Purdue News

August 10, 2001 Purdue prepares to welcome students back to campus WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue University students will begin returning to the West Lafayette campus in anticipation of the Aug. 20 start of classes. The first major wave of undergraduates will arrive Sunday (8/12), when 3,400 first-time students will move into University Residences for the Boiler Gold Rush orientation program. Throughout the week, University Residences staff and returning students will be available to direct and assist new students and parents. There will be 20-minute unloading zones available for arriving students at the residence halls. Adjacent parking is available once families unload. The Purdue "All-American" Marching Band will begin practice Monday (8/13), setting the tone for the week when most of the remaining undergraduate students will arrive. Of the approximately 37,000 students Purdue expects on its West Lafayette campus, about 12,600 undergraduate and graduate students have chosen to live in University Residences. The university should be able to house all who want to live on campus, says Lanny Wilson, director of administration for University Residences. Boiler Gold Rush, sponsored by the Office of Admissions in cooperation with University Residences, will familiarize new students with the campus and Purdue traditions. Information on campus safety, cultural diversity and healthy lifestyle choices will be made through a variety of fun activities and presentations. These will include an "athletics and traditions" session at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday (8/14) at Slayter Center for the Performing Arts. The event will feature Purdue women's basketball coach Kristy Curry and athletes from several sports. Other Boiler Gold Rush highlights include Unionfest in the Purdue Memorial Union at 8 p.m. Monday (8/13), during which "American Pie" and "Road Trip" will be shown on a 25-foot high movie screen. Late Night at Recreational Sports Center will be Tuesday (8/14). There will be a resource hunt on Wednesday (8/15), followed by a "Meet the Schools" picnic. Also on Wednesday, in the Elliott Hall of Music, will be the "Alcohol Insanity Tour," in which Wendy Fox will offer a humorous and informative alcohol awareness presentation. The Purdue West Carnival on Thursday (8/16) will conclude the festivities. Students not participating in Boiler Gold Rush or band camp can move into university residence halls starting Saturday (8/11). An early arrival fee of $36.25 for room and board, or a $16.25 room-only rate will be assessed each day before Aug. 17, when regular housing contracts begin. Other orientation activities include: • Parent orientations, 1:30-2:30 p.m. and 3:30-4:30 p.m., Sunday (8/12), in the Elliott Hall of Music for parents of Boiler Gold Rush participants. Another parent orientation will start at 1:30 p.m. Friday (8/17) in Loeb Playhouse, Stewart Center, for all other parents. • Black Cultural Center Boilerfest, 4 p.m. Aug. 23, Black Cultural Center, 1100 Third St. This open house for new students will feature food, music and information about the facility. • Activities Bonanza, sponsored by the Purdue Student Union Board, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Aug. 24, Purdue Memorial Union and Stewart Center. More than 100 student organizations will have displays and information booths at the outdoor activities carnival, which also will feature a variety of entertainment. • Welcome Back Bash, 7 p.m. to midnight, Aug. 24, in the Purdue Memorial Union. Festivities include movies, a hypnotist, a Glee Club presentation and an opportunity for students to make their own music videos. In order to reduce traffic congestion near campus, Purdue, in cooperation with CityBus, again will provide free comunitywide bus service for all faculty, staff, retirees and students with a valid Purdue identification card. The service will start the first day of classes, Aug. 20. To provide travelers with up-to-date road information, Purdue maintains a Web site, Travel Alert, which is linked to the Purdue home page at https://www.purdue.edu. The first day of classes at other Purdue campuses are: Aug. 20, Indiana University Purdue University Fort Wayne and Purdue North Central; Aug. 22, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis; and Aug. 27, Purdue Calumet. Sources: Lanny Wilson (765) 494-1000, lwilson@purdue.edu Patti Dulik (765) 496-6460, dulikp@purdue.edu Writer: Marydell Forbes, (765) 496-7704, mforbes@purdue.edu Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu To the Purdue News and Photos Page