Students have an opportunity to do more than just attend classes the first week of school. The Associated Students of the University of Nevada (ASUN) hosts Welcome Week, a week of events that welcomes students and offers them opportunities to get involved on campus.

“Welcome Week provides you with the means to be excited about your college experience,” ASUN President Eli Reilly said. “When you get on campus during welcome week and you see all the stuff going on, you should say, ‘I made the right choice by coming here.’”

ASUN holds Welcome Week events every day during the first week of school, which begins Aug. 25. This year’s theme is Hawaiian and it’s titled “I Went to College and Got Lei’d.

Christina Gunn, the person in charge of Welcome Week, views Welcome Week as more than just introducing freshmen to the University.

“Welcome Week exists to welcome returning students back and also welcome new students and give them a sense of being at home in their new place,” Gunn said.

Throughout the week, there will be information and opportunities to get involved on campus. On Aug. 25 at “Meet Your ASUN Officers BBQ,” there will be information about student government and there will also be Club and Organization Commissioners in attendance to answer questions. On Aug. 28, different clubs and organizations on campus will be giving out information and running some of the carnival games and contests at “Luau on the Lawn,” which is an event with a DJ and inflatable games.

“This is their (students’) home for the next four years,” Gunn said. “They have to know what’s available for them. If they don’t get a taste of programming (clubs and events on campus), they’re just going to sit in their dorm room. They’re never going to know that they can see a movie free or all the things we do that’s completely free for them.”

Casey Stiteler, another of the students who helps organize events, expects all the events of Welcome Week to be social and packed with students.

“If for no other reason, go to meet people,” Stiteler urged. “There’s going to be a lot of people at all of our events. You’re going to have an opportunity to meet new people, people that are going to be your friends throughout your college years.”

Welcome Week is also meant to be educational. On Aug. 26 at “Sandwiches in the Sun,” students will learn how to not gain the Freshmen 15 and on Aug. 28 at “Aloha Wolf Pack Breakfast,” students will be taught great tips on how to survive the year at the University.

“We tried to take every event this year and make it more informative and educational to the students, where Flipside isn’t just throwing a barbeque,” Stiteler said. “And also (to make it) fun at the same time.”

There are five new events this year and four returning from last year. Reilly said that this year had more marketing for Welcome Week than any other year.

“Each year, Welcome Week has gotten progressively better, so I can only hope the same for this year,” Reilly said.

To see a calendar of all the events going on for Welcome Week ’08, go to University of Nevada, Reno homepage.