The kicked off the first day of the fall 2022 semester with a big celebration to welcome all students back to campus for the first time since March 2020 and the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
An estimated 3,500 students, faculty, staff and community members attended the Welina ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹: First Day of School Kick-Off Event at Campus Center, Legacy Path and the Kuykendall Hall lawn in the heart of the ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ campus.
Hundreds of volunteers staffed more than 100 booths creating a one-stop resource fair for students that featured clubs, activities, resources, programs, student organizations, games and prize giveaways along with delicious food and music courtesy of KTUH, UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹¡¯s student-operated radio station. The late afternoon event was capped off by a well-received performance from the UH band, cheerleaders and Rainbow Warrior Dancers, where students learned the UH fight song.
“This is honestly a lot of fun, I am having a great time,” said freshman Leah Camphor. “I didn¡¯t know there was a space flight club and I just joined the powerlifting club. I don¡¯t powerlift, but here I am now.”
“Lots of nice people, everyone is really welcoming,” said fellow freshman Bobby Jones. “I visited all the booths, there is a lot of community, a lot of support, just trying to reach out to the students, and help them out anyway possible.”
The last Welina ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ event was held in 2019. Along with the start of the school year, this year¡¯s event also celebrated a return to normal campus life that had been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The entire campus has come back in person,” said UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ Provost Michael Bruno. “We have been waiting two-and-half years for this. Everybody is excited. Spirits are high.”
Camphor, who just moved to Â鶹´«Ã½ from Maryland to attend UH, could not agree more.
“It feels amazing because junior and senior years [of high school] were both affected by COVID so having a freshman year in college at a campus like this one is honestly amazing,” said Camphor.
The annual event is organized by the in collaboration with more than 100 other UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ units, clubs, organizations, etc.
