Welcome Week begins
Welcome Week 2006 has begun! Welcome, new students, faculty and staff, and welcome back to everyone who's returned for the new academic year.
We encourage all faculty and staff to officially welcome new undergraduate students at 9:30 a.m. today, Sept. 5, in the lower quadrangle as they “March Through the Arches.” (Students will assemble at 9:15 a.m. on the Summit Avenue side of the arches.)
One of the features of this year’s Welcome Week will be an essay contest about the university’s seven convictions. New students to (freshman resident and commuter students, transfer students and graduate students) are encouraged to write about one of the seven convictions, in 100 words or less, answering the question: “By the time you graduate, how do you hope you and your class/cohort will experience this conviction at St. Thomas?” Seven prizes will be awarded, and the winning essays will be published on the Office for Mission Web site on Friday, Sept. 15. For other details, click here.
Father Dennis Dease will be presider and homilist for the Opening Mass at 11 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 10, in the Chapel of St. Thomas Aquin as. A reception follows on the chapel grounds (rain site: second-floor atrium, Murray-Herrick Campus Center).
The Opening Celebrations, consisting of an interfaith Blessing for the New School Year and Prayer for Peace, with lunch following, will be held on St. Paul and Minneapolis campuses:
- On the St. Paul campus, the celebration begins at 11:45 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 12, on the lower quadrangle (rain site: Schoenecker Arena). The traditional free picnic follows on the upper quadrangle (rain site: Coughlan Field House).
- On the Minneapolis campus, the celebration begins at noon Thursday, Sept. 14, in Mikulay Plaza. A luncheon follows (rain site: first-floor atrium, Terrence Murphy Hall).
We hope that as many university offices as possible will close during celebration times on their respective campuses so that all faculty, staff and students can attend. If it is possible for your offices to be closed, please make arrangements to do so and encourage all to attend. If you plan to close, please post signs on Monday, Sept. 11, and keep them up through the celebration so that visitors will understand your absence.
Thank you for your help. We hope to see you at the festivities.
