ST. GEORGE – Dixie State College of Utah officially begins its 2012 fall semester classes this Monday, Aug. 20, but students will get their first chance to catch the Dixie Spirit a couple of days early. This weekend marks the beginning of the “Week of Welcome,” also known affectionately as “WOW Week.” It is a week geared specifically towards orienting, welcoming and getting new and returning students involved at Dixie State from day one.
WOW Week festivities start Friday, Aug. 17, with the fourth-annual “New Student Kickoff,” beginning at 10 a.m. The “Kickoff,” designed to welcome and acclimate new students to Dixie, will feature a special welcome assembly in the Burns Arena, followed by lunch and networking with DSC professors and instructors starting at noon, at the fountain.
Dixie will also host its first-ever “Business to Student Expo” at the Student Activity Center. The expo will serve as an introduction of St. George area businesses and services to Dixie State students. Friday’s session will be open to all freshmen and new students from noon to 3 p.m. The Expo will also be held for all students the following Monday and Tuesday, Aug. 20-21, from noon to 3 p.m.
After the Expo on Friday from 3-6 p.m., students will have an opportunity to buy books, pay tuition and other fees, visit the Val A. Browning Library inside the new Jeffrey R. Holland Centennial Commons, and tour the campus and find classrooms. The Friday activities will conclude with the annual “Red Storm Splash,” which includes dinner and other activities at the Fountain beginning at 7 p.m.
Two more activities are planned for Saturday, Aug. 18, beginning with an introduction to DSC’s Campus Recreation Department from 8-10 a.m. Students will be given the opportunity to learn about and take advantage of numerous outdoor recreational activities, including mountain biking, hiking and other activities. Dixie State will also host a special workshop and audition for the “Raging Red” show choir in the Eccles Fine Arts Center’s band room (Room 156) from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
WOW Week activities will ramp up on Monday Aug. 20th, with the annual Welcome Back Carnival, sponsored by DSC Student Association, featuring a barbeque and live music at the Encampment Mall from 6-9 p.m. Members of DSC’s student government, along with faculty and staff, will grill hamburgers for all in attendance, while representatives from virtually every department and club on campus will be manning information booths. The carnival will also feature blow-up toys, games, and a climbing wall provided by DSC’s ROTC program.
Another facet of WOW Week is the opportunity students will have to choose from over 100 on-campus clubs to join during Club Rush, which will be held Wednesday and Thursday, Aug. 22-23, on the Diagonal from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Another highlight of the week includes Entertainment Dixie presenting “Mad Chad the Chainsaw Juggler” in the Gardner Center Ballroom on Wednesday, Aug. 22, at 7:30 p.m. The event is free to Dixie students, faculty and staff with current DSC ID, or $5 without ID at the door.
On Thursday, Aug. 23, DSC students will participate in a campus service project at nearby East Elementary School beginning at 3 p.m. The annual Foam Dance will be held on Saturday, Aug. 25, from 9-11 p.m., at the North Instructional Building Plaza. Admission to the Foam Dance is $5 for advance pre-sale with current DSC ID, or $10 at the door with DSC ID and $20 without ID.
WOW week concludes with two special weekend events, starting with the fifth-annual President’s Welcome Back Fun Run/Walk Saturday morning, Aug. 25, at 8 a.m., at Hansen Stadium. The Run/Walk is free to all Dixie State students, faculty and staff, and the community. The near 5-kilometer course will start and finish at the stadium and will weave around and through the DSC campus. In addition, all participants who beat President Nadauld to the finish line will receive a voucher good for 25 percent off any apparel or novelty purchase at the DSC Bookstore.
Registration forms for the event are available throughout the DSC campus and online at www.dixie.edu, with the first 250 entrants receiving a free t-shirt as early registration is encouraged, though entries will be accepted on race day. For additional information on the DSC President’s Fun Run/Walk or to register by telephone, contact the DSC Campus Recreation Office at 435-652-7988.
WOW Week concludes on Sunday, Aug. 26, with the fifth-annual College Convocation at 7 p.m., in the Cox Auditorium. The convocation is free to attend and refreshments will be served at a reception following the event. The convocation, a non-denominational event, will feature an inspirational address from Mr. William H. “Bill” Child, who currently serves as Chairman of the Board for RC Willey. The convocation will set the pace for DSC students as they begin their academic year.
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