Welcome Week 2010

Welcome Week 2010 is shaping up to be our best week yet. It's the best chance you'll ever get to make some student friends and we can't repeat enough how important your social and support networks at UCS are and how they should consist of more than just your classmates or housemates. So here's your chance to get out there and mingle!
 
Welcome Week isn't all about drinking, late nights and hangovers so students have no reason not to get involved in at least some of the events. Of course, for anybody who's looking for late nights, we've included some suitable events.
 
Many UCS students have children and we've built in some events to allow you to bring along your children and meet some other student parents.
 
UCS student ID is required for many of the events so make sure you bring it with you. If you haven't received it yet, bring a driving licence or passport to prove you're 18 or over and your enrollment letter/ID from UCS.
 
We'll hand out pocket-size guides to the week so you don't have to print out all of this. If you have any comments or queries about the events, e-mail us.
 
Now, on to the good stuff!
 
SATURDAY 18 SEPTEMBER
 
12:30 Soccer Saturday
Union Bar, Rope Walk
Come along and watch the live football matches on Sky Sports and meet the UCS Men's and Women's Football teams. If you're not interested in football, why not come along and play some pool or just have a chat with friends? West Ham v Stoke City followed by Arsenal v Sunderland live on one of the biggest screens in Ipswich!
 
15:00 Coffee and Movies
Waterfront Building
A chance to meet your coursemates before orientation starts. Meet in Theta - the Union's new café in the Waterfront Building - and for a coffee and a chat. We're also showing Toy Story 2 and Four Lions in the two main lecture theatres on campus. Children (accompanied) are welcome to attend Toy Story.
 
21:00 Live DJ
Union Bar, Rope Walk
We'll have a DJ live in the Union Bar for those of you who want to meet up for some student-priced drinks before heading into town. And he'll play anything, so start writing lists of your favourite tracks!
 

SUNDAY 19 SEPTEMBER
 
10:30 Tour of Ipswich
Theta, Waterfront Building
Tours of Ipswich to help you learn your way around the town. Meet at Theta and wear some sensible footwear.
 
13:30 Sports Sunday
Union Bar, Rope Walk
For all you football fans, we're showing Man Utd v Liverpool followed by Chelsea v Blackpool on our mega-size screen.  50p pool available if you can't be bothered with the football.
 
14:00 Art Attack
Arts Building
Collaborative art event which is open to all students - not just art students! - to play around with paint and other materials to create something truly artistic or, more likely, a total mess.
 
18:30 Sticky Label Quiz
Union Bar, Rope Walk
Our annual start-of-term quiz. Don't worry about knowledge - you can win this quiz without knowing anything about anything. The best prizes you'll ever see!
 
21:00 Live Music and DJ
Union Bar, Rope Walk
Our first live music event of the year: Fagan will be playing a selection of covers and their own material with a DJ hitting the decks afterwards.
 

MONDAY 20 SEPTEMBER
 
15:00 The Tea Party
Theta, Waterfront Building
Afternoon tea with the Student Officers. A chance to mingle with the Union's Officers and ask questions about the Union, UCS or anything else. Find out about everything the Union can do for you and how you can get involved. Also, free cake...
 
16:00 Pool Competition
Union Bar, Rope Walk
Two competitions run side-by-side: a good one for people who take the whole thing (and probably themselves) a little bit too seriously and a slightly-less-good one for people who can hit the cue ball most times they shoot.
 
18:00 Sports Meet: Women's Football
Rushmere Sports Club, IP5 1DE
First training session of the year and a chance to meet the players and committee members. All students welcome. Lifts available from UCS car park at 17:15. Joining up with the pub tour after training.
 
19:00 Sports Meet: Men's Football
Ipswich Wanderers Football Club, IP4 3NR
First training session of the year and a chance to meet the players and committee members. All students welcome. Lifts available from UCS car park at 18:15. Joining up with the pub tour after training.
 
19:00 Sports Meet: Hockey (men & women)
Gainsborough Sports Centre, IP3 0SP
First training session of the year and a chance to meet the players and committee members. All students welcome. Lifts available from UCS car park at 18:15. Joining up with the pub tour after training.
 
19:00 Sports Meet: Rugby (men & women)
Ipswich Rugby Club, IP4 3PZ
First training session of the year and a chance to meet the players and committee members. All students welcome. Lifts available from UCS car park at 18:15. Joining up with the pub tour after training.
 
19:00 Pub Tour
Ipswich Town Centre
A slightly different version of the Ipswich tour! All done in Smurfs style. Meet at Union Bar at 18:30 to depart at 19:00.
 

