Many upper-year students missed out on a traditional first-year experience due to the pandemic, but extending Welcome Week events to all McMaster students could help fix that

For many students, Welcome Week is a time of great excitement and new possibilities. Friendships are forged and memories are made as incoming students are integrated into the McMaster University community.  

However, many upper-year students, like myself, missed out on this foundational experience due to the pandemic. While Welcome Week was shifted online to accommodate the global crisis, the hybrid edition of this staple first-year experience was just not the same.

Now, experiencing this tradition as a welcome week representative, I realize that we will forever feel left out of these collective experiences.  

The pandemic made it immensely difficult for these upper-year students who began their undergrad at its peak to create friendships as our social interactions were limited. Social events occurred online, where conversations may have been awkward to facilitate. Overall, students were left with feelings of isolation that had repercussions for their well-being and success. 

Although students who experienced first year during the pandemic have formed their own exclusive bonds since, it does not change the fact that we missed out on integral university experiences, including the opportunity to form a community bond.  

Considering the experiences of current upper-year students, Welcome Week events should be inclusive to all McMaster students. 

I recognize that the goal of Welcome Week is to provide first year students with a positive start to their academic journey. However, having a few larger welcome week events open to all students could provide upper-year students with an opportunity to make memories they missed out on.   

I believe the concept is perfectly exemplified by the annual Welcome Week concert. While first-years are prioritized during his event and receive free admission, the event is not exclusive to incoming students. Upper-year students are also welcome to attend this event by purchasing a ticket.   

Understanding that each event has a capacity before resources begin to stretch thin, I believe that the concert does a wonderful job of including all students in the Welcome Week experience while prioritizing first years. Following this model, other Welcome Week events could be made more inclusive to students. 

Since upper-year students have experienced academic life at McMaster, some events are not necessary for us to attend. For instance, academic events such as mock lectures or activities like campus tours are very beneficial for first-year students who need to get acquainted with life on campus but no longer provide the same value to upper-year students. Instead, events that cater to the social aspect of university life would be thoroughly enjoyed and valued by upper years who may feel isolated from the McMaster community.  

Recognizing that there will be a time when all students will have participated in an in-person welcome week, the inclusivity of current upper-year students could be a temporary change to account for disruptions caused by the pandemic.  

Overall, considering the purpose of Welcome Week and the deep-rooted traditions it holds towards making first years feel included within the McMaster community, I think it is important for upper year students to experience these events. While these events cannot make up for the countless experiences we lost, they can help bridge the gap between generations of McMaster students, restoring our sense of belonging and resilience.