Orienter 2020
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Welcome Week plans different amid pandemic By Tristan Jackson tripjack@iu.edu | @tristan_jackso
With the threat of COVID-19 still looming, IU’s Welcome Week will look a lot different compared to past years. With move-ins being more spread out and not being able to host large events before classes start, the Office of First Year Experience Programs is rebranding Welcome Week as Weeks of Welcome, said director Melanie Payne. Normally a schedule for Welcome Week activities, such as Culture Fest and The Traditions of Spirit of IU, would be made by this time in the summer, but the pandemic has forced FYE to rethink the way students will be introduced to campus and their classmates. “It really doesn’t change our purpose, and we want to figure out ways that will help students still feel welcome and gain their confidence level with campus and what’s going on,” Payne said. FYE will be reaching out to student organizations to discuss virtual or spread out event possibilities, Payne said. She pointed out that incoming freshmen have missed out on a lot in the last few months, but she hopes they are still able to put themselves out there and become a part of IU. “I wish it wasn’t like this for them, but it’s still going to college and it’s still Indiana University,” Payne said. “I always tell them to be resilient and put yourself out there and go meet people. I don’t think that’s any different, you just have to do it a different way.”
FILE PHOTO BY ANNA TIPLICK | IDS
Top IU students sing along while waiting for Traditions and Spirit of IU to start Aug. 23 at Memorial Stadium. Students learned the IU fight song at the event.
Payne encourages freshmen to download IU’s FYE app to stay up to date with plans and changes heading forward.
FILE PHOTO BY MATT BEGALA | IDS
Bottom left Audience members raise their hands during Diplo’s set at the 2018 Welcome Week Block Party in the parking lot at 13th Street and Fee Lane. FILE PHOTO BY ALEX DERYN | IDS
Bottom right Attendees of the class of 2023 freshman induction ceremony sit in their seats Aug. 21, 2019, in Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall.
IU’s guidelines on wearing, distributing face coverings for fall By Tristan Jackson tripjack@iu.edu | @tristan_jackso
All of IU’s campuses are requiring masks be worn on campus starting now and continuing in to the fall as students and staff return, according to a public safety advisory from IU. Here are some things to know. Where will masks be required?
Masks will be required in all hallways, elevators, public spaces, common areas, office spaces and when entering all IU buildings. A mask must also be worn in outdoor spaces where social distancing can’t be maintained. Who is required to wear a mask? All faculty, staff, students, contractors, suppliers, vendors and visitors must wear a mask.
Will IU be providing masks? IU will provide two masks to all students, staff and faculty when they return to campus in the fall. Students living in Residential Programs and Services housing can pick up their masks when they check in, and masks will be available at many buildings around campus for students not in RPS housing.
What other precautions should be taken? In addition to masks, everyone on campus should practice social distancing of at least 6 feet, wash hands frequently with soap or use hand sanitizer when soap is not available and regularly clean and sanitize work areas. The advisory says everyone should also adhere to recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and governmental authorities.
