Rice’s new students to move in Aug. 12

Rice’s newest Owls will flock to campus Aug. 12 to participate in O-Week, the weeklong orientation program to familiarize incoming students with their new campus, residential colleges and classmates. O-Week is coordinated by the Office of Student Success Initiatives at Rice.

The 966 students in this year’s matriculating class were selected from a pool of 20,923 applicants. Texas is the home state of 369 new students, while 477 members of the incoming Class of 2022 hail from other parts of the country. The class also includes 120 international students. (Numbers as of Aug. 6)

Move-in day will kick off around 7 a.m. Sunday when upperclassmen greet the new arrivals and help them move their belongings into their residential college rooms. Parents and family members are invited to participate in New Families Orientation, which will include presentations by Rice President David Leebron and other faculty, staff and student representatives as well as information sessions on subjects ranging from academic advising to wellness and college life.

After saying goodbye to their parents, the new students will gather for matriculation at 7 p.m. at Tudor Fieldhouse, where Leebron, Dean of Undergraduates Bridget Gorman and Student Association President Ariana Engles will welcome them to their next four years on campus. Later in the evening, the freshmen will make the ceremonial march through the Sallyport into the Academic Quad to mark the official beginning of their college career. Tradition holds that students should not pass through the Sallyport again until they graduate.

Activities and presentations throughout the week will introduce new students to the ins and outs of life at Rice by providing assistance with class registration, introductions to Rice values and policies, small-group discussions, faculty lectures and opportunities to explore Houston. In addition, the new Owls will enjoy traditional Texas cuisine and the company of their classmates during a barbecue dinner at the president’s home Aug. 13.

Other activities scheduled for the week include a pep rally at Tudor Fieldhouse and block parties Aug. 14, the annual Associates’ Dinner Aug. 15 and college-specific bonding activities Aug. 17. O-Week will conclude Aug. 18 with the Welcome Back Day Festival in the Central Quad. Fall classes begin Aug. 20.

Students are encouraged to document their O-Week experience online by including #RiceOWeek18 on their social media posts. Rice University’s social media accounts will also be using the hashtag; more information on Rice’s social media accounts is available online at http://socialmedia.blogs.rice.edu/social-media-directory/.