With the windows of the Lavin-Bernick Center for University Life looming on the left, members of the Tulane community gather for the building's dedication in Pocket Park in early December. Crowds of students, faculty and staff will be filling the building as it opens with a festival of special events. (Photo by Paula Burch-Celentano)

Students arriving for the spring semester this week have more to look forward to than class schedules and book lists. A week-long festival featuring music, arts, dance and other events is waiting to introduce the entire campus to the new Lavin-Bernick Center for University Life.

The renovated and expanded university center, its name shortened to the "LBC," officially opens its doors at 7 a.m. on Tuesday (Jan. 16) on the first day of spring classes for undergraduate students.

An outdoor concert actually will kick off the grand opening on Monday (Jan. 15), an official campus holiday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day that also signals the arrival of students back to residence halls. The Radiators will perform at 8 p.m. on the LBC's new Gorson Porch, which faces the quad and offers a much-expanded area of porch and steps as a new entertainment venue.

"This is the first new building to open in the city of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina," said Cynthia Cherrey, vice president of student affairs, proudly pointing to "the symbolism of what this means for this great city."

Tulane dedicated the LBC in ceremonies in early December, when alumni and friends of the university who donated toward the building project toured the impressive new structure before all construction was complete.

"This is a long-awaited opportunity for our faculty, staff and students," added Cherrey, whose offices moved out of the previous University Center when it was closed for reconstruction in late 2003. "It's a special celebration for our seniors, who were here for their first semester when the UC closed. Now it's their last semester and they can enjoy the LBC."

A campuswide committee, led by Missie McGuire, assistant vice president of campus recreation and student centers, drafted the diverse program of special events for the grand opening, which coincides with the Martin Luther King Jr. Week for Peace events.

There's something for everyone on the schedule, including these highlights from Tuesday (Jan. 16) through Saturday (Jan. 20):

• Music. Pocket Park will be a music scene at noon each day. On Tuesday, it's the Soul Rebels; on Wednesday, the Wild Tchoupitoulas Mardi Gras Indians; on Thursday, a cappella singing groups Green Envy and Them; and on Friday, the Savoy Family Band. In addition, the National Pan Hellenic Council brings a Step Show to Pocket Park at 4 p.m. on Thursday.

  On Saturday, The Tulanians singing group holds a reunion concert at 7 p.m. in the Kendall Cram Room, followed at 9:30 p.m. by Big Band and Jubilation.

  In addition, Hot Rod Lincoln leads a jam session at 9 p.m. on Tuesday in the 1834 Club, and the Shades of Praise gospel choir sings at 6 p.m. on Wednesday in the Cram Room.

• Other Cultural Events. Nalty Commons will feature several events, such as "Tulane on Tap" at 4 p.m. on Wednesday with South African tap dancer Rimpan and the Lusher Tap Ensemble; a modern dance lecture and demonstration by the Newcomb Dance program at 12:30 p.m. on Thursday; and a pottery demonstration at 11 a.m. on Friday.

• Open Houses and Expos. The Tulane Staff Advisory Council and human resources office sponsor a staff reception and event from 3 to 6 p.m. Thursday in the faculty and staff dining room; student organizations hold an open house from 2 to 5 p.m. on Thursday on the Garden Level; and a club sports expo happens from 3 to 5 p.m. on Friday on the LBC quad while, at the same time, a spring activities expo occurs in the Cram Room.