Ottawa University

OU Fusion Weekend

Activities, ceremonies greet incoming OU class 

OTTAWA, Kansas - Fusion Weekend is coming up at Ottawa University on August 18-20 to register more than 200 new students and help them begin the transition into OU college life.  A number of activities mark the students' arrival.

On Saturday, August 18, new students can go through matriculation between 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m, after which they check in to their respective residence halls.  During this time, students will receive a helping hand from alumni who will greet the students and their parents and help them find their rooms. Members of the Braves football team will also be available to help students move in. 

New students and their parents will receive an official OU welcome on Saturday in the Mowbray Union cafeteria at 1:15 p.m.  At 1:45 p.m., parents can participate in a bus tour of the city of Ottawa if they wish.  The day's highlight will be the Opening Ceremony scheduled for 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. in the Chapel.  During the ceremony, students will be welcomed and addressed by representatives of The College, American Baptist Churches, the City of Ottawa, and the Ottawa Tribe.  The keynote speaker will be Dr. Stephen Foulke, assistant professor of history at The College and recent recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship to Macedonia. The Opening Ceremony will be followed by a Family Farewell Dinner in the Mowbray Union.  A 10:00 p.m. movie at the downtown Crystal Plaza Theatre will cap off students' first night.

Activities for Sunday begin with a chapel service at 11:00 a.m. in the University Chapel.  During the day, students will have opportunity to participate in First Year Seminars throughout campus (1:15 - 3:00 p.m.); learn about OU's traditions (3:00 - 4:00 p.m., University Chapel); enjoy a show by Christopher Carter, one of the most entertaining and uncommonly skillful psychological performers in the world (7:00 - 8:00 p.m., Mowbray Union); and mingle with various OU alumni who will be joining students for dinner in the cafeteria between 5:00 - 7:00 p.m.  Finally, students can attend an orientation dance featuring Provost Dr. Dennis Tyner as the DJ between 8:00 - 10:00 p.m. at the University gazebo.

Monday will round out Fusion Weekend with a number of activities scheduled in the Larry Peters Auditorium.  SIGI Plus (System of Interactive Guidance and Information) will take place from 10:00 - 11:00 a.m., Alcohol EDU from 1:15 - 2:00 p.m., and student employment opportunities from 2:00 - 3:30 p.m.  Later in the evening, Sex Signals, an interactive educational comedy about issues relating to dating and sex, will be presented in the cafeteria from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.   The weekend wraps up with roller skating at The Rink from 9:00 - 11:00 p.m.

Fall classes begin at The College on August 21.  In an effort to welcome both new and returning students to Ottawa, the University has partnered with the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce and the Franklin County Visitors' Center to host a Fusion Business Expo in the OU Mabee Center.  The event will take place from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday and will showcase area businesses and opportunities within the Ottawa community.  Drawings will be held during the expo for a variety of giveaways.

Finally, new students will have a little extra help transitioning into college life this year with the addition of the University's TLC (Trusting, Listening, Coaching) program that pairs assistance-providing adult volunteers with new students.  The already-in-place MOST (Mentoring Ottawa Students in Transition) program will be continued, as well, which matches student mentors to incoming freshmen or transfer students. 

For more information about Fusion Weekend, contact Director of the Student Union and Activities Lisa Thomsen at 785-229-1073, or lisa.thomsen@ottawa.edu.

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Founded in 1865, Ottawa University is a comprehensive, not-for-profit educational institution affiliated with the American Baptist Churches USA. Ottawa University's educational mission brings together a residential campus in Ottawa, Kansas, and adult campuses in Kansas City, Missouri; Phoenix, Mesa and Tempe, Arizona; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Jeffersonville, Indiana; as well as multiple international instructional sites.  For more information, visit http://www.ottawa.edu/.