UPEI
      NSO
      Kicks
      Off
      School
      Year
      with
     
    
   
   
    
     
      by
      Jonathan
      Smith
     
    
   
   
    
     
      It
      can
      be
      said
      that
      New
     
     
      Student
      Orientation
      week
      2003
      was
     
     
      undoubtedly
      one
      of
      the
      most
      popu-
     
     
      lar
      and
      most
      successful
      in
      the
      last
     
     
      few
      years.
      That
      is
      not
      to
      say
      that
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     
      previous
      NSO's
      didn't
      go
      well
      and
     
     
      weren't
      a
      blast
      for
      the
      participants.
     
     
      However,
      under
      the
      direction
      of
     
     
      NSO
      Coordinator
      Nick
      MacDonald
     
     
      and
      the
      initiative
      of
      the
      leaders
      and
     
     
      participation
      of
      the
      new
      students,
     
     
      there
      was
      a
      definite
      atmosphere
      of
     
     
      new
      life
      and
      energy
      being
      infused
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -:page
      [4]
      September
      15,
      2003:.
     
    
   
   
    
     
         
     
    
   
   
    
     
      into
      the
      events.
      Undoubtedly,
      one
     
     
      factor
      was
      the
      fact
      that
      this
      years'
     
     
      NSO
      quite
      possibly
      had
      the
      largest
     
     
      number
      of
      student
      participants
      of
     
     
      the
      past
      three
      years,
      at
      almost
      400
     
     
      students
      plus
      leaders
      and
      coordina-
     
     
      tors.
      There
      were
      actually
      more
      stu-
     
     
      dents
      than
      there
      were
      NSO
      packs
     
     
      and
      T-Shirts.
     
    

    
     
      The
      opening
      ceremonies
     
     
      were
      held
      on
      Sunday,
      August
      31
      in
     
     
      the
      Duffy
      Amphitheater.
      Among
      the
     
     
      speakers
      present
      was
      President
     
     
      Wade
      MacLauchlan.
      There
      was
      the
     
     
      showing
      of
      an
      entertaining
      opening
     
     
      video
      that
      not
      only
      provided
      a
      few
     
     
      laughs
      but
      probably
      also
      put
      some
     
     
      people
      more
      at
      ease.
      Through
     
     
      humour
      and
      exaggeration
      it
      "high-
     
     
      lighted"
      all
      aspects
      of
      first-year
      stu-
     
     
      dent
      life,
      including
      the
      handicap
      of
     
     
      being
      under
      the
      age
      of
      19
      and
      try-
     
     
      ing
      to
      partake
      in
      certain
      aspects
      of
     
     
      campus
      life
      as
      well
      as
      getting
      along
     
     
      with
      roommates
      and
      trying
      to
      find
     
     
      time
      and
      a
      place
      to
      actually
      do
     
     
      some
      studying.
      After
      the
      required
     
     
      formalities
      and
      introductions
      how-
     
     
      ever,
      it
      was
      time
      to
      head
      for
      the
     
     
      beach.
     
    

    
     
      New
      Student
      Orientation
     
    
   
   
    
     
      week
      at
      the
      Island's
      only
      university
     
     
      wouldn't
      have
      been
      complete
      with-
     
     
      out
      a
      visit
      to
      the
      beach.
      The
      Beach
     
     
      Blast
      went
      well,
      with
      loads
      of
      par-
     
     
      ticipation
      and
      good
      use
      of
      the
      stu-
     
     
      dent
      team
      structure
      to
      create
      a
      com-
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      petitive
      atmosphere
      as
      well
      as
     
     
      encourage
      creativity
      via
      a
      sand
     
     
      sculpture
      contest.
      The
      winning
     
     
      team
      was
      Seafoam
      with
      their
      recre-
     
     
      ation
      of
      the
      NSO
      Panther
      logo,
     
     
      though
      a
      mention
      did
      go
      out
      to
      the
     
     
      Flaming
      Devils
      for
      their
      sculpture
     
    
   
   
    
     
      of
      their
      name
      sake.
      There
      was
     
     
      also
      a
      water
      relay
      race
      and
      other
     
     
      general
      activities.
     
