ARTS & ENTERTAINMENTProv Hosts Second Annual Welcome Week Concert

Welcome Week at Providence University was full of fun activities this year, including a free concert. The concert, open to the public, featured well-known bands The Color and Scribe. 

Welcome Week ran from September 1–5 on campus in Otterburne. Normally, this week is intended to help new students become integrated into life at college, but last year the organizers decided to do something a little different. The new Welcome Week traditions include outdoor games, food trucks, and a free concert. Soccer tournaments were held this year for new and former students, as well as a huge bonfire and a comedy night with local comedian Matt Falk.

“We were blown away by the response to last year’s concert featuring the City Harmonic, and it will be our model going forward,” says Jerrad Peters, the university’s head of marketing and communications.

The campus was able to book two bands this year. The Color is a rock band from right here in southeastern Manitoba. They’ve won quite a few GMA awards throughout their musical career. Scribe is a hip-hop artist on the Christian music scene. He was born in Jamaica and raised in Canada. Previously he was in the hip-hop collective called KMF. 

This year, with Bergen Hall having burned to the ground during the summer, the campus had an alumni booth set up during the week for former students to share their memories of the men’s dormitory. 

“Hosting public events allows us to welcome alumni and other friends and constituents to campus, and we find they’re often curious to learn about what’s happening here,” Peters adds. “We want to engage with the general public, and we want the general public to engage with us. Basically, we want to share our excitement about the upcoming school year with everyone. Of course, there’s also nothing quite like a hype concert to get students stimulated ahead of the start of classes.”