Each fall, Welcome Week is held to usher in the next class of Gophers; a week-long series of events and activities focused on building community, navigating campus, and partaking in traditions. Most incoming students show up not knowing other students, which can be overwhelming but also exciting. Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL) in partnership with RecWell, created an event to help build connections among the new class of Gophers.
Turning the annual event of “Rec at Night” into “Rec & Connect”, FSL and RecWell created activities and games that built upon finding connection with other students. The event took place on Wed., August 28 from 8-11 pm, on the closed-off streets surrounding RecWell. Students were welcomed by Greek Life volunteers handing out cards that read “Step 1 is Showing Up!” as well as “Level 1” cards. As students navigated around the front of RecWell they were greeted with games, an obstacle course, and more where they could build on their connections to redeem higher-value cards. Each value was redeemable for prizes, food, and experiences such as permanent jewelry.
“It was such a fun event! We had roughly 3,000 new students participating in activities throughout the night! We hope this event becomes a staple of Welcome Week for years to come” - Emily Oswalt, Director of Fraternity and Sorority Life
Students left with new friends, connections with upperclassmen, and hopefully the notion that showing up is the first step to new experiences at the University of Minnesota.
Learn how you can get involved with RecWell at recwell.umn.edu or Fraternity and Sorority Life at fsl.umn.edu
