#496: Sunset Serenade

Sunset Serenade is an event during Week of Welcome that occurs the night before classes begin.  Every year, hundreds of students sit in the grass in the Quad facing Wilson Library, where various a cappella groups perform.  Everyone scrunches together on beach towels and blankets, first-year students bonding with new friends while upperclassmen reuniting with old ones.  All of the major groups perform, such as the Clef Hangers, Lorelais, Cadence, Achordants, and many more (although one of my personal favorite groups, the Tarpeggios, has yet to make their Sunset Serenade debut).  This is the first time of the year where students experience the majority of the a cappella groups (it's difficult to catch them all at FallFest).  It's the first time of the year where students will hear the Clef Hangers sing "Carolina In My Mind", the theme of everyone's summer.  And it's the first time of the year where you truly feel like a Tar Heel, as you stand arm in arm with friends and strangers alike, singing "Hark the Sound" (the alma mater).  Sunset Serenade is a timeless tradition for every student from first-years to seniors, and it is the perfect way to start out the year at Carolina.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment below or email me at nething@email.unc.edu!

#497: Drinking from the Old Well

One of the many traditions at UNC is to drink from the Old Well on the first day of classes. It is said to bring you good luck for the semester so that you will get all A's. This year, I had a class at 8 A.M. the first day, so I got to the Old Well at around 7:30. There was already a group of about 15 people in line to drink from the fountain (most of them groups of friends taking pictures of each other) and there was a local news crew doing a story about the return of students to school. It's a great way to start the year because it brings students to the symbol of the university and allows them to get acquainted (or reacquainted) with the traditions and history of the school. Plus, it's nice to think about how many other students before you have taken part in this fun tradition, and how many will take part in the years to come.


If you have any questions, please comment below or email me at nething@email.unc.edu!

#498: Week of Welcome

Week of Welcome (WOW) is the most jam-packed week of the year. From the Friday before school starts till the Saturday after it starts, there are more events than anyone could possibly attend. Not only that, but many of these events include free food! Most of these events are cherished traditions (such as FallFest) and all of them will help you start the year off right and get accustomed to life as a Tar Heel.

Events this year included:
-New Student and Family Welcome Dinner
-Cultural Show
-FallFest
-Flix on the Brix: Bridesmaids
-Out of State Students Meeting and Social
-Target Back-to-School Express
-Convocation
-Summer Reading Program Discussion
-First Years' Ice Cream Social
-Bell Tower Relighting Ceremony
-Heel Hunt (a text-message scavenger hunt)
-Sunset Serenade
-Library Tours
-Jogging and Cycling Tours of Campus
-Sessions for Succeeding at Carolina
-And much more!

More Week of Welcome information can be found at: http://nscpp.unc.edu/first-year-students/week-welcome.


If you have any questions, please comment below or send me an email at nething@email.unc.edu!