Welcome Back (2015)

[Dinah Lianes]

During that moment this week, a group of workers hauled extra mattresses into Nye Hall ... as Journalism Professor Donica Mensing pedaled her bike up Virginia Street, headed to a morning of meetings at the Donald W. Reynolds School of Journalism ... as a small group of perhaps a dozen of the more than 400 NevadaFIT students with papers and pens and backpacks scurried purposefully across a crosswalk toward newly opened Peavine Hall ... as tuba players from the band huddled in the welcome shade of the trees near Juniper Hall, their playing filling the hot August air with the hopeful, spirited murmur that arrives on college campuses courtesy of marching bands like the University's each fall ... while far off on a sun-splashed corner of Wolf Pack Park, defensive standout Bryan Lane, moving with the balanced grace of a ballet dancer and with the concentration of a fine craftsman, sweat glistening like precious beads of silver from his chin, took extra repetitions from a ball launcher after the day's practice had formally concluded.

"It's that time of the year again," President Marc Johnson said. "Our campus is always alive, and is always vibrant. But the few days before the fall semester begins are unique." Johnson, who grew up on a farm in Kansas, was asked if the beginning of a new semester is, in a sense, a time of renewal for a college campus. He smiled. "Yes. It is a time of renewal, of possibility. As the faculty returns to campus and the residential communities fill with students, it's a very special time."

Added Faculty Senate Chair David Sanders, who has been a professor at the University since 1990: "It is a time of year when I come to the realization that I did not accomplish all of my summer goals, but the arrival of the students back on campus brings incredible excitement about a new academic year."

So it is for the University. The coming hours, days and weeks of the new academic year offer much in the way of activities and events. Add to the mix a simple fact that the University will, yet again, be at record enrollment.

Move-In Day: On Thursday, beginning at 9 a.m., the University's more than 3,100 residence hall students will formally move in. They will join the NevadaFIT participants, marching band members, residence hall leaders and some athletes who had previously moved into the campus' undergraduate residence halls. A helpful safety and move-in road/parking primer is provided at: www.unr.edu/nevada-today/news/2015/traffic-alert-for-move-in

New Student Opening Ceremony: On Friday, starting at approximately 9:45 a.m. at Lawlor Events Center, the University will welcome the Class of 2019. Faculty participation is encouraged and academic attire for faculty is requested. Faculty will begin lining up at 9:30 a.m. Johnson will deliver a welcome, while Bob Felten, a longtime professor in the Reynolds School of Journalism and one of the campus' finest instructors, will deliver the keynote address. Johnson said he will welcome the Class of 2019 by thanking them for making such a "wise" choice by attending the University.

Campus Conversations: Sanders, a Foundation Professor of Civil Engineering, noted that during his 25 years at the University, "I have seen many changes at our University since coming here, and believe this period of time is critical to our University's future as we work together to create a vibrant campus." In order to encourage the faculty and staff to be engaged with the University, Faculty Senate will sponsor three "Campus Conversations" this semester, featuring Johnson, Provost Kevin Carman and Sanders serving as moderator. They will be held from 4-5 p.m. on Sept. 21, Oct. 21 and Nov. 30, in the Joe Crowley Student Union Great Room. The Sept. 21 event will focus on online education, while Oct. 21 will address growth and the Nov. 30 event will feature junior faculty and faculty mentoring. For more information, go to: www.unr.edu/facultysenate/

Learned Engineering Expansion Phase 2 (LEEP 2) is a 110,000 square foot building that includes six state-of-the-art active learning classrooms, new teaching and research laboratories and numerous collaboration and study spaces. LEEP 2 is located at the Engineering Complex on main campus and seamlessly integrates with the Measurement, Materials and Sustainable Environment Center (M2SEC), Learned Hall and a newly-renovated Spahr Library.

Spahr Engineering Library has new hours for the new semester. Starting Monday, Aug. 24, hours for the service desk hour will be 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, and noon to 10 p.m. on Sunday.

Aug. 20-30. Incoming freshmen can take part in dozens of activities throughout the week that will familiarize them with the KU campus, KU traditions, their class schedules, the libraries and their new classmates.

