Each year’s Hawk Week activities are designed to provide a transition into the new school year for KU students. The events, including entertainment, food, friends and fun, are scheduled for the week leading up to the start of classes.

Coordinators said this year’s events, which started Sunday and will continue until Saturday, should appeal to every type of student.

“We try to provide a variety of things so that all students can participate in something,” said Amanda Ostgulen, New Student Orientation special projects assistant. “We want to make sure the message is clear that this is not just for freshmen.”

Four new events highlight this year’s Hawk Week activities: A nontraditional student meet-and-greet, the Roll with Dole Supper and Ice-Cream Social and Dog Days.

The meet-and-greet session was added this year to ensure that nontraditional students were included in the festivities. Shanda Hurla, the event coordinator, said the event was created in response to feedback from previous years. The event will be Wednesday from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Kansas Union.

The Roll with Dole Supper and Roll with Dole Ice Cream Social, also new this year, offer free food and a chance for students to learn more about the Dole Institute of Politics before and after Convocation on Wednesday night. The supper is at 6 p.m., followed by Convocation and the ice cream social at 9:15 p.m.

“I think this will be a great opportunity for students to meet with other students and faculty,” said Hurla.

But Hawk Week activities are not just for the KU community.

Another of this year’s new activities, Dog Days, is open to students as well as members of the Lawrence community. At 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday, participants can meet at Memorial Stadium for a variety of exercise activities. The event is a continuation of the summer-long program that has been a community tradition for more than 23 years.

Lawrence community members also join KU students and faculty for what has become one of the largest events of Hawk Week: Traditions Night. This event is tonight from 8 to 9 at Memorial Stadium. Attendees join together to celebrate and learn the songs, chants and rich traditions of the University of Kansas. More than 5,000 people attended Traditions Night last year.

Night events usually attract a larger crowd, Ostgulen said. They provide a fun, social start to the school year, while smaller daytime events help students learn about campus resources and opportunities.

Free buses will run to and from campus housing and certain events during Hawk Week. For a full schedule and description of events, visit www.hawkweek.ku.edu.

Kansan staff writer Darla Slipke can be contacted at dslipke@kansan.com.

— Edited by Aly Barland

HAWK WEEK EVENTS

Monday, August 14

Ice Cream Social

6:30 to 8 p.m., Adams Alumni Center

Traditions Night

8 to 9 p.m., Memorial Stadium

Rock-A-Hawk

10 p.m. to 1 a.m., Visitor Center Parking Lot

Tuesday, August 15

Dog Days

6 a.m. and 6 p.m., Memorial Stadium

Info Fair

7 to 9 p.m., Strong Hall Lawn

Beach ‘N’ Boulevard

7 to 10 p.m., Wescoe Beach

Hawk Link Block Party

10 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., Wescoe Beach

Wednesday, August 16

Take Over the Beach

4:30 to 7 p.m., Wescoe Beach

Roll with Dole Supper

6 to 7:30 p.m., Dole Institute of Politics

Convocation

8 to 9 p.m., Lied Center

Roll with Dole Ice Cream Social

9:15 to 10:30 p.m., Lied Center

Thursday, August 17

Dog Days

6 a.m. and 6 p.m., Memorial Stadium

Spencer Museum of Art Presents “Shaun of the Dead”

7 p.m., Spencer Museum of Art Auditorium

Downtown Hawks

5 to 8 p.m., Downtown Lawrence

Friday, August 18

Free Outdoor Concert: The Wailin’ Jennys

7 to 8 p.m., Lied Center Lawn

Family Art Festival

6 to 7 p.m., Lied Center Garden Courtyard

Movie on the Hill

9 p.m., Campanile hill (rain location: Woodruff Auditorium, Kansas Union)

Saturday, August 19

Community Service Project

10 a.m., Kansas Union Lobby, 4th Floor

Rec Fest

2 to 6 p.m., KU Sudent Recreation and Fitness Center

For a full listing of events with a time, location and description, visit: www.hawkweek.ku.edu/schedule