As Western University’s Orientation Week wrapped up, Sophs made their cake and ate it too.
Sophs, or Orientation Volunteers, worked tirelessly to ensure a successful O-Week for incoming first year students. They serve as academic and social mentors through the school year. During Orientation Week, they organize many events across campus, and encourage first year students to take advantage of events, activities, and resources. Sophs are divided by their Residences, Faculties or College affiliations.
For the Faculty of Health Sciences Head Soph, Matthew Mancuso, Orientation Week has been a fruitful result of months of budgeting, planning, organization and liaison work. As Head Soph, he coordinates the Health Sciences Orientation Team and all of their academic orientation programming.
Affiliate Colleges Huron, Kings and Brescia, have a slightly different Orientation Week than their main campus counterparts. According to Huron College Head Soph Bethany Radford, Affiliate Colleges have to plan for a full week of programming to compliment the faculties and residences. Head Sophs, like all other sophs, donate their time and energy to the program for free.
Along with academic and social programming, there is a lot of charity work present during the week. Faculty of Information and Media Studies Sophs organized a pop up art sale to fundraise for Western Charity. Western Charity is a group that actively supports the Terry Fox Foundation and Shinerama Canada during Orientation Week. They coordinated many events across campus, including the London wide Shinerama fundraising walk.
Western University’s Orientation Week ran from September 6th to September 13th.