Sunday, Aug. 23, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., Eaton Hall, LEEP 2 Atrium. A welcome back event for all students in the KU School of Engineering with free ice cream and a chance to learn about student organizations and opportunities to get involved. Hosted by Engineering Student Council.

Monday, Aug. 24, 6 p.m., LEEP 2, room 2015. Students from the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) and Society of Women Engineers (SWE) host an event to welcome students to campus and learn more about their organizations.

Friday, Aug. 28, 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., Engineering Courtyard. A fun Amazing Race-style event to help School of Engineering freshmen meet their classmates and learn more about the KU campus. Prizes, followed by free food. Hosted by Engineering Student Council. Participants should wear shoes they can run in and dress for the weather.

Friday, Aug. 28, 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Engineering Courtyard. Stick around after Frosh Frenzy for music, food, prize giveaways, and a chance to interact with engineering staff, faculty, and other students. This event is open to all School of Engineering students, faculty and staff and their families and is sponsored by Engineering Student Council and the KU School of Engineering.

About once a week I get a "welcome back" message that encourages me to 'vote up questions' and won't go away without a click. Is it really necessary to ask people who have been around for 7 years to 'vote up' questions/answers?

Voting on questions that help you in your research is critical: these votes are a very strong signal to the system that the question is relevant and needed. Voting is often overlooked, especially on questions; a reminder for folks who infrequently visit is worthwhile.

Note that if you're seeing this banner and do not meet the conditions described above, then that is indeed a bug. However under normal circumstances it isn't unusual to run into it when visiting the site from, say, Google after having been away for a day (or weekend...)

However, I can't seem to make it happen on Stack Overflow on purpose (I obliterated the cache, cookies from Chrome and logged out), although it has happened recently. Perhaps it also has to do with how long it's been since you've voted.

I have probably never forgotten to upvote a question post or do it almost always, yet I believe this message is unfair and has no purpose for those who read it significant enough to show it for everyone. Why do you believe people "forget" to upvote question posts? I believe it is a personal trait, and if a person read the message and just refuses to do so, it's their choice, or isn't it? Is that sudden UI-blocking message a constant provocation and illusion of choice that is impossible to mitigate without an interaction?

Semantic satiation is a psychological phenomenon in which repetition causes a word or phrase to temporarily lose meaning for the listener,[1] who then perceives the speech as repeated meaningless sounds. Extended inspection or analysis (staring at the word or phrase for a long time) in place of repetition also produces the same effect.

To be frank, I am sorry, but I literally have no idea what is written in this message. It seems like an ad, and I never did read it in full, even if I am on StackExchange websites almost every single day and with this exact message appearing on various screens 200 or more times in all those years. Why? Obviously or not, I just see "Welcome", consider it a general greeting or ad that appears due to cookie/session/cache issues or features/forces a yet another "solution" for anything I didn't even have a trouble with, and blazing-immediately click that "close this message" to it hopefully never appear anymore again and don't lose ideas or precious thoughts in mind I have while researching.

I hope the fall semester is off to a good start for all of you. For Cornellians on campus and off, last year was one of accomplishments as well as challenges, which we dealt with as a community: by coming together to talk, debate and, ultimately, work together for the greater good.

This Sunday, we will pause to remember the tragic events of September 11, 2001. Please join us at 6 p.m. on Ho Plaza to honor those who were lost but also to honor the courage, healing and rebuilding that followed. In that spirit, celebrating resilience and looking to the future, I hope you start the year as I do: refreshed and ready to learn, create and serve.

Members of ourSesquicentennial Class of 2015 have now made themselves at home on North Campus and are well along in their classes. My stay in Donlon during orientation week allowed me to meet many of them. Selected from over 36,000 applicants, first-year students come from 48 states (all but Arkansas and Nebraska); Washington, DC; Puerto Rico; and 45 countries. They're a diverse group, with 36 percent identifying as people of color and 10 percent as international students. Welcome, Class of 2015!

Our 1200 new graduate and professional students, more than 500 transfer students and ourreturning students now embark on a new year of personal growth as well as progress toward degrees and careers. I hope all students know that your academic success, health and well-being are my highest priorities.

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