    

    
     
      Upon
      return
      to
      the
      campus,
     
     
      there
      was
      a
      break
      in
      the
      events
      to
     
     
      allow
      for
      some
      recuperation
      (at
     
     
      least
      officially).
      Early
      in
      the
     
     
      evening,
      the
      groups
      met
      up
      again
      at
     
     
      the
      Chi
      Wan
      Young
      Sports
      Center
     
     
      for
      the
      Playfair
      event,
      an
      organized
     
     
      ice
      breaking
      session
      that
      further
     
     
      strengthened
      the
      ties
      within
      teams
     
     
      as
      well
      as
      those
      with
      other
      groups.
     
     
      The
      incredibly
      strong
      relationships
     
     
      between
      teams
      was
      one
      key
      ele-
     
     
      ment
      of
      the
      success
      of
      NSO
      2003,
     
     
      and
      through
      an
      atmosphere
      of
     
     
      openness
      and
      friendly
      competition
     
    
   
   
    
     
      they
      worked
      together
      well.
     
    

    
     
      Sunday
      evening
      was
      a
      real
     
     
      treat,
      even
      for
      those
      not
      actually
     
     
      participating
      in
      the
      event.
      The
      NSO
     
     
      game
      show
      this
      year
      was
      a
      strange
     
     
      combination
      of
      the
      popular
      reality
     
     
      wee
      IV
      shows
      "Dog
      Eat
     
     
      »
      Dog"
      and
      "Fear
     
     
      Factor".
      Some
      truly
     
     
      bizarre
      food
      items
     
     
      and
      combinations
     
     
      were
      ingested
      by
      the
     
     
      participants,
      though
     
     
      nothing
      that
      fell
      out
     
     
      of
      the
      category
      of
     
     
      actual
      food.
      It
      was
     
     
      more
      the
      time
      limits
     
     
      and
      combinations
      in
     
     
      which
      the
      items
     
     
      were
      ingested
      that
     
     
      created
      the
      chal-
     
     
      lenge.
      A
      major
      high-
     
     
      light
      of
      the
      show,
     
     
      and
      one
      that
      is
      still
     
     
      being
      talked
      about,
      was
      Pete
     
     
      Grandy
      of
      the
      Mighty
      Ducks'
      eating
     
     
      a
      Wendy's
      combo
      (complete
      with
     
     
      drink
      and
      condiments)
      that
      had
     
     
      been
      mixed
      together
      in
      a
      blender
     
     
      and
      made
      into
      a
      shake.
      Tyler
     
     
      Lelacheur
      of
      the
      Silver
      Bullets
      was
     
     
      the
      eventual
      winner
      of
      the
      evening
     
     
      though,
      wolfing
      down
      the
      most
      pie
     
     
      plates
      of
      whipped
      cream
      in
      a
      spe-
     
     
      cific
      time
      limit
      for
      the
      final
      round.
     
    

    
     
      Monday
      morning
      was
      com-
     
     
      posed
      of
      mock
      lectures
      to
      give
      new
     
     
      students
      a
      taste
      of
      what
      their
      class-
     
     
      es
      would
      be
      like.
      Also
      provided
     
     
      was
      information
      on
      various
      aspects
     
     
      of
      university
      life,
      as
      well
      as
      a
     
     
      chance
      to
      see
      what
      societies
      and
     
     
      special
      interest
      groups
      would
      be
     
     
      available
      throughout
      the
      school
     
     
      year.
      The
      afternoon
      was
      composed
     
     
      of
      the
      Amazing
      Race,
      with
      each
     
     
      team
      moving
      from
      station
      to
      station
     
     
      and
      completing
      a
      variety
      of
      tasks,
     
     
      each
      one
      providing
      a
      different
      chal-