ITTA BENA, Miss.— Mississippi Valley State University students will enjoy an event-filled kickoff to the academic year during the 2018 Week of Welcome.
Sponsored by the Office of Student Leadership and Engagement (OSLE), the week-long event will feature a myriad of activities designed to spark school spirit, boost excitement and serve as a warm welcome to returning students, freshmen and transfers to The Valley.
“Events and activities will start the moment students get to campus and continue throughout the week,” said Pamela Hilton, director of Student Leadership and Engagement. “These events provide students with opportunities to mingle with new and returning students, make new friends and reconnect with old, as well as engage and interact with faculty and staff.”
The celebration will begin Sunday, Aug. 19, with a “Hit the Yard Cookout” from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the plaza of the Jacob Aron Student Union. The OSLE, in collaboration with Thompson Hospitality, will provide food and fun activities for the students as they return to campus.
Monday will be highlighted by a “Pajama Jamming Jam Night” at the student union plaza from 8 p.m. to 12 p.m. and will feature a 1990’s outdoor movie. Students are also invited to meet at the plaza for an old school party with music and concessions.
On Tuesday, the students will take part in an event called, “God’s Plan” in Vendor’s Square, located inside of the student union. This event is designed to introduce students to the university’s tradition of Professional Tuesday. OSLE in collaboration with Career Services and Communications and Marketing will provide students with information on image and branding and free professional headshots.
The fun will continue Tuesday night with the traditional OSLE Casino Night event. Faculty, staff, and students will visit the game room to engage with one another by serving in roles such as hosts, dealers and more from 8 p.m. until midnight.
Wednesday will feature the “Walk It Like I Talk It: Who Runs the Yard Show” from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. This event will give returning and new students the opportunity to meet the Greek and service organizations. The organizations will compete in various activities to determine who “runs the yard” and the chance to hold the yardstick for the academic year.
There will be skate party from 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Lackey Gymnasium.
Also, there will be a water fest on Thursday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. where students can slip and slide, enjoy inflatables, have water balloon wars, and have the chance to "Dunk an Administrator" in the dunking booth.
“The ‘Dunk an Administrator’ event will be a highlight this year,” said Hilton.
“We have staff members who have signed up to take part in this event. According to research, engagement assists with developing relationships with others and promotes connectedness, which helps to improve student retention rates. It is our hope that these co-curriculum activities will help with the University's effort to retain our students,” she added.
Students will enjoy a Day Party Friday from noon until 5 p.m. in the student union plaza and a Night Party from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.
The 2018 Week of Welcome will wrap-up Saturday with the first Campus-Wide Clean-up of the academic year. Students are asked to meet up at the student at 8:30 a.m. for the event, which is organized by OSLE, Residential Life and the Office of Community Service Learning.
For questions or more information about the Fall 2018 Week of Welcome, contact OSLE at (662) 254-3526.
CLICK HERE to view the complete Fall 2018 Week of Welcome schedule of events!