Slide show: Information and Celebration

They are all essential tasks at the start of the academic year: Unpacking. Finding classrooms. Buying books. But for new and continuing students of color at UW-Madison, one special event symbolizes when the year truly begins.

For 29 consecutive years, the Multicultural Orientation Reception has woven together a mix of information and celebration. The Multicultural Student Center, in partnership with 10 campus departments and student organizations, welcomes students with cultural performances, a resource fair, a reception and a dance. The event, held Sept. 3 this year, is designed to help students build connections with faculty and staff, and with each other. From 6 p.m. to 1 a.m., students visited information tables, talked, danced and enjoyed performances ranging from a gospel choir to traditional and freestyle dances.

Now the year has begun.

Left: Staff and student leaders from the Multicultural Student Center introduce themselves at the beginning of the reception at the Memorial Union's Wisconsin Union Theater.

Photos: Jeff Miller