TUESDAY 21 SEPTEMBER
 
15:00 Acoustic Chillout
Theta, Waterfront Building
A first for the Union: an acoustic session mid-afternoon. Relax and enjoy.
 
19:00 Sports Meet: Basketball (men & women)
Thurleston High School, IP1 6SG
First training session of the year and a chance to meet the players and committee members. All students welcome. Lifts available from UCS car park at 18:15.
 
19:00 Sports Meet: Netball
Gainsborough Sports Centre, IP3 0SP
First training session of the year and a chance to meet the players and committee members. All students welcome. Lifts available from UCS car park at 18:15.
 
20:30 Comedy Night
Union Bar, Rope Walk
Easily the most popular regular event run by the Union. Our headliner is Pete Firman, star of Channel 4's Dirty Tricks. Support comes from Ivo Graham, winner of So You Think You're Funny 2009. (And it'll possibly inspire you before the open mic night on Thursday.) £4.
 

WEDNESDAY 22 SEPTEMBER
 
13:00 Sports Meet: Give It A Go!
Gainsborough Sports Centre, IP3 0SP
A chance to try out some new (or old) sports. Basketball, badminton, football, hockey, netball and rugby. It's not competitive and we cater for multiple skill and fitness levels. Buses from the UCS car park at 13:00. (Attendance at this event or any other sports training is not dependent on you attending any other sports events.)
 
18:30 Film Society
Waterfront Building
First FilmSoc event of the year. Pizza and drinks from 18:30 followed by the movie (TBC).
 
21:00 flirt! UV Rave
Union Bar, Rope Walk
flirt! is the entertainment highlight of the week! It's our weekly club night playing mainstream, chart and club classics until 02:30. Fancy dress is an absolute must and we've made it so easy for you: just throw on some bright colours and lots of UV paint. £2.
 

THURSDAY 23 SEPTEMBER
 
10:00 The Welcome Week Fair
Waterfront Building
The most important event of the week! Aside from the free food, free memberships and free prizes, you can learn lots about the Union, its services, clubs, societies, UCS, support, Ipswich, local services, local charities, local businesses, pubs, clubs and much much more. Runs until 15:00 so you've lots of time to drop by.
 
11:30 Mature Students Meet-Up
Theta, Waterfront Building
A chance for mature students to meet up before you start lectures.
 
16:00 Societies: The Big Launch
Waterfront Building
A chance to meet up with the society committees to find out about what they do and how you can get involved. Those societies present will include Art, Christian Union, Dance, Debating, Film, Gaming, Literary, Live Music, Media (newspaper) and anything else any student displays an interest in during the Fair! New ideas are always welcome.
 
19:00 BBC Suffolk Introducing... and Open Mic Night
Union Bar, Rope Walk
BBC Suffolk will be presenting live from the Union Bar. The show features live local up-and-coming bands. This will be followed by an open mic night (not on the radio!). You can sign, dance, act, be funny or do anything else - well, almost anything - students would find entertaining.
 

FRIDAY 24 SEPTEMBER
 
09:00 Big Trip 1: Avenue Q and London Shopping
London
See the smash hit musical, Avenue Q, and do some shopping. Limited spaces so you must sign up in advance at the Union office or online (coming soon). £30.
 
13:00 Big Trip 2: Go Ape
Thetford Forest
Outdoor, tree-top, high wire adventures. Release your inner monkey! Limited spaces so you must sign up in advance at the Union office or online (coming soon). £25.
 
18:00 Part-time Students Meet-up
Theta, Waterfront Building
An event just for part-time students to meet some new friends and to experience our new café.
 
21:00 Pub Quiz
Union Bar, Rope Walk
A more traditional pub quiz. Prizes, etc.
 

SATURDAY 25 SEPTEMBER
 
10:30 Big Trip 3: Kentwell Hall
Long Melford
Join the Michaelmas Re-Creation of Tudor Life. A halfday trip. £20.
 
10:30 Tour of Ipswich
Theta, Waterfront Building
We're running tours of Ipswich to help you learn your way around the town.
 
12:30 Sports Saturday
Union Bar, Rope Walk
Live sport on the multiple screens in the Union Bar, including Manchester City v Chelsea.
 

SUNDAY 26 SEPTEMBER
 
14:00 Parents In The Park
Alexandra Park
A chance for student parents to meet up with other student parents. An excellent way to build up a support network!
 
14:00 Ultimate Frisbee
Alexandra Park
This is a once-in-a-week chance to play something different! Fribees provided but it you're a frisbee genius with specialist equipment, you can bring it along.