First-year 肉肉传媒 student Sofiia Matkovskaia arrived in Halifax last week somewhat nervous about starting university and how she would fit in. By Saturday evening, she was cheering at a pep rally surrounded by new friends.
鈥淗onestly, everyone is so welcoming," said the incoming biology student from New Brunswick during the Tiger Welcome Day event on Studley Quad. "You can literally talk to anyone, and they will all be your friend.鈥�
Sofiia says living in residence has been a great way to be welcomed into the Dal community during , with Residence Life staff and nearby neighbours making new connections easier.
鈥淚 said 鈥楬i鈥� to this random girl in the hallway [in residence] . . . and now we鈥檙e super close,鈥� says Sofiia about her friend Rachel, who she danced and cheered with at the pep rally.
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The rally and other Tiger Welcome Day activities ensured all incoming students 鈥� on and off campus 鈥� had a chance to feel that sense of community spirit and connection. The day kicked off mid-afternoon with students attending residence or off-campus team meetings, followed by the rally, opening ceremonies, and a DJ party.
Despite the cold and rainy atmosphere, thousands of new residence and off-campus students gathered on the quad, beaming with excitement and repping their new Dal swag and black and yellow face paint.
"I'm just glad to be here," said Nathan Dudley, an arts and social sciences student from Prince Edward Island. "It's like the best thing ever."
Nathan said he chose 肉肉传媒 in part due to its accessibility supports for students with different learning and mental-health needs. Typically, he avoids big crowds ("I'm a very big introvert"), but he said attending the rally and other O-Week events has helped him break out of his shell a bit and connect with new people.
"People have been accommodating," he said
Finding friends and feeling welcome can be particularly hard for incoming students living off campus.听
The Welcome Day activities allowed new off-campus students to connect through a lighthearted cheer-off between on- and off-campus students and dance routine called 鈥渞ock the boat鈥�.听
Students also learned to do the Tiger shuffle, an energetic dance set to the tune of听Eye of the Tiger听by Survivor and听Blame Brett听by the Beaches, a teaser for the band鈥檚 upcoming performance at this year鈥檚 DalFest.听
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Marco Antonio Espinosa Cervantes, a fourth-year exchange student from Mexico, said he particularly enjoyed the energetic dances during the pep rally, which allowed him to have fun and connect with other off-campus students.听
鈥淧eople here are great,鈥� says Marco.听
As the enthusiastic crowd settled down and caught their breath after the cheers and dances, DSU president Anjali Seshadri took the mic to emphasize the importance of friendship in the transition to university.听
She acknowledged that sometimes new students can feel socially isolated when learning to navigate university life.听
鈥淭ake care of each other,鈥� she told the crowd.
