The calm of summer comes to an end Sept. 1 when the first rush of students return to campus. Freshmen and transfer students face a week of orientation before returning students move back on Sunday, Sept. 6. Orientation this year has a baseball theme, so watch out for GO! team members with baseball jerseys.

Faculty and staff interested in orientation activities can pick up a schedule from their department secretaries. Feel free to attend any that catch your interest. A couple of quick highlights:

• Families leave their students by 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 2. So if you see any students wandering around with a dazed look, give them a warm University of Redlands welcome and point them in the right direction.
  
  
• Voted the most popular orientation activity for 18 years, motivational speaker Will Keim will speak at 9 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 4 in the Chapel. Feel free to slip in and listen, and bring your teens with you! You won't be disappointed as the students are welcomed to "The Time of Your Life."
  
  
• The 96th annual Maroon and Grey Dinner will be held from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 6 at Ted Runner Stadium. Come help new students learn the Och Tamale before the first football game against the Bearcats of Williamette.

The orientation program is coordinated by Ilaria Pesco and Amy Wilms.

"They do an incredible job of organizing all of us into six straight days of academic and student life programs and events at the end of which we should have almost 700 well-oriented students," said Char Burgess, vice president and dean of student life.

His official coronation isn't until May, but the newest member of the Redlands royal family is already making public appearances around campus.
Meet Duke, a 15-week-old English bulldog puppy.

The university will introduce Duke to the public at the first football game on Sept. 6. But for the most part, he'll spend his first year growing and training before donning the red cape next summer.

His handler, Beth Doolittle, said she'll launch a volunteer walk-Duke program sometime in the spring, and Duke will also begin holding "office hours" at that time.

Duke is a descendent of Lady Waffle of Barsdale, mother to former Redlands mascot Newton. He is the namesake of Victor Leroy Duke, president of the University of Redlands from 1915 until 1933.

As with previous mascots, Duke's veterinary services are provided at no cost by Dr. Michael Butchko of Riverside. And PAWS pet store on East State Street, owned by Redlands graduates Stephen '93 and Karyn '92, '96 Lehmann, have agreed to donate food and supplies.