Mississippi College Freshmen and Transfers Invited to Welcome Week Activities

Mississippi College will welcome hundreds of freshmen and transfer students in late August with a blitz of activities ranging from free concerts on the Clinton campus to trips to metro Jackson attractions.

Welcome Week 2013 really starts when MC staffers and students help newcomers unload cars and trucks that will jam the Clinton campus for residence hall move-in day on August 24^th.

After the heavy lifting, Christian comedian Dennis Swanberg will entertain parents and new students with his funny stories during his 2 p.m. speech that Saturday at First Baptist Church Clinton. The former West Monroe, Louisiana Baptist preacher is the proud parent of two Mississippi College graduates.

From a Saturday evening concert featuring Ben Rector on the Quad to a Sunday evening student gathering with MC President Lee Royce and his wife, Rhoda, at the Gore Gallery on Monroe Street, Welcome Week events are practically non-stop.

Earlier that Sunday, students will test their athletic skills in a sand volleyball tournament on the Clinton campus and feast on hamburgers sold via food trucks.

The busy week will also see scores of new students travel to Jackson area destination points such as the Mississippi Children’s Museum, the Jackson Planetarium, and Providence Hill Farm, headquarters of the Lady Choctaws equestrian team.

A Back to the Bricks street festival in Olde Towne Clinton on Monday August 26 will put freshmen and transfer students in touch with local merchants. The students also will chow down on meals from Campus Dining, the university’s food supplier. There will be fun games and tons of prizes handed out in the city’s historic business district, and the sound of music, from 5:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m.

Tuesday afternoon, freshmen and transfers are invited to sip coffee in the Commons and cool off with shaved ice. That night, the MC undergraduates can flock to events at the Ross Barnett Reservoir that’s going to be flavored with the enticing aroma of catfish, chicken and fries. Leaders with MC student clubs and tribes will be out in full force at the Rez to greet the newest Choctaws until 8:30 p.m.

At Wednesday night worship services, MC senior Caleb Jett of Brandon will sing, and the event should attract about 500 students, organizers say. The new students will also be investing time in the academic world earlier in the day with fall classes in full swing.

During the week, there’s time slotted for bowling at Indian lanes in Clinton, movies like “Sandlot” playing on the Quad, plus opportunities for new students to get connected at campus restaurants like Pimento’s Café in Olde Towne Clinton or in the campus dining halls. The memorable week will wind down as students learn about campus ministry opportunities on Friday August 30 and sign up to get their pictures snapped at photo booths on campus.

One different twist about this year’s Welcome Week is the theme dubbed “You Are Here.” It’s a three-word message that emphasizes the many benefits of attending Baptist-affiliated Mississippi College. The new theme also encourages students to check out the cultural, educational and service opportunities, in the Jackson area, says Dannie Woods, an assistant director of student life at MC. “There are lots of things to do to keep you busy on the Clinton campus as well as in the metro Jackson area.”

For more information, contact Dannie Woods at 601.925.3830 or drwoods@mc.edu.