Wittenberg’s newest Tigers will take another step forward in their academic journey during the University’s annual Welcome Week, Aug. 20-23, before classes begin on Monday, Aug. 24. The week will start with the all-campus move-in to the residence halls on Thursday, Aug. 20, from 9 a.m. to noon.
Committed to helping each class learn more about campus life, traditions, engagement, and more, Welcome Week is designed to help students navigate the University, understand the expectations of a Wittenberg student, meet new people, and experience the University’s welcoming and inclusive community.
As the second part of the Destination Wittenberg: New Student Orientation series, Welcome Week also provides opportunities for new Tigers to connect with their First-Year Seminar classmates, resident advisors, faculty, and staff, and students in their respective residence hall. Along the way, current students serving on the University’s Tiger Team will be there to welcome, guide, and support incoming students as they prepare to learn, lead, and live with light on the Wittenberg Way.
"Welcome Week is about more than learning your way around campus; it’s about beginning to understand what it means to be part of the Wittenberg community,” said Kristina Bryant Reed, assistant dean of student life and deputy Title IX coordinator. “For our newest Tigers, these first few days bring opportunities to meet the people who will become friends and mentors, discover new passions, explore Wittenberg and Springfield, and begin finding their place here as they start to discover who they are, what they are called to do, and how they might contribute to the world around them. Our faculty, staff, and Tiger Team leaders are excited to welcome them, support them, and introduce them to the values and traditions that have long defined life at Wittenberg. Our hope is that every student discovers and develops their own light during their time at Wittenberg and finds meaningful ways to pass it on to others."
One of the signature traditions of Welcome Week, the Receiving Light Ceremony, will take place on Saturday, Aug. 22, at 6 p.m. in historic Weaver Chapel. The ceremony formally welcomes new students into the life of the University and marks the beginning of their Wittenberg journey, serving as a meaningful introduction to the traditions they will experience at Baccalaureate and Commencement four years from now.
During the ceremony, students will hear from Scott Rosenberg, professor of history, director of the Peace Corps Prep Program, and faculty advisor to the Honor Council, about the importance of academic integrity before signing the Honor Code books. They will also receive their Wittenberg marble and learn about the significance of this Commencement tradition.
President Christian M. M. Brady and Matevia University Pastor Nathan Esala will offer remarks before the ceremony culminates in the passing of the light: upper-class students will light the candles of the newest Tigers, symbolizing the knowledge, values, and traditions that are passed from one generation of Wittenberg students to the next.
After move-in on Thursday, students can visit campus open houses until 2 p.m. Other Thursday events include family photos with Wittenberg’s mascot, Ezry the Tiger, from 2:30 to 3 p.m., the Parents & Families Welcome Reception, from 2:30 to 4 p.m., at the Benjamin Prince House, the first-year class photo on the steps of Myers Hall from 5:30 to 6 p.m., followed by the New Student Welcome Reception, from 7 to 8:30 p.m., at the Benjamin Prince House.
Also, on Thursday from 7 to 8:30 p.m., students will have an opportunity to explore campus through a new lens by participating in the Witt Design Find, an interactive activity created by the Westcott House in Springfield that celebrates architecture and design (@thewestcotthouse). Students can follow a series of prompts and discover unique architectural features and hidden design details across campus to complete an activity for a chance to win free Sips Coffee or Tiger Fuel vouchers and be entered into a raffle for a chance to win an iPad.
Rounding out the first day will be Witt After Dark, which will take place from 8 to 10 p.m. near the Fountain. The event, which includes tunes from DJ Slim Sadie, is a glowing night of great treats, music, and vibes, along with glowing cotton candy from Sugar Cloud Nine, sips of refreshing specialty lemonade from Undisputed Sip, and frozen yogurt from FroYo57.
Friday events will include meetings with success advisors, hazing prevention training, Witt Values discussions, Green Dot bystander intervention training, and the Campus Resources Passport, capped off by the return of Live From the Hollow with President Brady and the band Lylak. The event, which debuted last year, will take place from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in Commencement Hollow and returns this year with more of a concert feel. Lylak will take the stage for a live performance with President Brady joining the fun throughout the evening. Students can expect an opening monologue, opportunities to win Wittenberg swag, and a new interactive segment, “President Brady’s Hot Takes,” where the students will vote on whether they agree or disagree with the president’s opinions.
Saturday will include mandatory educational sessions from 9 a.m. to noon, Greek 101 for those interested in participating in Greek Life, shuttles to Wal-Mart, the Receiving Light Ceremony, and the Wittenberg Way Build. Wittenberg’s Susan Hirt Hagen Center for Civic and Urban Engagement is teaming up with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Dayton for the Wittenberg Way Build from 2 to 4:30 p.m., at Hollenbeck Hall, Ness Auditorium, and Tiger Town Tailgate Area. New students will take part in hands-on service projects supporting Habitat for Humanity’s work on a home.
Later in the evening, a theatre and dance showcase at Chakeres Memorial Theatre on campus kicks off from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., followed by Tigerpalooza, featuring games, crafts, and food, from 9 to 11 p.m. at the Benham-Pence Student Center and along Alumni Way.
Sunday will offer students a chance to explore and prepare for the start of classes. The day will begin with donuts and fellowship from 10:30 to 11 a.m. at Weaver Chapel, followed by Sunday morning worship at 11 a.m. Students can take advantage of shuttles to Walmart from noon to 3 p.m., find their classrooms with help from Tiger Team leaders, complete final first-day preparations, and connect with their roommates. The William A. McClain Center Open House and Meet the Greeks will take place from 6 to 8 p.m., followed by residence hall floor meetings later that evening as students prepare for their first day of classes.
Welcome Week festivities will officially conclude with Opening Convocation on Tuesday, Aug. 25, at 11:30 a.m. in Weaver Chapel. A longstanding Wittenberg tradition, Opening Convocation marks the formal beginning of the academic year and welcomes students into the intellectual and academic life of the University. Bringing together students, faculty, and staff, the ceremony celebrates the shared pursuit of learning and serves as a reminder that the Wittenberg experience is not only about what students will learn, but also how that learning will shape who they become and how they engage with the world around them.
Prior to Welcome Week, the McClain Center hosted Witt Connected, a pre-Welcome Week experience meant for historically underrepresented groups within the Class of 2030. The event was created to provide a supportive network of friends, faculty, and staff to make the transition into Wittenberg as smooth as possible. The four-day overnight program took place Aug. 16-19.
For additional information and the full Welcome Week schedule, click here.
