If going back to school is as stressful or intimidating as it鈥檚 sometimes made out to be, you couldn鈥檛 tell during Campus Kick Off 2017 at the University of Victoria.
The action outside the Student Union Building on Thursday afternoon was more akin to a love-in, or a music festival as hundreds of students enthusiastically embraced the three-day welcoming event.
For Beth Koschel, a microbiology student lounging on the lawn while listening to Fever Feel, the local band performing on the rooftop above Felicita鈥檚 Pub, the experience aroused d茅ja vu.
鈥淚 love UVic so much. It鈥檚 such a great community that you can鈥檛 find anywhere else,鈥� said the third-year student from Surrey. 鈥淚 love to see how this, and the people, change every year.鈥�
There were plenty of diversions during the University of Victoria Students Society-organized event, and the campus was bustling, with heavy traffic both on foot and the Ring Road.
The atmosphere was carnival-like, with tents housing represenatives from campus clubs, and local merchants touting everthing from organic produce to handmade furniture.
Ann Eastman, co-ordinator of the Eco Farm School, staffed a stand containing fruits and vegetables including organic garlic, apples, carrots, corn and bunches of fresh basil.
鈥淲e鈥檙e here to promote Haliburton Community Organic Farm,鈥� she said, letting passersby know that about the existence of the farm at 741 Haliburton Rd. that practises small-scale sustainable agriculture.
鈥淢ore people need to know how many local farms we have here that are able to produce wonderful, certified organic produce at reasonable prices,鈥� she said.
Students could also play 鈥渨ater pong鈥� for the chance to take home ping-pong balls or win coupons for redemption at the tent for Wild Play Element Parks, the ziplines, aerial games and adventure course attraction.
鈥淭hey want to get the word out to the younger population, to do more active stuff outside,鈥� said staffer Alynne Gardipee.
It wasn鈥檛 all fun and games, however. Campus Kickoff also provided an opportunity for the Anti-Violence Project to increase awareness about the campus sexual assault centre鈥檚 support and advocacy work.
鈥淭he conversation we鈥檙e trying to promote about consent is not just about sexualized violence,鈥� said fourth-year political science student Yasmine El-Hamamsy, referring to the Let鈥檚 Get Consensual campaign.
It promotes 鈥渃onsent culture鈥� as a worthy alternative to the 鈥渞ape culture鈥� that has been alarmingly prevalent at college campuses.
鈥淥ur campaign is also about our everyday interactions with people, and the assumptions we make about people, and appreciating that everyone is non-disposable.鈥�
At the tent for CFUV 101.9 FM, volunteer Chloe Wiesenthal provided information about the community and campus radio station鈥檚 mandate as an educational project that provides alternative programming.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a very diverse and inclusive community,鈥� said the second-year psychology student. 鈥淲e play 30 per cent Canadian and local content, and we try to play music for minority groups as well.鈥�
Students could also learn about the TextbookBroke movement, which laments the high cost of textbooks and encourages students to purchase and sell used textbooks at campus venues.
鈥淭extbooks are such a huge expense we shouldn鈥檛 have to pay for on top of the enormous tuition fees we pay every year,鈥� said third-year student Mackenzie Cumberland.
Added Christopher Dickey: 鈥淚 know students who will take courses and despite textbooks being required the costs are so much they won鈥檛 buy the textbook, which can affect your grade. This tries to tackle that.鈥�
Andrea Farmer, a second-year student from Edmonton and competitive swimmer with the Vikes, was excited getting to show first-year students Sonja Skagestad and Tess Greenlay around.
鈥淭his shows that there鈥檚 more to this campus than just the learning aspects,鈥� said Farmer, who also planned to volunteer at the swimming booth鈥檚 dunk-tank during Friday鈥檚 ThunderFest finale.
She said she didn鈥檛 realize her friend Skagestad had enrolled at UVic until she posted a picture online.
鈥淚 really like the location, and that it鈥檚 far enough from home, but also close enough,鈥� said Skagestad, explaining what attracted her to UVic.
鈥淎nd I鈥檓 in a music and computer science program that鈥檚 very specialized. Most schools don鈥檛 have anything like it.鈥�
Greenlay, who hails from Winnipeg and is living in residence, echoed her enthusiasm.
鈥淭he weather here has been so much better than Winnipeg,鈥� Greenlay said with a smile. 鈥淪o I can鈥檛 complain, and it鈥檚 nice to have some friendly faces going into class.鈥�
