Welcome back Blue Demons! It has been a nice and long holiday, filled with summer fun! The good thing is that we can come back and have even more good times, with sponsored events through the DePaul Activities Board, Office of Student Involvement, and many more organizations dedicated to bringing the DePaul college community alive!
Listed below are 10 exciting events planned for Welcome Week. Check them out and consider going to some, most, or all of these activities!
1.Taste of DePaul
The Taste of DePaul is an awesome event happening on Sunday, September 8th where students can go to the Quad and get free food from vendors in the city! It is not a lot of food per table, but still a fun experience to try all different food in Chicago that would be a good place to go to in the future!
2.Movie on the Quad
The Movie on the Quad is a recurring event, where DePaul students can watch a free movie on the Quad. How exciting! Bring your pillows, blankets, and popcorn and enjoy the movie! We’ve seen Toy Story before, and Beauty and the Beast, and this year we’re seeing Avengers Endgame!
3.Blue Thursday
On Wednesdays, we don’t wear pink, but on Thursdays, we DO wear blue! Celebrate Blue Thursday by repping your free DePaul orientation shirts, or a DePaul shirt you’ve bought and join in the celebration! Or – wear anything with blue in it! Just make sure to wear any kind of blue on Thursday to show your DePaul Blue Demon pride.
4. Play Day At the Ray
Join us on September 9th in the Ray Meyer Fitness and Recreation Center for a quick play day! You can come and go as you please, actually working out or just enjoying the games and activities! No registration needed. See the facilities and learn about how great the equipment and spaces we have. Or just see what the fuss is about the food in the Ray – definitely a good time all around!
5. Loop Block Party
Take a quick trip down to the Loop Campus and check out the awesome party we have planned! I would suggest taking the Brown Line so you can see this gorgeous vision of Chicago yourself! Once you’re in the Loop, you can go up to the nearby park and listen to cool music, meet fellow classmates of yours, and eat free food.
6. Demon Jam
A fun way to celebrate the first day of class is going to our free beginning of the year concert Demon Jam. Formerly known as Polarpolooza, Demon Jam is going to be a good time! This year we have MAX headlining, known for his song Lights Down Low, and DePaul DJ Skeet Pete. Past artists include Chance the Rapper, Lauve, and Echosmith.
7. Involvement Fair
Also called Real Life Recess, the Involvement Fair is a great way to learn about the community of DePaul! Every single club on campus advertises their club on this festival day, giving out souvenirs, free food, and information sheets. Any specific club you are interested in? Go to the Involvement Fair! You can sign up and be apart of the extracurriculars YOU choose!
8. DePaul After Dark
Because DePaul, for the most part, does not have class on Friday, the long weekend begins Thursday night. Do you have something you really want to do? Well, DePaul After Dark has events every single Thursday for that specific want! Past events include laser tag, bumper cars, a Pokemon Go night, and many more! Feel free to stop by the Student Center (the Stu) every Thursday to check out what event is happening that day!
9.Six Flags
Once a year, although there are years where there are more trips – stay tuned, DePaul has a cheap trip to Six Flags through their planned events. It is not included in Welcome Week, however it is advertised and planned ahead of time. Although this is one of the two paid events the DePaul Activities Board puts on, the tickets are significantly cheaper, and they include a meal voucher! If you’re a fan of rollercoasters, grab a friend and get your tickets now.
10. First Friday Fun
First Friday Fun is an exciting day that wraps up Welcome Week nicely. Because classes start on a Wednesday, the first week of classes is short. It allows for a fun event, where students can participate in a carnival-type event, without the worry of homework and tests. There are food trucks and allegedly, could be a Ferris Wheel. You have to go to check it out!
– Morgan Kail-Ackerman