Welcome Weekend, drone show, highlight fall opening

The first-ever drone show at UB will light up the night sky over the North Campus on Sunday to cap off this year’s Welcome Weekend and officially usher in the 2023 fall semester.

The “Bulls Welcome Back Blast Drone Spectacular” is just one of many events scheduled this coming weekend as students return to campus.

“I am really looking forward to our opening week activities and the semester ahead,” says Brian Hamluk, vice president for student life. “The start of a new academic year always brings with it an energy to campus, new learning opportunities and the excitement associated with the start of a new school year.”

The weekend events include the return of a campus tradition, the human interlocking UB, on Friday. Several other signature events, like “Victor’s Glow Zone” dance party on Saturday night, will give students the opportunity to display what it means to be True Blue.

“In Student Life, we like to incorporate creative events to engage school spirit, connecting in different ways with our students,” says Trung Nguyen, assistant vice president for student engagement and success.

New students will officially begin life at UB when a majority of them move into their residence halls on Thursday.  That includes the return of nearly 1,000 residential students to the South Campus, where Clement and Goodyear halls will reopen following a year-long renovation project. 

The day will include an on-campus job fair in Founders Plaza on the North Campus, while the Festival of Culture Uniting Students (FOCUS) at 8 p.m. kicks off with a student-led parade starting at Hayes Hall on the South Campus. A party at Goodyear Hall will follow.

As for the Bulls Welcome Back Blast on Sunday night, the choreographed light show will use illuminated drones to create patterns, logos, text and other aerial imagery for what should be an eye-catching display over Lake LaSalle filled with plenty of animated UB iconography.

“As we explored taking our third annual Bulls Welcome Back Blast to a new level, our planning team discovered an exciting new trend emerging across the country utilizing drone shows at student-centric events,” Nguyen says. “The celebratory weekend usually concludes with fireworks, but Student Life wanted to try something a little different this year.”

Pixis Drones, the company UB contracted to put on the aerial light display, will use 150 drones during its show. The drone displays are pre-programmed and flown by FAA-certified drone pilots, who take them as high as 400 feet above the ground.

Prior to the show, representatives for Pixis will bring some UB engineering students to the launch zone to show them what’s involved in putting on the display.

While the drones can be seen from up to four to five miles away, the best vantage point will be from the Student Union field between the Commons and Clemens Hall.

“The concept of using drones gives the division much more creative space to develop a narrative about UB spirit, our traditions and being a UB Bull,” Nguyen says. “Ultimately, our drone show will communicate the message that regardless of where we come from, here at UB, we are all True Blue.”

Some highlights of the weekend:

Thursday: The on-campus job fair will run from 4:30-7:30 p.m. in Founders Plaza; the Festival of Culture Uniting Students (FOCUS) starts at 8 p.m. on the South Campus.

Friday: The human interlocking UB, a university tradition welcoming the incoming class of 2023, will take place at 8 p.m. in UB Stadium.

The evening gets going with any number of activities, including Esports and gaming in the Red Jacket Esports Lounge; late-night snacks in the Student Union lobby; an outdoor movie at 10 p.m. in the courtyard of the Student Union; a silent disco starting at 10 p.m. on the South Campus; and more music and dancing at the Student Union field on the North Campus.

The day will conclude with campfires and s’mores during the early morning hours of Saturday.

Saturday: Campus Fest, where students can check out more than 150 UB clubs and organizations, starts at 5 p.m. on the North Campus. Beginning at 10 p.m., there will be a pop-up skating rink in the Furnas Parking Lot on the North Campus; an outdoor movie at Goodyear Hall on the South Campus; and “Victor’s Glow Zone,” the ultimate dance party with concert lighting and sound, and gallons of neon paint and black lights.

Sunday: The Welcome Back BBQ starts at 4 p.m. in the Student Union courtyard, while the Bulls Welcome Back Blast — featuring the drone show and spirit rally with UB’s coaches, players and Thunder of the East marching band — starts at 9 p.m. on the Student Union field.

Check out the calendar of events for the weekend.

Classes for the fall semester begin on Monday, Aug. 28.