In August, LSU First Year Experience welcomed 575 incoming students to campus for the STRIPES, or Student Tigers Rallying, Interacting and Promoting Education and Service, program. Over two sessions incoming students learned what it really means to be an LSU Tiger.
STRIPES Shows Incoming Students What it Means to be an LSU Tiger
The LSU Music and Dramatic Arts Claude L. Shaver Theatre is filled to the seams with a rustling crowd. Backstage people are rehearsing routines and practicing lines. For an outsider, it may look as though a Shakespeare production is about to take place in front of a packed crowd, but a closer look backstage reveals LSU students dressed in purple and gold, ready to welcome the next crop of Tigers to the LSU family.
On this day, the historic Claude L. Shaver Theatre has been taken over for the welcome event of STRIPES, or Student Tigers Rallying, Interacting and Promoting Education and Service, program offered through the LSU First Year Experience department. STRIPES, now in its 11th summer, is a four-day, three-night retreat designed to prepare incoming students for the transition to LSU.
Over two sessions in early August, First Year Experience welcomed 575 incoming students to campus. During the welcome events, students were greeted by LSU Chancellor Michael Martin, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Life Darrell Ray and STRIPES Chair April Anderson.
“Officially, welcome to LSU,” Martin told the STRIPES participants. “This is your university, and we’re glad you’re here to get started. This is a special time for us – this time of year. I’ve been doing this for 40 years, and it never ceases to be exciting for me when fall semester starts. Students come back, freshmen join us and you begin to learn and carry on the traditions of a great university.”
STRIPES is designed for incoming students to learn what it really means to be an LSU Tiger. Key components include academic success, college readiness, history and traditions, involvement, leadership development, relationship building and student services.
“Welcome to LSU, welcome home,” Ray said. “This is a place you will call home for the next four years … You are here at a great time in the university’s history and the division of student life is committed to making sure you are successful both inside and outside the classroom.
During the welcome session, the students were given a taste of what their next four days would be like.
“Over the next four days, you are going to learn a lot about the university, about the history and tradition,” Anderson said. “You are going to learn a lot about the others around you, but most importantly, you are going to learn a lot about yourself.”
During STRIPES, current LSU students serving as student leaders help educate incoming freshmen and transfer students about the history and traditions of LSU; ease the transition from high school to college; familiarize participants with university resources, facilities and programs; and facilitate the establishment of a strong bond with the university.
To help participants get a head start on their studies and to learn what’s expected of them at LSU, students attend a mock lecture where they get an idea of how their classes will be structured and organized. The students are also quizzed and educated on how to be academically successful at LSU.
In addition to information about the university, students learn about the unique aspects of Louisiana culture through events such as a “Fais Do-Do” with live Cajun music and dancing.
“You’re going to learn a lot about LSU and its traditions, customs and history during the next several days,” Martin said in his address to the STRIPES participants. “I also want you to know that the faculty and staff of LSU are committed. As you go through this week and as you then come to be a full-time part of the LSU family, please know that all of us are here to make you succeed. Because your success is what makes this institution successful, so getting started early and getting involved in STRIPES is a great way to do this.”
To help incoming students connect with classmates, they are broken into small groups of about 12-15 participants with two student leaders. The small groups are named after significant LSU historical figures or campus buildings, and the introduction of the small group leaders was one of the highlights of the welcome ceremony.
As each pair of small group leaders were introduced, they performed a brief interpretation of their group name. When the group named “Miles,” representing LSU Football Coach Les Miles, was introduced, naturally, the leaders sported Miles’ trademark white LSU hat and yelled, “Fear the hat!” When the group named “Gumbo,” named for the LSU yearbook, was introduced, the leaders mimicked stirring a large pot of gumbo.
Other small group names included FACES, named after the LSU Forensic Anthropology and Computer Enhancement Services, or FACES, Lab; “Kingfish,” named for Louisiana Gov. Huey P. Long, who served from 1928-1932 and was a strong LSU supporter; and “Death Valley,” which is the nickname given to LSU’s Tiger Stadium, among others.
The small groups provide a more intimate setting for hands-on activities and facilitated discussions, where more attention is paid to the individual student. They also instill a sense of pride in the university and in their group itself since the students get to create cheers, a flag and a roll call – each representative of their group name and history.
In addition to the small groups, STRIPES participants are placed into two streaks – purple and gold. The streaks are designed to help the students to create bonds and enhance teamwork strategies for STRIPES activities. The sense of pride and competition was established at the welcome, as the room was divided down the middle with purple on the right and gold on the left. As the streak leaders were introduced, they led their streak in the traditional “Geaux Tigers” yell to see which group was the loudest.
This brief cheering display was just the first of many to take place throughout the next four days, and it was a preview of one of the program’s most popular activities, the Spirit in Sports session. During the Spirit in Sports session, STRIPES participations visit Tiger Stadium to learn the LSU athletic cheers. They have the stadium completely to themselves for a mock football game and to hear from a few of the coaches of various athletic teams.
STRIPES began in 2000 and expanded to two sessions in 2007 after a generous donation from Charles Barney, an LSU alumnus. The first STRIPES program had 65 participating incoming freshmen and was held off-campus at Tickfaw State Park.
For more information on STRIPES, including how to register for next year’s program, visit www.stripes.lsu.edu, call 225-578-4987 or e-mail stripes@lsu.edu.
STRIPES is one of the programs offered by the LSU First Year Experience department within the Division of Student Life. Other FYE units and programs offered include Orientation, Bengal Bound, LSU Ambassadors, Parent & Family Programs and LSU Family Association. FYE is located in Johnston Hall on LSU’s campus. For more information, visit www.lsu.edu/fye.
Ernie Ballard | Editor | Office of Communications & University Relations
August 2010
