Lakehead University Orientation - Not Just for New Students – Families Included!

(August 27, 2008 - Thunder Bay, ON) Lakehead University is once again gearing up to welcome a fresh class of new students to the Thunder Bay campus. Orientation organizers and volunteers have developed a fun, informative, and activity-filled week in which new students, alongside their family and friends, will have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with Thunder Bay, the Lakehead University campus, and faculty, and staff. New this year, Lakehead is launching specialized Orientation programming for the family and friends of incoming students.

"While we offer a wide variety of fun events and great prizes, ultimately our purpose is to provide new students and their families with the best information and guidance possible," says Brendan Hughes, New Student Orientation Officer for Lakehead University. "Getting started on the right foot is critical. Ensuring that all new students and their families have all their questions answered while making them feel at home on campus is what Lakehead's faculty and staff have been preparing for throughout the summer."

Lakehead University pioneered a USB key initiative in 2007 providing students with orientation materials delivered in a fully interactive digital format. Continuing with this successful initiative, new students this year will be gifted with a sleek 1 Gigabyte USB key, providing storage space for student documents, as well as acting as a companion to the Orientation website that will store this interactive platform. Also new this year is orientation events targeted at siblings of new students. Brendan Hughes explains, "Starting university is an exciting time of transition for a student's entire family. Families play a key role in the success of our students, and we wanted to provide them with their own introduction to Lakehead."

"Over the past year, Lakehead University staff members, student ambassadors and university partners have worked tirelessly to ensure the new student transition experience is both positive and memorable," says Brianne Kirkpatrick, Orientation Office student intern. "We have a fresh and exciting line-up of academic and social activities this year, and students can stay abreast of the events by viewing the orientation schedule online at http://orientation.lakeheadu.ca." Incoming students are also reminded to check their university e-mail accounts to be in touch with their Student Ambassador and stay up-to-date with the latest developments.

Highlights of the week's activities include: the Official Welcome and registration at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, August 30; traditional Aboriginal teachings at the Sweat Lodge site on campus on Sunday, August 31; Lakehead 101 first lecture of the year, Faculty Meet and Greet followed by an evening outdoor carnival including magic, juggling, jousting and fire-breathing on Tuesday, September 2; and Survivor Games in the afternoon followed by the President's Dinner on Wednesday, September 3.

Some events require RSVPs, which can be made by visiting the Orientation website.

Lakehead is proud to offer an alcohol-free Orientation week, as the safety of all students is the University's first priority.

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