LSU has a lot of opportunities for students to get involved and to meet people like friends, study buddies and potential partners. After the university broke its enrollment records for the eighth year straight, Welcome Week offered the class of 2029 its inaugural opportunity to build these connections.
Welcome Week starts when incoming freshmen move in and is a time to make connections and get involved with campus life. While class isn’t in session this week, students are invited to participate in on-campus events like the Twilight Ceremony, the UREC All-Access event and the Residential Hall Association Block Party.
Anderson Kupola, a University High School graduate and an international studies major, was excited to meet everyone.
“I walk around and I see about 100 people that I know every day,” Kupola said. “And I want to meet 100 more every single day.”
At the Twilight Ceremony on Sunday, freshmen were corralled into the plaza in front of the Memorial Tower, where they were given unlit candles. Students listened to people reminisce about their own LSU experience. LSU Interim President Matt Lee spoke at the ceremony, along with last year’s Homecoming King and Queen.
“We cheer with two colors,” Lee said. “We win with one spirit. Geaux Tigers.”
Despite the rain on Monday, the RHA’s annual block party went on with just a 30-minute delay.
The RHA is the student governing body of Residential Life. Freshmen can join their dorm’s community council by running for a position and being elected by their dorm residents.
Mary Case, a kinesiology major, is just one of the many students who attended.
“The [Block Party] is way more hype,” Case said. “This is a party, not a ceremony.”
On Tuesday night, the UREC All-Access event showcased everything the recreation center has to offer. The event has a tradition of giving out T-shirts to the new class of freshmen that say “University Recreation.” This year, the shirt is yellow with yellow text, while last year’s was white with purple text.
On the way to the shirts were tables with ways for freshmen to get involved in various activities, from e-sports to club hockey.
Kupola used his experiences at Welcome Week to identify what it means to be an LSU student.
“Being open to new experiences,” Kupola said. “Trying everything, and being a friend to anyone that comes around you know, embodying that spirit of southern hospitality that we try to display.”
