Move-In Day, Freshman Convocation, Choctaw Fanfare welcome new students to MC campus

Move-In Day at MC welcomes new students into a community that will help shape their lives.

Residence Life and Student Engagement staff, along with teams of faculty, staff and student volunteers from across Mississippi Christian University (MC), are preparing to welcome new students and their families to the Clinton campus during the annual Move-In Day event on Wednesday, Aug. 12.

Freshmen are scheduled to arrive between 8 and 10 a.m., while transfer students are slated to arrive from 10 a.m. to noon, and returning students from 2 to 4 p.m. New students will set up their living spaces in one of the many residence halls on campus as they transition to their “Choctaw home away from home.”

Jonathan Ambrose, vice president for student experience and dean of students at MC, said Move-In Day brings the new students into a community that will help shape their lives.

“Move-In Day is an extension of orientation,” Ambrose said. “This summer, we wanted these students to feel a connection to each other and to the campus culture. Now, they’re going to get a greater sense of belonging and become totally immersed in MC culture during Move-In Day.

“They will see how much we care about one another when we sacrifice our time, energy and a lot of sweat to help them feel connected to this community. There’s no better way to get to know people than to have so many upperclassmen and staff at your car telling you, ‘Welcome to MC.’”   

The day’s focus isn’t solely on moving to campus. After lunch, the new students will gather with their families in the sanctuary of First Baptist Church Clinton for New Student and Parent Convocation to officially launch their MC careers.

During the ceremony, MC President Blake Thompson will commission the students; Stephanie Carmicle-Davis, MC assistant provost student success and professor of biological sciences, will explain MC’s academic mission; and Benjamin Goff, MC instructor in Christian studies and assistant director of the Institute for Christian Leadership, will discuss MC’s spiritual mission.

Jerry Welch, executive pastor of ministries at Colonial Heights Baptist Church in Ridgeland, and his wife, Julie, an adjunct instructor in kinesiology at MC, will give the charge to the parents while sharing their light-hearted experiences parenting an MC student. Ambrose will charge the new students to uphold the University’s vision of academic excellence and commitment to the cause of Christ.

“Freshman Convocation provides a good pause for our new families in the midst of the hustle and bustle of Move-In Day,” Ambrose said. “We come together as a family, pray together and communicate our institutional standards. We let the parents know what we expect of them and of their students.

“It provides a moment for them to say their good-byes and work through the emotions that come along with leaving their child to begin college.”

At the conclusion of the one-hour ceremony, the new students’ family members will be excused as Thompson leads the new Choctaws in their inaugural walk through the storied Gates at the entrance to campus and through the center of the Quad to the cheers and applause of their new MC Family. The new students’ walk will end at the Steps on College Street, where their official class photo will be taken.

“Taking the class photo is a great way to commemorate their first real day at college,” Ambrose said.

After the photo, the new students will rejoin their friends and classmates in the Quad for the annual celebration known as “Choctaw Fanfare.” Dozens of tents will be set up on the Quad, and members of MC’s Marching Band, Dance Team, Cheerleaders, Clubs and Tribes, and varsity student-athletes who compete in the Gulf South Conference will be recognized. Students can enjoy live music, food, games, a cornhole competition, and other fun activities.

At 7 p.m., the brand-new Choctaws will head over to Swor Auditorium to participate in the traditional Welcome Week kickoff event. When they emerge from Nelson Hall, they will join all MC students for a weekend-long slate of activities.

Ambrose said he is unaware of a more exciting collegiate welcoming experience than what Mississippi College offers its new students during Move-In Day.

“Move-In Day and Choctaw Fanfare demonstrate the heart of the MC community,” he said. “It shows that we’re committed to helping each student feel seen, supported and connected from Day One.”

For more information about Move-In Day, visit mc.edu/offices/residence-life/procedures/moving.