Contact: Maridith Geuder
A pep rally, midnight pizza party and several service projects are welcoming Mississippi State freshmen as campus residence halls begin filling this weekend.
Sponsored by the university's Division of Student Affairs, the "Dawg Daze" events, which continue through Thursday [Aug. 15], are designed to ease the transition to campus life, said Jimmy W. Abraham, assistant vice president for student affairs. Fall semester classes begin Aug. 19.
"Since more than 90 percent of our freshmen live on campus, we feel it's essential to provide them with a lively and informative immersion to life at Mississippi State," Abraham said. "We also want to establish a continuing relationship with freshmen that will help ensure their success as students."
After moving into campus housing Friday and Saturday [the 9th and 10th], first-time entering students are being welcomed with a 5 p.m. Sunday pep rally at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field, followed by dinner catered by Starkville's L'il Dooey barbecue restaurant and performances by "Playfair," a nationally recognized inspirational troupe, and "Blue Tattoo," a local rock band.
In addition to small-group orientation meetings, large group activities--among them, a confidence-building "ropes" course, library tours and scavenger hunts--other Dawg Daze activities will include a food pantry stocking and visits to local nursing homes.
Cartoonist Steve Gipson will be featured 7-9 p.m. Tuesday during a coffeehouse in the Colvard Union, while comedian Kivi Rogers will entertain at a 7-8 p.m. Wednesday program in the union ballroom.
Other entertainment includes a 7-8 p.m. Thursday performance by The Evasons, billed as the "world's greatest mind readers," an 8:30 p.m. spirit competition and a late-night pizza party in the union ballroom.
For more information about Dawg Daze, visit http://www.dawgdaze.msstate.edu or telephone Linda Cox at (662) 325-2091.