Students were welcomed to the Thompson Rivers University (TRU) campus in Williams Lake Tuesday, Sept. 3 with sun and song at its annual welcome barbecue.
Over 100 people attended the event, which served almost 250 burgers, had a jousting court provided by Mile High Bounce and hosted a variety of vendors for students to visit and learn about the community and local organizations.
“It’s just fantastic to see the community supporting our learners and our campus,” said Kylie Thomas, director of TRU Williams Lake.
Among the vendors were the Denisiqi Services Society, Gibraltar Mines, Foundry’s Cariboo Chilcotin branch and Interior Health.
Marcel Phung, a vendor for Cariboo Chilcotin Métis Association, said there were more people at the barbecue than they expected to show. Phung was there to promote the STEPS program which helps with funding, training and professional development for Métis students.
The day began with a welcome ceremony where a gratitude song was led by Williams Lake First Nation Chief Willie Sellars and Cultural Coordinator David Archie, as well as Geraldine Bob who coordinates Indigenous Student Services at the university. Students later had orientation time with their respective programs before heading outside for burgers and socializing.
Nina Moradi and Paige Singer are both first year students attending the new Early Childhood Education (ECE) program at TRU. They were both excited to explore and get to know the community, which Moradi said has been very welcoming.
“Everyone is really nice and inclusive,” she said. Moradi, who is from Vancouver, said it was a nice change from the chaos of the city. “I’m lovin’ it so far,” she said.
Thomas said it's important to have events like this because it helps students settle in and ground themselves.
“We hear all the time that students are a little bit fearful of coming and all those nerves,” said the university's director.
With the opportunity to engage with community supports, faculty and fellow learners from day one, Thomas said “students really seem to connect and feel purposeful.”
This was the university’s first orientation that included vendors, and likely its biggest barbecue yet. The event was organized by the university’s events coordinator Kim Kimberlin, who took on the role in the spring. Kimberlin said she hoped her efforts would help with enrolments, especially with the university’s new ECE program introduced in response to community demand. “Hopefully that’s something I can help increase...and bring more education to the community."
There was a soup circle Wednesday, Sept. 4, for students to attend at the university’s Gathering Place, and a breakfast hosted by carpentry students on Friday. The university will also hold its annual Pizza and Planning session, which Kimberlin describes as a “come plan your semester so that you don’t end up procrastinating for the rest of the year,” event.
