Triton Weeks of Welcome Sparks Student Spirit

Move-In

Between Sept. 14-24, students and families were zipping to-and-fro across campus corridors with carts and suitcases, shuttling their belongings from car to residential suite. Nearly 13,000 beds were made available to undergraduate students for the upcoming academic year. And UC San Diego was able to add 700 undergraduate beds by providing a limited number of triples.

 Incoming first-year student Katie Canard, who arrived from Saline, Michigan and moved into Sixth College, is enthusiastic about diving into UC San Diego’s theater program. “I chose UCSD because it seems to have a really unique theater program with a lot of access to local productions and ways to get yourself started with the La Jolla Playhouse—and also the campus is just beautiful, we’re right by the beach, which is awesome.”

 Her ultimate goal is to become a film actor, and she believes theater is a great foundation. Canard is excited to begin her classes, and is already a proud Triton.“I’m excited to have school spirit,” she said. “I’m really excited to go to all of the events, make friends with people from so many different backgrounds and participate as much as I can.”

Fall Y'all Festival

On Sunday evening, Sept. 18, electronic beats and excited cheers resounded in Town Square as students encircled dancers showcasing their moves to the pulse of the Deejays and Vinylphiles Club. The annual Fall Y’all Festival drew hundreds of new Tritons—as evidenced by the entry line that snaked down Library walk. Hosted by A.S. Concerts and Events (ASCE), the fair offered students an opportunity to socialize and dance under the stars.

“We have some games such as Guitar Hero and Dance Dance Revolution that people can play, we also have bungee jumping for students to do, and we’re also giving away free boba…there’s really a lot to do for students,” said ASCE Festival Director Ashley Hernandez as she and her team were setting up for the evening’s festivities.

She added, “A.S. Concerts and Events puts on a variety of different events to cater to the student body, we really try to find something for everyone. Throughout the year we have Bear Gardens, which is a carnival-type event, and we have our bigger events like Horizon, an arena concert and then Sun God, which is a music festival that happens at the end of spring quarter.”

Black CommUNITY Cookout

On Monday, Sept. 19, students gathered on Sun God Lawn to picnic, play frisbee, explore campus organizations and more as part of the Black CommUNITY Cookout, hosted by the Black Resource Center (BRC)—one of six campus community centers at UC San Diego. The annual kickoff event was designed to offer new and returning students a chance to meet and socialize as well as interact with campus partners such as the Black Student Union, Recreation, Counseling & Psychological Services and more.

In between overseeing the event flow, Assistant Director of the Black Resource Center Jay Rice offered advice on how new students can make the most of their experience. “My biggest tip for any of our new students is to join in and go to events. I think sometimes our students have a tendency to be very academically focused, which is great— proud of you all—however this is a full, holistic experience and some of that is getting out there and trying new things. You never really know what you’re going to enjoy!”

Incoming first-year Théanie Baskevitch is doing just that. She shared that she’s trying many new activities, including tennis, a sport that she’s never tried before. Originally from France, she was drawn to UC San Diego for the academic opportunities as well as the location.

“I wanted to get as far away from home as possible, so I came to the U.S.” said Baskevitch with a laugh. “The campus is amazing, there’s no doubt about that, they have incredible facilities, especially for engineering. And the beach and the weather…all of it together made it a perfect college for me.”