W.O.W. has much in store

On August 14-22, the campus of Georgia College & State University will meet its newest batch of fresh faces and welcome back more familar ones during its annual Week of Welcome (WOW).

WOW is a program designed to help incoming first year students adapt to college life by providing a variety of activities that will help students meet new friends and acquaint them with tools and resources that can help them to have a successful experience at GC&SU.

“It’s not just to say, ‘welcome,’ though you’ll be welcomed with open arms. And it’s not just for that week… What you learn and experience should stay with you throughout the next four years,” said Bruce Harshbarger, Vice President of Student Affairs.

“WOW will entertain you, challenge you, connect you, and teach you. You’ll come away from the week with friends, with faculty and staff relationships and with some insight into making good choices in your personal life,” he said.

Ron Lunk, acting director of campus life said being involved is a great way to start at GC&SU.

“This week sets the tone for the whole liberal arts experience,” Lunk said. “Students really need to immerse themselves in all that’s being offered. This whole week is so important to their academic success,” he said.

Among the mandatory events incoming students will attend are circle groups, led by GC&SU faculty. These meetings will allow studens to meet J. Joaquin Fraxedas, the author of the summer’s required reading, “The Lonely Crossing of Juan Cabrera.”

Mandatory Residence Hall meetings will take place on Sunday, August 15 from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Students are expected to learn the rules and regulations governing their buildings and the residence hall program as a whole.

After the floor meetings, Resident Advisors will escort students to the Opening Ceremony for WOW 2004. The Opening Ceremony is an introduction to campus life at GC&SU where students will meet their Student Government officers, sign the Honor Code pledge and learn the Alma Mater. This event is also mandatory.

Beginning at 9 a.m. on Monday, August 16 in Russell Auditorium, all students are required to attend the first meeting of their First-Year Academic Seminars. Students are expected to bring their class schedules. Students will learn some of GC&SU’s History, as well as other information vital to their collegiate success.

“Not Your Father’s Alcohol Program” is another required event for Monday. From 2:15 to 3 p.m. in Russell Auditorium, students will be given the straight scoop from someone who has overused alcohol about why alcohol doesn’t mix well with grades, wallets or students’ valuable time.

Tuesday is highlighted by the Freshman Convocation, which will be held in the Russell Auditorium from 7:30 p.m to 8:30 p.m. Mandatory for students, this is considered an offical induction into the GC&SU family. Students are expected to dress nicely: collared shirts, no jeans and no hats. A reception will follow.

A second mandatory event for the day, “Plagiarism: Do’s and Don’ts,” from 1 p.m to 2 p.m. in Russell Auditorium, will show students how GC&SU professors use software to detect whether students’ papers are plagiarized, online or off. Students will also be made aware of GC&SU’s Honor Code.

Wednesday, August 18 is the first day of classes, and to help students out, a lemonade brigade will be set up with cold drinks and campus information, athletics schedules, health insurance brochures and other information.

Bingo night is scheduled for Thursday, August 19, from 7:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. in MSU Dining Hall. This annual WOW event gives students the opportunity to win valuable prizes.

Friday night the Campus Activies Board will host Casino Night. Students will be able to play blackjack, hearts, roulette, craps and take their chace at the slots.

The week is capped off on Saturday, August 21 with an exhibition flag football tournament in the Intramural Complex from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and a free afternoon and night of bowling from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Though students may enjoy winning on Casino night or rooting for their favorite intramural team, Harshbarger said WOW is more than just a good time.

“You’ll have heard some great music, eaten a lot of food, played and participated in an important convocation to mark your entrance into the campus community. Most importantly, you’ll have a much clearer idea of what a liberal arts education and membership in a learning community entail.”

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Aug 13 2004. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry