Glitz and glam at the UTMSU Orientation
A look behind the scenes on the brainstorming and decorating of the student union for Orientation Week.
Hollywood glamour, Western imagery, cyberpunk, and film noir may seem like four very different styles. At this year’s UTMSU Orientation, they all come together through Premiere 26, a movie-inspired theme that can be seen in the event’s decorations and displays.
During Orientation, students were split into themed houses, each with its own name and look. Before students see the final result, those ideas go through brainstorming, voting, and several rounds of changes. As the UTMSU Orientation Leader, I helped bring Premiere 26 to life and saw it unfold firsthand—here is what happened behind the scenes.
Premiere 26 was chosen by the Orientation Committee. Members took part in a brainstorming session where everyone shared ideas before voting on the final theme. “It took a couple of tries before we were able to land on Premiere 26, but I’m so glad that we did,” wrote Lois, UTMSU’s Vice President Campus Life, in an email to The Medium.
The houses went through a similar process. The committee tried out several names before settling on the final ones. Early versions included Vacaro for Rodeo, Nexus for Chrome and Stygian for Nocturne. Allure was the only house that kept its original name. These changes were made to make the houses more recognizable and easier for students to connect with.
Once the general concepts were chosen, the committee began working on the visual identities of each house. They used word and image searches to explore different styles and get a better sense of what each house should look and feel like.
Nocturne was inspired by film noir, Allure by Hollywood’s glam, Rodeo by Western imagery, and Chrome by cyberpunk. These ideas helped guide decisions about the colours and overall visual direction of each house. Each house’s visual style was reflected in the way the Student Centre was decorated. Leaders and volunteers helped prepare the space and turn the committee’s ideas into the final decorations students would see.
For Lois, one of the most exciting parts of the process is seeing those ideas become real after the work was put in by the committee, leaders and volunteers. “Leaders and volunteers did an amazing job of decorating everything and seeing the vision that the orientation committee worked so hard on come to life is so amazing,” she wrote.
While students may only see the finished houses and polished ideas, a lot of the creative work happens before Orientation begins. The final designs come from brainstorming, revising ideas, researching different visual styles, and working together to turn those ideas into something students can actually see and experience.
For the committee, the final step is seeing first-year students respond to what they created. As Lois said:“I can’t wait for our first years to see it!”
