Weinberg freshman Joanna Chow found herself in an unexpected situation Saturday night.

“Most of our group stripped down to our underwear and stood on the steps of the Art Institute of Chicago, belting ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ to the passers-by,” Chow said.

But Chow and her friends aren’t exhibitionists.

They were participating in Willard Residential College’s photo safari in Chicago, one of many dorm-organized freshman events during New Student Week.

The Willard photo safari, an annual tradition, required more than 100 freshmen residents to split into groups, canvass Chicago and take pictures of themselves in sometimes embarassing situations, such as carrying a stranger across the street.

During New Student Week, Willard’s dorm government also held a dance party, a CAESAR fireside and “classy munchies,” where residents dressed up to eat brie and salmon.

“We even had kids from Bobb here saying they had fun,” said Willard president Sophie Huterstein, a Weinberg sophomore.

Zane deSouza, a McCormick freshman, found himself performing Enrique Iglesias’ “Bailamos” the first night of New Student Week as part of his dorm’s festivities.

All-freshman Elder Hall, Hinman House and 600 Lincoln, informally dubbed the Freshman Quad, hired a deejay for their “Club FQ” dance and karaoke party, where deSouza also watched another freshman singing and gyrating like a pop starlet.

“This was a guy, and he did all the moves and the actions that Britney Spears would do,” deSouza recalled.

The first night’s dance party was more doable because Elder and Hinman-Lincoln house have so many freshman, said Weinberg senior Kim Kocek, senior resident assistant for Elder.

“Since we had so many freshmen in the building, it made it easier to have an event like that,” Kocek said.

Public Affairs Residential College president Matthew Yalowitz, a Weinberg sophomore, said his dorm has been hosting events in which all residents are encouraged to participate.

These events range from a barbecue and a photo safari to a midnight ultimate Frisbee game.

Because more than half of PARC’s 90 residents are freshmen, Yalowitz said it is important for the freshmen to get to know upperclassmen as well as each other.

“We wanted to incorporate the freshmen this year into the PARC community, make them feel like they were a member of this residential college,” Yalowitz said.

“They could feel like PARC was home to them for this year,” he added.

Freshmen said planned New Student Week activities helped them bond with fellow new faces during their first few days away from home.

“It was a great time to mingle because you’re with these people for at least three hours,” Huterstein said, recalling her photo safari experience last year. “I know some of my best friends came out of those first three hours.”

Chow said she enjoyed the photo safari because it was a unique experience.

“I think more than anything else it’s just something that you can look back on and say you had a good time doing something,” Chow said.

“I don’t think we’ve all become best friends after this one event, but it’s definitely a valuable experience and I’m glad we did it.”

Reach Tina Peng at [email protected].