Finding Community Welcome, an event hosted by UA Residence Life, the Dean of Students Office and the UA cultural centers, is meant to introduce students to the different communities available on campus. 

The event will be held next Monday, Aug. 29 from 6-8 p.m. in the Student Union Memorial Center Grand Ballroom.

“Our purpose is to help students find communities that resonate and support them,” said Teresa Graham Brett,  one of the event’s committee members and associate dean of students for inclusion and multicultural engagement. “This is an opportunity to welcome new students to the UA and help them connect to the different communities that we have on campus and resources that are identity-based and also that cross different groups on campus as well.”

Brett said the annual event has expanded over the years and is now a much bigger partnership and collaboration across campus. 

This year, the group now includes six centers and the Common Ground Alliance program. 

Anyone and everyone in the UA community is welcome to the event, but the first 200 people will get a t-shirt.

In the past, 450-500 students have gone to the event, which will have games, giveaways, food, a DJ and over 50 organizations tabling, according to Brett.

Brett said the event will be fun and laid-back and will start with welcomes from the Dean of Students Kendal Washington White and the newly appointed Vice Provost for Inclusive Excellence and Senior Diversity Officer, Jesús Treviño.

Sherard Robbins, assistant director of social justice for Residence Life,  said the event is for incoming students to meet their cultural centers and student organizations and hopefully find groups that they identify with. 

“This gives students a chance to find community within the UA right away,” Robbins said.  “A lot of times—students, specifically when you’re new to an area or from out of state—it can be difficult to find like-minded people or to build community in general. We’re offering an opportunity to do that before the school year really gets underway.”

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