ST. GEORGE – Dixie State University will begin its first full school year as a university on Monday, but students can catch the “Dixie Spirit” even before starting class. The “Week of Welcome,” known affectionately as “WOW Week,” is a series of events geared specifically towards getting new and returning students involved at DSU from day one.
WOW Week festivities start Friday with the fifth annual “New Student Kickoff” at 10 a.m. in the Burns Arena. The kickoff, designed to welcome and acclimate new students to DSU, will feature a special welcome assembly, followed by lunch and networking with DSU professors and instructors starting at 11:45 a.m.
DSU will also host the inaugural “Business and Club Expo” in the Burns Arena Concourse from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The expo will serve as an introduction of St. George area businesses and services to students. In addition, new students will have a chance to learn about all of DSU’s nearly 100 on-campus clubs and organizations they will have an opportunity to join.
Following the expo, students will have the opportunity to buy books, pay tuition and other fees, visit the DSU library, tour the campus and find classrooms. Friday activities conclude with the “Red Storm Splash,” which includes dinner and other activities at the Dixie Pavilion beginning at 7:30 p.m.
Festivities continue Saturday with an introduction to DSU’s Outdoor Recreation and Adventure Center beginning at 8 a.m. at the Student Activity Center. Students will be given the opportunity to learn about and take advantage of Southern Utah’s numerous outdoor recreational activities, including mountain biking, hiking and other activities.
The Welcome Back Carnival will be held Monday, featuring a barbeque and live music at the Encampment Mall from 6-9 p.m. Members of DSU’s student government along with faculty and staff will grill free hamburgers for all in attendance, while representatives from virtually every department and club on campus will host information booths. The carnival will also feature booths, blow-up toys, games and a climbing wall provided by the Dixie State ROTC program.
In addition to the carnival, students will have an opportunity to audition to be a part of “Raging Red,” DSU’s song and dance performance group. Auditions will be held in the Student Activity Center at 7 p.m.
Another facet of WOW Week gives students the opportunity to choose from nearly 100 on-campus clubs to join during Club Rush, held Wednesday and Thursday on the Diagonal from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The week will also feature a performance by renowned mentalist Sean Bott in the Gardner Center Ballroom on Wednesday 7:30 p.m.
WOW Week wraps up Aug. 23 with the annual Foam Dance from 9-11 p.m. at the North Instructional Building Plaza.
For more information on WOW Week events, please contact DSU Director of Student Involvement and Leadership Jordon Sharp at 435-652-7513 or [email protected].
Submitted by: Dixie State University
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGnews
