A Wolfpack Welcome Week Like No Other

Wolfpack Welcome Week is a beloved tradition at NC State. It’s a time when new students establish friendships and personal connections with the campus, and it’s the celebration of the beginning of a new academic year for returning students, faculty, and staff. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and physical distancing precautions, this year’s Wolfpack Welcome Week will spread across the extended move-in timeline and include more activities than ever before.

On the schedule for 2020 are more than 220 virtual and in-person activities, ranging from New Student Convocation to outdoor movies to the Moonlight Howl and Run. All in-person events will adhere to safety guidelines from the Student Activities Committee, and participants will be required to wear masks. Since many events will require pre-registration in order to comply with physical distancing rules, students are encouraged to plan their Wolfpack Welcome Week experience in advance using the NC State Mobile Guide App.

Many signature events from years past will be converted into a virtual format. Those include:

• New Student Convocation: An official ceremony to welcome the Class of 2024 to campus that features performances and greetings from Chancellor Randy Woodson, Student Body President Melanie Flowers, and other special guests;
• Student Involvement Fair: An experience where new students can learn about clubs and organizations at NC State;
• College Connections: A networking event where new students can meet and speak with other students and faculty in their intended field;
• Respect the Pack: A discussion about diversity and inclusion at NC State;
• Moonlight Howl and Run: For this year’s virtual version of the Moonlight Howl and Run, students are invited to go for a run or walk around campus, or at home, for a chance to win a T-shirt.

A Theme of Wellness

Given the state of the nation during the COVID-19 pandemic, health and wellness will be a central theme of this year’s Wolfpack Welcome Week. To that end, Wellness and Recreation (commonly known as WellRec) will host many activities to get new students moving and educated about the wide variety of wellness programs and initiatives on campus.

Throughout Wolfpack Welcome Week, WellRec will host a scavenger hunt through the NC State Mobile Guide App. For the scavenger hunt, students will answer riddles and follow clues to find popular and important destinations on campus where they will take a selfie for a chance to win prizes. Another new event this year will be a virtual bike and run around Raleigh focused on diversity and intended to educate students about historical Black monuments and sites around the city. There will also be a virtual “How to Gym” session about how to use various gym equipment and machines and how to safely work out during the pandemic.

Though many traditional, in-person events like RecFest will be canceled this year, there are still plenty of options for students to physically meet and hang out. There will be tournaments in corn hole, racquet sports like tennis and ping pong, and disc golf as well as other activities like paddling in Lake Raleigh. WellRec will also host a series of outdoor movies on Miller Field. During and after Welcome Week, WellRec plans to continue popular virtual trivia events as well as video game tournaments in FIFA, Rocket League, and NBA2K on a weekly basis.

As always, WellRec encourages students to stay physically active and make good, safe use of the new Carmichael Gymnasium and other fitness centers around campus. However, the way students may use the gym will look very different this year. Find out more about the specific safety precautions being taken at https://wellrec.dasa.ncsu.edu/coronavirus/.

“Students should know we’re committed to their health, safety, and wellbeing when they arrive on campus,” said Adam Sardinha, marketing and communications specialist for WellRec. “We want them to move, be active, and be well, given the circumstances, and they can feel at ease knowing that we have taken the proper steps to ensure their safety.”