Jayne Stewart and Roland Erman of the Brock University Students' Union show off one of the Isaac's Army T-shirts that will be distributed during O-Week.

It’s one name. Six letters. And already, it’s generated more buzz for Brock’s O-Week than the Brock University Students’ Union (BUSU) could have hoped for.

Avicii, a Swedish DJ and electronic music wunderkind, will play in Weatherstation Field during O-Week, and the interest has been intense. From the moment the rumour started that Avicii was coming, BUSU started fielding emails and Twitter messages asking if it was true.

Avicii. Source: avicii.com

“When it was announced, the emails started flooding in within the first hour from students asking how they could get tickets,” said Roland Erman, BUSU special events co-ordinator. “We had a student drive here from Mississauga just to make sure she got a ticket.”

Avicii, whose stage name is inspired by the term for the lowest level of Hell in Buddhism, will play at Brock a day before his 22nd birthday. Thedjlist.com ranks him as one of the top 50 DJs in the world.

His thumping electronic music is popular with people in their late teens – one of the target groups for orientation week. His show is only open to Brock students, but Erman has gotten a number of emails and calls from other people trying to get into the show.

“Every day I’m getting questions,” he said.

Avicii will headline O-Week with the Canadian band The Trews and rapper Classified. Avicii will play on Wednesday, Sept. 7 with the gates opening at 6:30 p.m. Classified and The Trews will play on Saturday, Sept. 10 with gates opening at 5 p.m.

All of the concerts will finish by 11 p.m., said Jayne Stewart, BUSU’s Vice-President of Student Services. Even with the exciting lineup, the goal is to be good neighbours.

“Noise is a huge factor we take into consideration when planning events,” she said.

That pleases Curtis Gadula, manager of Off-Campus Living and Neighbourhood Relations. Gadula knows O-Week will lead to partying, and partying will lead to phone calls from the community.

But Brock also uses the week to reach out to neighbours, he said. His office will distribute welcome wagon bags to local landlords and students living off campus with information such as local bylaws and how to be respectful of neighbours. It will also distribute the Good Neighbour Guide to 45,000 nearby homes.

“The goal of any of the initiatives is to improve the lines of communication between students, landlords and residents,” Gadula said.

When there are calls, “we act as quickly as possible.”

O-Week is a huge endeavor each year, with hundreds of student volunteers. Stewart and Erman are particularly happy with the giveaways this year, the result of raising $50,000 worth of sponsorships. Student prizes range from vacations to an eight-month lease on a car.

Other highlights of the week include:

• Residence move in day – 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• See Red kick off party on Monday, Sept. 5 from 7:30 to 8 p.m.
• the Rock the Red Tower Party on Monday, Sept. 5 from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.
• Mock Residence Room Live Burn on Monday, Sept. 5 at 8:15 p.m. in parking lot D. Two mock residence rooms will be lit on fire to demonstrate how quickly fire can spread.
• academic orientations on Wednesday, Sept. 7
• Residence campus tours from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. meeting in the gazebo outside Vallee Residence
• Durex Presents Condom Poker Casino Night on Thursday, Sept. 8
• Shineday 2011 on Saturday, Sept. 10 when students raise money for cystic fibrosis research

The events are designed to provide a venue so new and older students get to know each other, Stewart said.

“We want to provide an alternative to them sitting in their rooms.”

For a full schedule, visit BUSU’s O-Week website. Avicii tickets – for Brock students only – are available by calling 905-688-5550 x3257.