Fall Community Welcome celebration at Armory Park slated for Aug. 18

Ohio University’s Center for Campus and Community Engagement (CCCE) has created a new event to emphasize the rich community of Athens and to show new students that OHIO has a culture of respecting and supporting one another. 

The Fall Community Welcome event will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 18, at Armory Park. Barb Harrision, assistant director for civil engagement for the CCCE, said the event is meant to welcome students and community members back to Athens for fall semester. 

The event will include community partners, such as Athens MakerSpace, which will demonstrate to students how they can use items from local thrift stores to spruce up their off-campus homes while emphasizing reusing and recycling and overall reduction in consumption of new goods. 

“We will also have music, some carnival style foods and our community banner for all who attend to sign,” Harrison noted. “Passion Works Studio will have a presence as well as the West Side Neighborhood Association, City of Athens staff and an opportunity for students to register to vote.” 

Everyone is invited to attend the event to meet new friends and celebrate the beginning of the new academic year. 

The Fall Community Welcome marks the first event for the Center for Campus and Community Engagement, which has a slew of activities and events planned for this semester. 

“We hope to build upon the many community engagement initiatives that exist and explore ways to continue to build a strong, supportive and respectful community in Athens this year,” Harrison said. 

The OHIO Community Ambassadors are hosting the event as well to demonstrate a positive sense of community to off campus students. The Community Ambassadors will also be conducting neighborhood door to doors throughout the week to welcome students and answer questions about life off campus.