Welcome Week, the most anticipated, crazy-busy, event-packed week of the academic year, has finally hit the ground at Grand Canyon University.
More than 100 events, including move-in, orientations, socials and big, boisterous nighttime celebrations, have been in full swing since Monday, and not even the blazing Phoenix heat or unexpected thunderstorms could slow down the herd of excited students.
Behind the scenes, the powerhouse that is Welcome Programs has kept things rolling, including managers Garrett Abeyta and Michaella Smith, who answer 49 questions about the liveliest week of the year.
1. What do you do in case of bad weather?
Smith: The show must go on.
Abeyta: First response is to find the ponchos.
2. What time did you get here this morning?
Smith: 3:32 a.m.
Abeyta: 3:45 a.m.
3. Do you ever sleep on campus?
Smith: We could, but I do not. I like my own bed.
Abeyta: No, but if I was to take a nap on campus, I would probably go to the fourth floor of the library.
4. Go-to coffee order
Abeyta: Typically, just an iced latte or a black coffee. Usually, it’s about two to three shots of espresso. This morning was definitely three shots.
5. Go-to breakfast
Smith: I did not get to eat breakfast yet, but I did get things to make myself overnight oats.
Abeyta: I am obsessed with the Sodexo breakfast burritos.
6. What’s in your bag?
Smith: Lip gloss, hair clip, medicine, deodorant, a cooling towel and brightening eye gel.
Abeyta: Sunglasses, there should be water in there, sunscreen, lip balm, several permanent markers.
7. How many hours of sleep do you usually get during Welcome Week?
Smith: About three hours of sleep every night.
Abeyta: A little over four hours per night.
8. Go-to outfit for first day of Welcome Week
Smith: Patagonia baggy shorts and our Welcome Programs polo.
Abeyta: Purple polo and some kind of black gym shorts.
9. What is the best sunscreen brand?
Smith: Sun Bum.
Abeyta: Equate SPF 30 from Walmart.
10. Stanley or Owala bottle?
Smith: Stanley.
Abeyta: Yeti.
11. Who is the best golf cart driver on the team?
Smith: Charity Norman (Welcome Programs director). It’s the years of experience.
Abeyta: Brooke Carlson (Welcome Programs coordinator).
12. Who is the worst golf cart driver on the team?
Smith: Me.
Abeyta: Probably me, I am too confident.
13. Lope Shop must-haves
Smith: Oh, I like the hat section, particularly the visors.
Abeyta: A purple quarter-zip.
14. What is the first thing you did when you woke up this morning?
Smith: I grabbed my clothes, got dressed and brushed my teeth.
Abeyta: I washed my face and got dressed to make coffee.
15. What is your best hype song to motivate you for the start of Welcome Week?
Smith: “Me and You” by Cassie.
Abeyta: “Break My Stride” by Matthew Wilder.
16. What is your favorite Welcome Week tradition?
Smith: I love the cellphone video at the commissioning when the arena is dark and the screen plays questions like, “If you are feeling a little nervous, raise your flashlight,” and so on.
Abeyta: Walking to the parking garage together as staff at the end of the day
17. If you had to pick a residence hall to live in, which one would it be?
Smith: Antelope Apartments. It’s not too far from main campus and it’s nice and new.
Abeyta: Roadrunner Apartments. You have GCBC downstairs and it’s pretty central.
18. What are some of the most common items students bring?
Smith: I always see students carrying their laundry baskets filled with items that are not laundry.
19. What are the most common cars you see during move-in?
Smith: Probably Toyotas.
20. What’s made you cry during Welcome Week?
Smith: Lack of sleep at the end of the day. Anything feels cry-worthy at that point.
21. How do you unwind when you go home after first day of Welcome Week?
Abeyta: I shower immediately, wash off all the dirt. Go to bed right away and wake up to do it all over again.
22. How many U-hauls do you usually see?
Smith: Oh, good golly, a lot. We definitely hit 100 per day.
