UAF welcomes students as orientation, move in begin

Submitted by Megan Otts
Phone: (907) 474-6959
08/31/07

UAF photo by Todd Paris

UAF orientation leader Jonathan Keill dons his snowboard goggles before modeling the latest in outdoor fashions at the "40-below fashion show" in the Carol Brown Wood Center Ballroom. The show was part of orientation week for new students at the Fairbanks campus.

Thousands of students are returning to UAF for the start of the 2007-2008 academic year and many are arriving early to settle in to campus life before classes begin.

Residence halls open for move in at 8 a.m. Sunday and Orientation activities kick off with Rev It Up in the Hess Recreation Center in the Moore-Bartlett-Skarland complex. The event brings together departments-- financial aid, health and counseling, academic advising, dining services, rural student services and the business office--to help incoming freshman make a smooth transition to UAF.

Orientation activities continue through Wednesday, featuring tours of campus and the Fairbanks area, informational sessions, open houses, and specialized orientation sessions for freshman , parents , graduate students, transfer students and international students .

While the events range from educational to entertaining in nature, the qualities combine in Outdoor Adventures’ Surviving 40 Below and a Fashion Show Monday in the Wood Center Ballroom. The event features tips on how to keep warm while looking cool this winter and orientation leaders get a chance to strut their stuff as they model arctic-friendly attire in a fashion show. Outdoor Adventures also hosts a handful of other events during orientation, offering hiking , biking , rock climbing , rafting and canoeing trips in and around the Fairbanks area.

Other orientation entertainment includes a late night pizza party in the SRC, a photo scavenger hunt starting in the Wood Center Ballroom, the Mission IMPROVable improvisational comedy show in the Hess Rec Center and the third annual Fred Meyer Polarific Late-Night Extravaganza at the West Fairbanks Fred Meyer on Tuesday.

With classes starting Thursday, students can also pass the time buying their textbooks , purchasing a parking decal , exploring the campus and finalizing financial aid and fee payment details.

For those who have not registered for fall classes yet, there is still time. Though classes begin Sept. 6, registration and fee payment will remain open until Sept. 14.

Parents or family that are visiting UAF during orientation or throughout the 2007-2008 academic year are invited to take advantage of on-campus guest accommodations in Lathrop Hall. Room prices range from $28 - $48 a night and space is limited.