Orientation Week returns this year with a mix of new activities and old favourites set to welcome Brock University students back to campus.

This year’s O-Week – dubbed Brock to the Future – starts Sunday, with eight days of events scheduled from morning to night.

“At the end of the day, it’s engaging and welcoming students back to a new year,” said Curtis Bell, Brock University Students’ Union event programmer. “It can be an intimidating and stressful time, not only for students but for families and parents as well, dropping off their kids, so we like to be there with our volunteers, welcoming everyone from residence move-in (which happens Sunday) and keeping up that energy right into the school year going into our fall Reading Week. We’ll have many programs and events planned leading right into Homecoming as well, so we’re really trying to collaborate with many departments at the University and keep that consistency and build those traditions and relationships we know we have here.”

Several parties are scheduled for the week. The biggest is the popular Big Ticket Concert on Wednesday at Weather Station Field, which features Bingo Players at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $30 in advance, $40 at the door and free with a VIB card ($85 or $90).

After having to turn away students last year, Tuesday’s Comedy Night will be bigger this year. The venue has been moved outdoors to the O-Week Hub and can handle 400 more students. Another popular event – condom poker and dirty bingo – is scheduled for Thursday at 7 p.m. in the Ian Beddis Gym.

BUSU special events co-ordinator Kate Hardy said more effort has been taken to incorporate students’ feedback into new O-Week programming. That’s resulted in more and different vendors at the Vendors Fair, which is slated for Tuesday from 10 a.m.- 4 p.m, plus outdoor yoga Friday (12 noon-3 p.m.) in Jubilee Court.

“Yoga seems to be a very popular event this year, and that goes to show you the variety of programming we have to explore and look into,” Hardy said. “Sometimes (events) might not be a hit, but we do have to provide those opportunities and really change it up and be diverse with our programming.

“I definitely think we have to listen to (students). From the beginning we’ve kind of been telling ourselves, ‘You can’t program for yourself’. You have to understand there are many tastes here on campus and have to answer to that the best way you can.”