23. What are your best Speed-Pac packing tips?
Smith: Play Tetris on your phone in advance to prepare.
Abeyta: Push with your feet, otherwise it will always fall off.
24. Baseball cap or bucket hat?
Abeyta: Baseball cap.
25. How many GCU shirts do you own?
Smith: Around 35.
26. List three must-have-on-you items as Welcome Programs crew.
Smith: A water bottle, a walkie-talkie and my golf cart keys.
Abeyta: Sunglasses, a walkie-talkie and gap tape for taping parking spots, fixing things. It covers a lot of problems.
27. What is your favorite day of Welcome Week?
Smith: Monday. The adrenaline is pumping, it’s the first day, you don’t know what to expect and you are excited.
28. How many walkie-talkies does Welcome Programs have?
Abeyta: 135.
29. What is the weirdest thing you’ve seen students bring during move-in?
Abeyta: One year, I saw a student bring a whole Chipotle menu up to their room.
30. What is your favorite shade of purple?
Abeyta: Lavender.
31. When do you start planning Welcome Week?
Smith: First conversations happen late winter, like November, December, but we hit the ground in January.
32. How many hours do you work during Welcome Week?
Smith: About 65-70.
Abeyta: Currently I am scheduled for 68 hours, but I bet you I will end up somewhere in the 70s.
33. What is something most people don’t know about Welcome Week?
Smith: We start looking for a concert artist in November.
Abeyta: How much partnership it takes. It’s Welcome Programs, Public Safety, Resident Life, Events team and more. It really is such a group project.
34. How many times per day do you reapply deodorant?
Smith: Whenever I think about it… or when someone tells me I smell.
35. What is the hottest Welcome Week day you have experienced?
Smith: Last year we hit 115 degrees several times.
36. If you could be Thunder or President Brian Mueller for a day, who would you choose?
Smith: President Mueller. I need to know what’s going on.
Abeyta: Thunder. I would try to go around campus and see where I could get in.
37. What is the best part about being a GCU student?
Smith: Honestly, how special the community is and how many things there are to do on campus.
38. What are your best shoes to wear?
Smith: I actually don’t have shoe game, so I am not best to answer that question.
Abeyta: Anything that’s dark. Nike shoes are my go-to.
39. If you could create a GCU tradition, what would it be?
Abeyta: I would try to spell out GCU with students on a field for a photo.
40. How many packs of water did Welcome Programs purchase for the week?
Abeyta: We have about 120,000 water bottles, and we also have a semitruck full of ice.
41. How many pairs of shoes would you pack for college?
Smith: About a dozen.
Abeyta: Probably seven. One for each occasion.
42. Best mode of transportation to have on our campus?
Abeyta: A longboard.
43. What is your go-to hangout spot on campus?
Smith: The gazebo behind Building 4 and in front of Sunset Auditorium.
44. What is your favorite restaurant on campus and your go-to order?
Smith: Chick-fil-A, and I get the 12-count chicken nugget and medium-fry.
Abeyta: Pita Jungle, and I get the hummus trio with a side of chicken.
45. Why do you keep microfiber towels on your golf cart seats?
Smith: Golf carts get really hot from the sun, and we sweat a lot out here, so it just soaks it all up.
46. Who is the most energetic on your team?
Abeyta: Our director and fearless leader, Charity Norman.
47. What is the best Stampede flavor?
Smith: Raspberry-watermelon.
Abeyta: Passion fruit.
48. What is the best type of toilet paper to bring to college?
Smith: Charmin Ultra Strong.
49. What is the best kitchen appliance to bring to college with you?
Abeyta: Definitely a Nespresso machine.
GCU staff writer Izabela Fogarasi can be reached at [email protected]
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Related content:
GCU News: Welcome Crew training covers logistics, hydration and flashing a big smile
GCU News: Cutting classes for first day of GCU Move-In pays off for parent
GCU News: Lavender prevails as Lope Shop embarks on Welcome Week
