For the first time, NYU is hosting Spring Welcome, three weeks of events around campus meant to welcome students back to school — a counterpart to the fall’s Welcome Week. And this year’s is already one to beat, starting with $1 burrito deals and ending with a free concert on Feb. 18 featuring Betty Who.

The turnout for Spring Welcome has been at capacity, according to the Student Resource Center’s Associate Director Zach Harrell. In the past, NYU has hosted Spring at the Square, but those events were more directed toward incoming transfer students. This year’s festivities were open to all students — current and incoming, undergraduate and graduate.

“I think it’s been exciting because a wide variety of students attended,” Harrell said. “We have a combination of events that are for specific audiences and events that can reach a lot of students. We really wanted to welcome back every student.”

Kaina Mitha, a sophomore in Liberal Studies and one of three Spring Welcome Week captains, agrees with Harrell. She credited the piqued interest to the variety of events offered.

“When you have so many events throughout the week, it’s bound to attract a lot of people,” Mitha said. “It caters to every population, every community at NYU.”

The programs have more than doubled from last year’s Spring at the Square — over 250 events span the first three weeks of the semester. The marquee events, which also include drag karaoke and NYU’s second annual So You Think NYU Can Dance competition, tend to attract the largest crowds.

However, the new events have also found success. NYU’s Spring Welcome Open Mic Night, which allowed students to perform comedy and musical acts, took place Tuesday evening in room 802 of Kimmel. In attendance was Steinhardt sophomore Matthew Serianni, who enjoyed the string of Welcome Week-styled events.

“Everybody gets one real welcome week in the beginning of their freshman year,” he said. “To be able to relive that tiny bit or have the opportunity to have events again, it’s awesome.”

Spring Welcome will conclude with one of the biggest events — a Spring Fling: Welcome Back concert starring Betty Who at the Kimmel Center Eisner & Lubin Auditorium.

Email Yeho Hwang at [email protected].