4
      September
      21,
      2009
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Welcome
      to
      the
      Jungle
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Throw
      your
      hands
      up
      if
      you
      like
      sober
     
    
   
   
    
     
      underage
      fun!
     
    
   
   
    
     
      by
      Brittany
      BANKS
     
     
      Reporter
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “NSO
      is
      way
      better
      than
      I
     
     
      thought
      it
      would
      be”,
      says
      a
     
     
      first
      year
      student.
     
    

    
     
      Ryan
      Luttrell,
      a
      first
      year
     
     
      student
      at
      UPEI,
      expressed
     
     
      his
      surprise
      and
      enthusiasm
     
     
      for
      this
      year’s
      New
      Student
     
     
      Orientation.
      He
      was
      among
     
     
      600
      other
      students
      who
      had
     
     
      registered
      for
      the
      weekend,
     
     
      which
      took
      place
      September
     
     
      11th-13th.
     
    

    
     
      NSO
      is
      an
      annual
      event
     
     
      held
      at
      UPEI.
      Its
      purpose
      is
     
     
      to
      welcome
      incoming
      stu-
     
     
      dents
      to
      the
      university,
      and
     
     
      to
      provide
      them
      with
      all
      the
     
     
      essentials
      they
      will
      need
      to
     
     
      survive
      university
      life.
     
    

    
     
      The
      theme
      for
      this
      year’s
     
    
   
   
    
     
      NSO
      was
      “Welcome
      to
      the
     
     
      Jungle,”
      featuring
      events
     
     
      such
      as
      Playfair,
      Damian
      the
     
     
      Hypnotist,
      Campus
      Wide
     
     
      Manhunt,
      Tarzan
      and
      Jane’s
     
     
      Jungle
      Event
      at
      The
      Wave
     
     
      (featuring
      band,
      Sunday
     
     
      Punch),
      Picnic
      Face
      Com-
     
     
      edy
      Hour,
      and
      of
      course
      the
     
     
      ever-beloved,
      Shinerama.
     
    

    
     
      Though
      NSO
      is
      an
      annual
     
     
      event,
      coordinators
      Patrick
     
     
      Greco
      and
      Megan
      Jennings
     
     
      wanted
      to
      put
      their
      own
     
     
      stamp
      on
      this
      year’s
      activi-
     
     
      ties.
     
    

    
     
      “Everything
      about
      NSO,
     
     
      we
      tried
      to
      reinvent,”
      said
     
     
      Greco,
      who,
      along
      with
      Jen-
     
     
      nings,
      started
      the
      planning
     
     
      for
      NSO
      back
      in
      May.
     
    

    
     
      One
      difference
      from
     
     
      previous
      years
      was
      the
      fact
     
     
      that
      this
      year’s
      NSO
      was
     
    
   
   
    
     
      completely
      free
      of
      charge
     
     
      for
      all
      incoming
      new
      stu-
     
     
      dents,
      quite
      the
      change
      from
     
     
      the
      $55
      registration
      fee
      of
     
     
      previous
      years.
     
    

    
     
      “We
      felt
      that
      in
      past
      years
     
     
      the
      cost
      didn’t
      give
      all
     
    
   
   
    
     
      students
      the
      opportunity
      to
     
    
   
   
    
     
      participate
      in
      NSO,”
      said
     
     
      Greco.
      “Students
      already
     
     
      have
      to
      pay
      4,000-5,000
     
     
      dollars
      to
      attend
      university,
     
     
      why
      should
      they
      shell
      out
     
     
      another
      $55
      to
      be
      welcomed
     
     
      to
      the
      university?”
     
    

    
     
      NSO
      Team
      Captain,
     
     
      Nicole
      Lane,
      thought
      that
     
     
      having
      NSO
      as
      a
      free
      event
     
     
      was
      a
      good
      idea
      in
      theory,
     
     
      however
      offering
      it
      at
      no
     
     
      cost
      to
      students
      did
      have
      a
     
     
      downside.
      “Some
      students
     
     
      are
      just
      going
      to
      come
     
     
      and
      get
      the
      free
      stuff
      and
     
    
   
   
    
     
      not
      show
      up
      to
      any
      of
      the
     
     
      events,
      which
      means
      the
     
     
      teams
      end
      up
      being
      un-
     
     
      even.”
      Lane
      expressed
      that
     
     
      perhaps
      this
      problem
      could
     
     
      be
      solved
      for
      next
      year.
     
    

    
     
      Gillian
      MacDonald,
      a
      first
     
     
      year
      student
      who
      attended
     
     
      many
      of
      the
      events,
      thought
     
     
      NSO
      was
      a
      success
      and
      was
     
     
      grateful
      for
      the
      opportuni-
     
     
      ties
      it
      had
      given
      her.
      “I
      feel
     
     
      like
      a
      part
      of
      the
      university
     
     
      now,”
      she
      said.
     
    

    
     
      Team
      Captain,
      Robbie
     
     
      Saada,
      also
      believed
      that
     
     
      this
      year’s
      NSO
      was
      a
     
     
      huge
      success.
      Along
      with
     
     
      the
      events
      being
      free
      to
     
     
      students,
      the
      benefit
      to
      this
     
     
      year’s
      NSO
      was
      that
      back-
     
     
      up
      plans
      had
      already
      been
     
     
      taken
      care
      of-
      such
      was
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      PANTHER
      POST
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      case
      for
      the
      Beach
      Blast,
     
     
      which
      had
      to
      be
      replaced
     
     
      with
      glow
      mini
      golf
      due
      to
     
     
      poor
      weather.
      “Last
      year
     
     
      when
      plans
      got
      canceled
     
     
      there
      was
      nothing
      to
      do.
     
     
      Students
      got
      so
      bored
      that
     
     
      they
      ended
      up
      leaving,”
      said
     
     
      Saada.
     
    

    
     
      Greco
      hopes
      that
      all
      the
     
     
      students
      that
      participated
     
     
      in
      NSO
      had
      a
      good
      time.
      “IT
     
     
      strongly
      encourage
      anyone
     
     
      interested
      in
      being
      leaders
     
     
      next
      year,
      to
      do
      so.
      Other
     
     
      than
      that,
      welcome
      to
      UPEI,
     
     
      and
      if
      you
      see
      me
      on
      cam-
     
     
      pus,
      say
      hi!”