San Marcos,
24
August
2016
|
14:22 PM
America/Los_Angeles

Semester Kicks Off with Packed Social Calendar

By Christine Vaughan

A first-night barbeque, the magic of hypnosis, a movie night under the stars and the official grand opening of The Sports Center pack the calendar as part of Weeks of Welcome, a two-week campus tradition that features entertaining, cultural and creative events to welcome students to campus.

More than 30 events are slated during the first two weeks of the fall semester, running through Friday, Sept. 9. Weeks of Welcome events are free and open to all CSUSM students.

A Home-Court Legacy
This year’s signature event, Leave Your Mark, coincides with the grand opening of The Sports Center, the new home court of the Cougars, on Thursday, Sept. 1 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Following a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony, new students will have the opportunity to be part of campus history with the annual incoming class photo, happening inside the arena. The first 300 incoming students (freshmen and transfer students) will receive the much-loved and exclusive “I Paw CSUSM” shirt for the photo.

The celebration will continue as CSUSM unveils its first official fight song. Behind the scenes tours, refreshments and giveaways will also be offered.

Cougar fans will fill up the arena for the first time as the women’s volleyball team makes their home-court debut that afternoon in a heated match against La Sierra at 4 p.m.

Double Down at Casino Night
The Friday night series of Tukwut Life kicks off the semester with Casino Night on Friday, Sept. 2 at 8 p.m. as the USU Ballroom transforms into a gaming oasis. Students are invited to learn the rules of the game and try their hand at popular Vegas-style table games, including craps, roulette and Texas Hold ‘Em poker, as well as participate in Bingo, for a chance to win prizes, including a trip to Laughlin.

Where Passion Finds the Right People
Whether it is a passion for surfing, cultural pride, comedic improvisation, or career aspirations, students can meet and connect with the members of CSUSM’s more than 120 student organizations and clubs in an open-house style resource fair on Tuesday, Sept. 6.

Of the more than 120 student organizations, there are 39 academic groups, 23 special interest clubs, 14 cultural groups, 14 honor societies, 13 fraternities and sororities, 10 sports clubs, six religious associations and four service clubs. This year’s fair includes seven new student organizations, including the CSUSM Cheerleading Squad, Men’s Club Volleyball, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc., Society for Human Resource Management, the Vietnamese Students Associated, Danza Azteca, and the CSUSM Contact and Improvisation.

Have a Question?
Located on University Plaza and Chavez Plaza, Cougar Question Marts offer a central hub for on-the-spot information. Staff will be on hand from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for the first three days of the fall semester to answer questions, give directions and share information on campus resources.

The Social Scene
Keep up with the fun and festivities of Weeks of Welcome with #CSUSMWOW.

See the full Weeks of Welcome calendar of events.