Empty tables and chairs sit in the rain after Campus Kickoff was cancelled. Photo by Taylor Heckart.
Executive Director of Student Life and Leadership Kim Morton – in collaboration with UAA Risk Management – made the call to cancel the outdoor portion of UAA’s 20th Campus Kickoff as weather conditions worsened throughout the morning.
Morton said in an interview with The Northern Light that “The tents and the wind made the decision [to cancel Campus Kickoff] when they decided to fly away.”
Campus Kickoff is UAA’s annual event to welcome students, staff and faculty to the beginning of the school year. Campus Kickoff was originally scheduled to have two portions: the outdoor “CKO ‘23 Festival'' in the Student Union parking lot from 1 to 4 p.m. and the “CKO ‘23 After Party'' from 4 to 10 p.m. in various locations around UAA.
Campus organizations, vendors and student-run clubs received the news that the festival was canceled as they prepared to welcome UAA students to a new school year. A few minutes before Campus Kickoff’s scheduled start time, UAA sent out an alert saying that outdoor events were canceled due to bad weather.
Southcentral Alaska is currently under a flood watch through Saturday evening. According to the National Weather Service alert, Anchorage is expected to receive 0.7 - 1.5 inches of rain.
While some organizations were able to move inside, most packed up against the backdrop of wind and rain.
Associate Director of Student Life and Leadership Zac Clark said that, because of the cancellation, student organizations will be able to table in the Student Union, Monday through Thursday from 10 to 2 p.m. during the first week of school.
An email from Student Organization Coordinator Shelby Kriegh has been sent out to organizations that signed up for Campus Kickoff with more information.
Clark said that they want to offer an opportunity for organizations to make the connections that they missed today.
Northern Light staff – originally preparing a booth of their own – documented the festival’s cancellation.
Sara Caldwell-Kan, director of Multicultural Student Services, said in an interview that the Multicultural Student Services booth was originally supposed to be outside, but – like others – had to relocate into the Student Union. Keeping in good spirits, she stood at a table passing out tote bags and flyers containing information about upcoming Multicultural Student Services events.
“We’ll make the best of it – there’s nothing else to do about it,” Caldwell-Kan said.
Student experience coordinator for Enrollment Services, Eileen Moring, said that the Enrollment Center was originally intended to be a sensory room with dim lighting and a calm atmosphere for students in need of a reprieve from the outdoor festivities.
However, the Enrollment Services Center – housed in the same building as the Student Union – became a place for remaining students to get out of the rain. Puzzles and other activities were available, and staff stood by to hand out tote bags and give students information about Enrollment Services.
Gerricka Cowan, a student orientation leader with First Year Experience, handed out t-shirts with her team at the Student Union entrance. Cowan said, “We’ve been doing two weeks of focusing on Campus Kickoff, but we’ve been going to the meetings [since June].
“We were stationed outside in the back of the parking lot … These are all of the shirts that we were going to pass out next to the food. With this happening we had to roll it back in.”
Cowan said that taking down the outdoor booth was a hassle due to wind and rain.
“We had to rip [the canopy] off in … rain with the wind blowing.”
She said that about eight people were needed to take down the canopy over the First Year Experience Booth.
In a video shared to social media, Chancellor Sean Parnell confirmed that though the outdoor portion of Campus Kickoff was canceled, indoor portions of campus kickoff were still scheduled to continue.
According to UAA’s Campus Kickoff page, the “CKO ‘23 After Party” will be from 4 to 10 p.m., with events happening in the Student Union, Rasmuson Hall, the Avis Alaska Sports Complex and the Alaska Airlines Center.
At 7 p.m. the Alaska Airlines Center will be hosting a free concert for UAA students, staff and faculty featuring H3 and Wasabi Black. A Wolfcard is required for entry. More information about the after party events can be found online.
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