Today is the day you’ve all been waiting for! PANTHERFEST starts tonight at 5 p.m. and goes till midnight. Dashboard goes on at 8 p.m., but get there early, the gates to the Amphitheater open at 6:30 p.m. We’re bringing you live coverage of the event starting this afternoon with the PANTHERFEST Liveblog. For more information on PANTHERFEST visit our “FAQ’s” page.

See you there!

So I had a chance to stop by Panther Welcome Day today and it was amazing! Carla Cadet was on hand to talk about some upcoming programs with Union Sociocultural Programming and mentors from the First Year Center had their students out enjoying the free food and music. The featured act was UrbanSol, the group that will be performing for Lyrical Sanctuary this year. Check out the video after the break for a sneak peak. For more information about the First Year Center visit fyc.uwm.edu and to get a full lineup of Sociocultural Programming’s events click here. This Saturday I’ll be taking a journey on the Milwaukee river with the Adventure Center so watch out for that post.

Don’t forget to watch the video after the break…

First year students remember to complete Alcohol-Wise by September 1st! Just go to  3rdmilclassrooms.com to complete your course. The password to access the course is PANTHERS. Enjoy the last few weeks of summer!

Comedy Sportz is coming to the Gasthaus! Enjoy the impromptu antics of Milwaukee’s finest comedians! Stop by the Gasthaus in the basement of the Union on September 10th at 9 PM to enjoy a great show!

This year’s Union House Party is set to be better than ever! The House Party is a time for students to get to know the Union and what they can do there. Below is a list of the activities. It all starts on September 9th from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m. in the UWM Student Union. For more information, check out the event on Facebook.

Human Bowling, Union Concourse

Back Massages, Union Theatre

Photo Booth, Union Concourse

Make your own photo frame, Studio Arts & Crafts Centre

Meet your B.O.S.S. Drivers, Spaights Plaza

Self Defense Demonstration, Union Concourse

Henna Tattoo, Multicultural Student Lounge

Caricature Artist, Union Art Gallery

Movie Previews, Union Theatre

Alcohol and Other Drug Aversion, Union Rec Center

Free Bowling, Table Tennis and Billiards, Union Rec Center

The Union Recreation Center will be hosting Cosmic Bowling on August 28th and 29th from 9PM-11:45 PM. Come enjoy 3 games of bowling for free on those days and only $1 every other Friday. Lanes fill up fast so get to the Union early to reserve yours! If bowling isn’t your forte take advantage of the Recreation Center’s pool tables, video games, and ping pong tables!

First year students, current students and the general public should keep an eye out for any Union Theatre flicks that are being played during Campus KickOff.  The Union Theatre is the best place to watch movies that can satisfy the harsh movie critics.  Plus, this is the best place to enjoy movies for FREE without the inconvenience of purchasing tickets.  Be sure to end your nights with a trip to the Union Theatre!

Watch the official PANTHERFEST 2009 commercial below to see the two acts for this year’s PANTHERFEST, UWM’s biggest event of the year!

I know you’ve all been waiting very patiently and we are finally ready to announce this year’s PANTHERFEST acts. We will be making the official announcement right here on the Campus KickOff blog at 2 p.m. central time. See you then!

Residents! Get ready for the annual Move In Carnival, hosted by the Student Housing Administrative Council (SHAC)! The Carnival will be held from noon until 4 PM on Sandburg South Lawn. This event is only open to residents of University Housing, and their guests. Families of residents are also welcome to attend. The event will include free food, music, a rockwall and many other games and activites! Come enjoy a relaxing Sunday, meet new friends and reconnect with old friends after the long summer break.