, from contracting and reservations, to marketing and facility needs. Yost notes that her department relies greatly on many partners across campus and in the community that help facilitate Welcome Week in some capacity, from academic colleges to athletics, and Churchill Downs to the ULPD, as well as external sponsors the Kentucky National Guard, Commonwealth Credit Union and OfficeMax.Ěý

Though there are many facets of Welcome Week, the biggest events throughout the years include convocation, academic unit open houses, the alumni picnic, Book-in-Common discussions, the Playfair, SOUL: Student Outreach Uniting Louisville, CARDS Connection Reunion and SAB events, such as the CARDnival and Luxe Lounge.

New programs added this year

Additionally, this year will feature some scheduling changes due to a few new events, including:

• CARDS Take Flight: The official start of Welcome Week programming that consists of two parts — Community Connections and Cardinal Kickoff;
• Night Under the Lights: UofL Athletics will host the inaugural movie night at Lynn Soccer Stadium;
• Sharing Our Cards: An interactive community-building event;
• Classroom Quest: Stations will be set up around campus where representatives will answer questions, help students find their classes and provide advice;
• Target Takeover: The Target store in Bashford Manor will transform for UofL students after hours, featuring a live DJ, food and other activities.

Also this year, some programs have been changed or are being re-introduced:

• T-Shirt Swap: Introduced for the first time last year.ĚýDue to the popularity and success of the event, it has been expanded this year;
• Night at the Museum: Event at the Speed Art Museum (which was previously a staple event prior to the museum closure for renovations);
• Day at the Downs: Changed to accommodate more students.

Welcome Week also includes a variety of First Year Initiatives’ CARDS events, created to help UofL newcomers “grow and develop civically, academically, personally and socially” through five aspects of their college experience: Community, Academics, Responsibility, Diversity and Service. This philosophy has been implemented throughout the past year and a half and all first-time freshmen are expected to attend the CARDS Events during Welcome Week.

Yost said the best part of this five-day tradition is simply watching it all come to fruition.

“It is so rewarding to see new students interacting and developing connections with peers, current students, faculty and staff,” she said. “Our team is lucky to interact with all of these individuals during Welcome Week. It’s a time when we really start to see new students making UofL their home and becoming part of the UofL community.”