Western students return to London as O-Week gets underway

Nearly 32,000 students will return to London this week as Western University gears up for a new fall term.

Western’s 5,211 full-time, first-year students, will participate in a wide variety of O-week activities designed to help them get to know their new home, prepare for academic life, and highlight how to stay healthy and safe.

“O-Week is a very important part of Western’s student experience, providing us with the opportunity to welcome new students and help them get acquainted with each other, the campus and the City of London,” said Susan Grindrod, Associate Vice President, Housing & Ancillary Services at Western. “We do our very best to ensure that new students begin this new chapter in their lives with confidence so they may succeed in their pursuit of a university education.”

Residence Move In Days

Students will be moving into Western’s nine residences on Sunday, September 6 and Monday, September 7 from 8:00am-4:00pm. Delaware Hall re-opens after extensive renovations bringing the total number of residence spaces at Western to 5,319. Media are welcome to attend Move In Days, but are not permitted inside the residences.

O-Week Opening Ceremonies

O-Week officially begins on Tuesday, September 8 from 8:00pm-10:00pm at the main stage located outdoors in Talbot Bowl at the base of University College Hill where the class of 2019 will come together in a show of school spirit and to celebrate their new home at Western.

Faculty Day

Faculty Day takes place on September 9 from 9:00am-5:00pm allowing new students to get to know more about their academic futures at Western by meeting students in their program, getting to know their faculty resources, taking in lectures from future professors and viewing demonstrations in their future labs.

Student Safety Programming

On September 9 at 11:00am and 3:00pm students will hear a demonstration of Western’s severe weather siren and learn what to do if it sounds. Following that at 11:15am and 3:15pm at the Talbot Bowl, students will watch a live burn of a mock dorm room to demonstrate the power of fire and increase awareness of fire safety. At 7:00pm on the main stage, Mike Domitrz will deliver a keynote presentation on consent and dating safe on campus.

Shinerama

Western’s annual Shinerama campaign kicks off on Saturday, September 12 at 9:00am with the Shine Rally at the Talbot Bowl before students fan out across London to raise money for Cystic Fibrosis.

In addition to ongoing spirit-focused activities throughout the week, students also have the opportunity to attend events, seminars and sessions geared toward helping them adjust to life away from home and to make the most of their time at Western and in London. More information is available at www.oweek.ca.

MEDIA CONTACT: Keith Marnoch, Director Media & Community Relations, 519-661-2111, ext. 85468, kmarnoch@uwo.ca

ABOUT WESTERN

Western delivers an academic experience second to none. Since 1878, The Western Experience has combined academic excellence with life-long opportunities for intellectual, social and cultural growth in order to better serve our communities. Our research excellence expands knowledge and drives discovery with real-world application. Western attracts individuals with a broad worldview, seeking to study, influence and lead in the international community.