Athens, Ga. – An outdoor showing of the film The Hunger Games, comedian Cristela Alonzo, magician Justin Willman and a Las Vegas-themed Dawgs After Dark will headline this year’s Big Dawg Welcome Week, Aug. 12-17, for University of Georgia students. The events are sponsored by the University Union Student Programming Board and are free for students with valid UGACards who pay activity fees on the Athens campus.
Big Dawg Welcome Week 2012 kicks off Aug. 12 with the Second Annual Freshmen Welcome, presented by the UGA Student Government Association and the Student Alumni Council. First-year students are invited to assemble at Sanford Stadium at 5 p.m. for a class of 2016 group photo and messages from President Michael F. Adams, Head Football Coach Mark Richt and attorney and UGA benefactor Martin Quirk. The event will then move to Reed Plaza, where students will enjoy music, entertainment and refreshments while mingling with campus administrators.
Admission to the Freshmen Welcome is limited to first-year students.
Lights Out on Legion will feature a showing of the 2012 box office hit “The Hunger Games” on Aug. 13 at 8:30 p.m. on Legion Field. Participants will view the film on a 32-foot screen while enjoying free popcorn and cotton candy. Students are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets.
Comedian Cristela Alonzo will perform on Aug. 14 at 7:30 p.m. in the Tate Student Center Theater. A featured performer on Comedy Central’s “Live at Gotham” and NBC-TV’s “Last Comic Standing” and a writer for the “Mind of Mencia” series, Alonzo is the most requested act for comedy shows on college campuses across America.
Magician and television personality Justin “Kredible” Willman will perform his Magic Meltdown show Aug. 16 at 7:30 p.m. in the Tate Student Center Theater. In addition to hosting several series on the Food Network, Willman is well known as the witty correspondent on the Rachael Ray talk show. USA Today has reported he’s “…like a magician, but cooler.”
Big Dawg Welcome Week concludes with Dawgs After Dark: Sic ‘Em City Aug. 17 from 10 p.m.-2 a.m. in the Tate Student Center. Activities will feature a Las Vegas theme, such as casino games, prizes, magic and an “Elvis Wedding Chapel.” Outdoor activities on the Tate West Lawn will include a climbing wall and a bungee trampoline. Free food will be served. Non-student admission is $5.
The film screening, comedy and magic shows are ticketed events. Non-student tickets are $7 for the film and $10 for the comedy and magic shows. Students must present valid UGACards to claim their free tickets at the Tate Student Center cashier window, open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
The University Union Student Programming Board is a registered student organization within UGA’s Division of Student Affairs. For more information, call 706/542-6396 or see http://union.uga.edu.
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