An annual rite of passage — freshmen moving into dorms at Cal Poly — happens today along with the kickoff to Week of Welcome activities at the campus for the new students.

Nearly 3,700 freshmen move into their rooms on the campus today. Parents will also attend orientation sessions in their students’ dorms. Welcome events begin at 5 p.m. with pizza or sandwich socials in each residence hall.

WOW begins in earnest Thursday, with nearly 4,000 new students — freshmen and transfers — attending orientations given by their respective colleges. The day climaxes with an athletics rally at Spanos Stadium.

Various awareness discussions will be conducted Friday through Sunday. Topics that will be discussed are respect and diversity, personal choices and struggles, and “Drunk sex or date rape: Do you know the difference?” An awareness fair will be held Sunday.

Freshmen will also do service projects in the community on Saturday and Monday. Among them: participating in coastal and creek cleanup day on Saturday, as well as helping the county Food Bank, Partners in Equestrian Therapy, The Land Conservancy, Habitat for Humanity, AIDS Support Network and People’s Self-Help Housing.

Classes begin Tuesday.