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27 August 1999 Vol. III, No. 3 Feature Article Making a splash for Class of 2003 By Hope Green As approximately 4,100 excited and somewhat jittery freshmen arrive on campus this week, the University is prepared with a slate of events designed to make the Class of 2003 feel at home. Melissa Contreras (CGS'01) of Caracas, Venezuela, checked into temporary housing in the Towers residence hall on August 21, during the International Students Move-in. The 450 new international students stayed in Towers during their orientation, then relocated to permanent quarters on August 25. Photo by Kalman Zabarsky During the monthlong Fall Welcome series in September, staff from the Student Activities Office (SAO) and student-club recruiters will be out in force to acclimate the newcomers, in a decidedly lighthearted manner, to their new way of life. "We want to offer the freshmen safe alternatives to wandering around the city when they first come to campus," says Perri Shapiro, assistant director of SAO. Among the larger welcoming events will be the annual Splash! fair on Wednesday, September 1. The carnival will be held on Nickerson Field from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., following the Matriculation Ceremony, and will feature games, raffles, and giveaways sponsored by Boston-area merchants. When freshmen are not dancing to a live band, testing their contortion skills in a game of Twister, or stretching out for a free soothing massage, they can visit information tables at the fair and learn about the Office of Residence Life, the counseling and career centers, and other campus departments dedicated to their well-being. Coinciding with Splash! on the BU athletic field will be the Student-Alumni Council annual barbecue. For the fourth straight year, alumni volunteers will help upperclassmen stuff thousands of complimentary Gap gift bags and distribute them to the new students before joining them at the outdoor party. This year, SAO has added a new welcoming-month program entitled "How to Get Involved in Student Activities." At four campus locations on September 13, SAO representatives will lead freshmen in a game designed to acquaint them with the University's approximately 370 student clubs and organizations. Many of these clubs will be showcased during the Activities Expo and Performing Groups Open House, which is billed for September 15 in Metcalf Hall. A Class of 2003 dance, a free outdoor film, and appearances by professional entertainers -- such as Frank Santos: the R-rated Hypnotist -- are also part of the Fall Welcome lineup. An army of upperclassmen is helping the new students get settled, Shapiro notes. About 400 of them, known as ambassadors, will help the freshmen move into their residence halls. Another 26 students, among them Joshua Haynes (SMG'02), have been appointed as coordinators, responsible for orchestrating games nights or leading excursions to Newbury Street. "As a coordinator, I can say to a freshman, 'I've been through this, I can help you out, let me show you the ropes,' " says Haynes, who is also an orientation program assistant. "I remember how much I was helped last year when I was a freshman."