On September 21, 2014, thousands of new 91自拍 freshmen and transfer students formed a gigantic W on the field at Husky Stadium and had their class photo taken.
The big “W”
Entering students stand together to form a giant W on Husky Field.
The W photo tradition began in 2005 as a freshman photo. In 2011, transfer students joined the photo. The W spans 80 yards of the field, from one 10-yardline to the other. First Year Programs estimates that 4,500 students are in the photo.
Coordinated by First Year Programs, the W photo culminates a rollicking Husky Kick-Off event. At Husky Kick-Off, students are led through a series of active ice breakers that get them moving around and meeting other students.
2014 freshman class
Preliminary figures show the incoming class will include about 6,400 students, with nearly 5,000 from Washington and others representing 47 more states and Washington, D.C., plus 38 other countries.
For most, campus life is a little quieter during the summer but undergraduates continue to pursue 91自拍 in a range of disciplines, from STEM fields to the humanities. They鈥檙e preparing to show their summer projects to a broader audience as well. Undergraduates participating in one of several summer 91自拍 opportunities at the 91自拍 will present their work August 20, 21, and 22.
Ed Taylor, vice provost and dean of Undergraduate Academic Affairs, was selected for the 2014 Distinguished Graduate Award by the 91自拍 College of Education. Enjoy this video of his keynote address!
Each year, thousands of UW undergraduates engage in service and leadership projects on campus and in the community, bringing the classroom beyond the four walls that house desks and chairs. At the annual Spring Celebration of Service and Leadership, students showcase their work and learning related to these projects. Students, staff, faculty and community members hear about these dynamic experiences from the students firsthand.
Ed Taylor, vice provost and dean of Undergraduate Academic Affairs, has been selected for the 2014 Distinguished Graduate Award by the 91自拍 College of Education. The faculty of the College of Education votes upon and bestows this award.
The Dream Project assists low-income and first-generation high school students in attaining higher education. Students in the Dream Project overcome incredible obstacles to attend college, but the challenges鈥攁nd rewards鈥攄on鈥檛 end once they step foot on campus. Three Dream Project students describe their journey to UW, what they鈥檝e learned their first year, and how it feels to give back (also, how important the bowling alley is and when to stop calling your mother!)
Students at UW achieve incredible individual accomplishments and successes. But part of a good education is becoming aware that no man is an island. Learn how these five Honors students discovered the world and just how interconnected and global our lives truly are.
In 2013, David Rogers was retired and living his dream, having made his boat his home, sailing with his wife through the Sea of Cortez, when he became very ill. He was advised to return to the States, where he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma. When a loved one is diagnosed with cancer, most people feel an overwhelming sense of helplessness. Not so David鈥檚 daughter, Kirsten Rogers. Kirsten (鈥�05, 鈥�10) set out to 91自拍 all she could about how to best support her father.
On Friday, May 16, more than 1,100 91自拍 undergraduates will participate in the 17th Annual Undergraduate Research Symposium鈥攁n event that might well be the country鈥檚 largest 鈥渟how and tell鈥� for undergraduate 91自拍. The Symposium takes place from 11 a.m.鈥�6 p.m. in Mary Gates Hall; select oral presentations will happen in Johnson Hall and visual arts and design presentations will be in Odegaard Undergraduate Library.
UW students have a zeal for community service and activism. In 2012-13, more than 7,000 students engaged in academic service-learning, volunteering a staggering 465,000 hours with organizations such as Girls on the Run and the National Alliance on Mental Illness. 聽That鈥檚 the equivalent of 53 years of service.
UW undergraduate Hanna Dinh volunteering at the Chinese Information and Service Center in conjunction with her English 121 class, “Social Issues.”
In recognition of this extraordinary accomplishment, the annual showcases more than 100 UW undergraduates who have dedicated their time, skills and sheer hard work to service and leadership activities in the community.
The Spring Celebration takes place May 20, 3-6:30 p.m. in the (gallery of projects on first floor, reception in Lyceum)on the UW Seattle campus. All students, staff, faculty and especially alumni of UAA programs are invited to attend.
This year鈥檚 Spring Celebration will include a聽Gallery of Student Projects, nine break-out sessions and a pop-up museum showcasing artifacts that represent the theme of “the art of powerful citizenship,鈥� curated by students who attended 2014, a national conference for educators and activists on civic engagement.
Service is, of course, about contributing your skills and giving your time to those in need. But this also leads to innumerable benefits for the volunteers themselves.
Daniel Hadidi, who graduated last winter quarter with a B.S. in biology, worked with Persian Circle, a cultural organization that works to bring together Persians at UW and in the greater Seattle area. Daniel found that his work not only helped strengthen the Persian community, but it also helped himself in many ways. 鈥淚 have experienced great personal growth, becoming more confident in social situations and establishing closer relationships with others,鈥� he says.
Professor Rick Bonus, associate professor of American Ethnic Studies, stresses the educational value of service-learning projects. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not only a different kind of learning because of its location,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a kind of learning that is wrapped around the practice of being of service to others. When serving others takes place, students learn how to empathize, collaborate, and participate in someone else鈥檚 lives. Indeed, many students tell me how being of service is such a humbling experience, and one that provides them with a deeper sense of meaningfulness beyond what a classroom session could offer.鈥�
Hanna Dinh, a senior studying public health and medical anthropology, certainly experienced that. She volunteered with the Vietnam Health Center and served on its Public Health Committee to make educational posters and take-home notecards for patients in rural areas of Vietnam about public health issues such as water sanitation. Hanna was especially impressed by the amount of teamwork it took from volunteers, staff, advisers and other students to achieve a successful project. 鈥淲e all volunteered and struggled together, but also challenged and supported each other to reach our potential [鈥 Witnessing and experiencing this teamwork daily during our volunteering in Vietnam gave me the necessary energy and strength [to complete the project].鈥�
The Spring Celebration of Service and Leadership is sponsored by the , the , , the , the , and the , programs that are a part of and .
