As classes are in full swing, round two of Welcome Week events are lined up on campus for students through Friday, Sept. 10. Events for Oakland students have been occuring around campus since Wednesday, Sept. 10 and have featured informational sessions, fun, and free food.

On-going events througout Welcome Week have included the “Information Stations” positioned around the main campus. The stations will continue to be up through Thursday from 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m.

Grizz mascot tryouts

The OU Athletic Department will be hosting university mascot tryouts today, Sept. 8 from 4-6 p.m. in the Vandenberg Lounge of Vandenberg Hall.

Any students, both graduate and undergraduate students, interested in representing the university at six home soccer games as well as around 30 basketball games on campus are invited to try out.

The job description requests students with an outgoing personality who are very school-oriented as well as school spirit, said Kate Boylan of the OU Athletic Department.

The tryout process entails different skit pieces to act out as well as showing how the individual would get the crowd involved, Boylan said.

More than one Grizz is hired to accommodate student schedules, and no registration is needed for tryouts. Each event will last between two to three hours and the mascot representative will be paid $30 for each event.

The Grizz mascot will only attend indoor events and will have the opportunity to be present at the NCAA championships if the Grizzlies qualify.

Sand volleyball tournament

With 19 teams last year and the anticipation of more this season, the annual Welcome Week volleyball tournament will kick off at 5 p.m. Sept. 8 at the Hamlin volleyball court. To compete, teams do not need to register in advance and there is no registration fee, said Dan Bettmann, coordinator of Intramural sports and club sports.

Each team will consist of two male players and two female players to form teams of four in a bracket-style tournament.

“We are trying to get as many people as possible,” Bettmann said.

The estimated event time runs until 8 p.m. but with a greater turnout, the time is flexible.

If light becomes an issue at the Hamlin courts, Bettmann said the tournament will move to the University Student Apartment courts, which are located behind the clubhouse.

The tournament champion team will receive intramural champion T-shirts as well as a team photo that will be hung on display in the campus recreation center. Since there is an online Facebook group for Oakland University Intramural Sports, the wining team photo will also be added to the IM champions photo album online.

Disc golf singles

With the new Grizzly Oaks Disc Golf Course on campus as of last fall, Welcome Week will host the second Disc Golf Singles Tournament on Thursday, Sept. 9 at 4:30 p.m.

Teams can register for the tournament up until 4:30 p.m. Thursday and will be located at the 18-hole course near the Upper Fields on campus.

All interested participants will be sent out in groups and the lowest score of the tournament wins, Bettmann said.

The tournament champions will receive an IM Champions T-shirt as well as have their photo on display in the campus recreation center and in the IM Champions album as part of the online profile, he said.

Those ready to play in the tournament must provide their own discs and will need their OU ID card for registration, Bettman said. The tournament is free to all. There are hopes of involving more disc golfers this year, as there were 16 competitors last fall.

Sigma Pi pig roast

Sigma Pi Fraternity will host its 16th annual pig roast this Friday, Sept. 10 at 7 p.m. until midnight.

New this year is the location of the roast, which will now be held on the hill across from the campus recreation center on the north side of O’Dowd Hall. Since there will be bands, the hill will improvise as a “natural amphitheatre,” said assistant director of student activities and greek life, Christopher Jensen. The hill is ideal for the annual roast as it will be closer on campus and will not consume a parking lot, as in previous years, he said.

It is ensured that there will be plenty to eat, as the Student Program Board will also have carnival-like snacks including cotton candy and pretzels.

Hoping for pleasant weather, the pig roast will set the stage for the evening’s comedy show with Charlie Murphy at 9 p.m. in the O’rena, Jensen said.

Charlie Murphy

Shortly after the Sigma Pi annual pig roast kicks off, the LOLFest Comedy Show, starring actor-comedian, Charlie Murphy and a guest will begin at 9 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 10.

For Charlie Murphy’s debut on OU’s campus, the LOLFest Comedy Show is replacing the annual Welcome Week carnival, said Breanna Coleman of the Student Program Board.

Tickets are free to all OU students and are available at the Center for Student Activities or the CSA service window, located in the basement of the Oakland Center. SPB executive board members will be passing out tickets on the day of the event and each student attending the show can bring a guest, free of charge, as well.

The show is expected to run for 90 minutes and will conclude Welcome Week 2010.