While the Class of 2009 will have a handful of days off between Mustang Corral and the first day of classes, one can hardly expect to hear cries of boredom as the week rolls by.

For the better part of the last year, student directors and leaders in the Office of New Student Programs have been working hard to ensure that Week of Welcome 2005 is a fun-filled success.

“We’ve planned events that will attract many different interests instead of just one or two,” said junior advertising major and WOW director Hayley Fischer.

Upon the students’ return from Corral this Sunday, a family picnic will be held before first-years meet their WOW leaders.

A spirit step show will be held at 9 p.m. Sunday, featuring talent from various students and staff members across campus. Sophomore Brad Skeba will emcee the show.

Monday’s events will bring an academic tone to the week, including an assembly by Dedman College Dean Jasper Neel and a discussion of this year’s common reading material, Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich. According to Fischer, activities such as these are a necessary part of any university orientation program.

“It is college,” she said, “and we are here to learn. We want the students to leave WOW feeling prepared for the semester ahead — both socially and academically.”

Monday evening will commence with a casino night held at 9 p.m.

On Tuesday, a pair or WOW group round-ups will be sandwiched around a 2 p.m. road trip to the Angelika Film Center.

Wednesday will be highlighted by a morning community service trip and afternoon involvement fair.

The week will end with one of SMU’s finest traditions — the Rotunda Passage and Convocation. Following in the footsteps of generations gone by, the Class of 2009 will symbolically make their entrance into the university through the doors of historic Dallas Hall.

Fischer and her counterparts hope the students come away from Week of Welcome with a better sense of their place at SMU.

“We want them to feel connected to campus,” she said, “and not feel like they are coming into college uninformed or unprepared.”