LSU Welcomes Students to Campus for 2010 Fall Semester

For the last 150 years, LSU has welcomed talented and eager students through its doors. For the last month, the university has been welcoming the newest class of Tigers to campus. In the midst of LSU's yearlong Sesquicentennial Celebration, the university officially began the fall 2010 semester on Monday, Aug. 23, with the first day of classes.

Students involved in STRIPES, or Student Tigers Rallying, Interacting, and Promoting Education and Service; LSU Bands; and Greek recruitment were among the first to arrive on campus.

The welcome period kicked off with the STRIPES program, offered through the LSU First Year Experience department. In its 11th summer, STRIPES is a four-day, three-night retreat designed to prepare incoming students for the transition to LSU. Over two different sessions that began in early August, the program welcomed 575 incoming students to campus, showing them what it really means to be an LSU Tiger.

Key components of the STRIPES program include academic success, college readiness, history and traditions, involvement, leadership development, relationship building and student services. During STRIPES, current LSU students help educate the incoming 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.

With a list of alumni that include Academy Award-winning composer Bill Conti; Emmy Award-winning television and music composer Julie Giroux; composer, conductor and author H. Owen Reed; band music composer Clifton Williams; and trombonist Carl Fontana, The Golden Band from Tigerland began welcoming its 2010 members on campus on Aug. 12, when the Golden Girls and Colorguard reported. This year, more than 360 students contended for the coveted slots, practicing drills and music, including traditional “Fighting Tigers” and new tunes that the band will debut this season, including some from Led Zeppelin. In the end, 325 were chosen to wear the Tiger Band uniform.

Inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2009, The Golden Band from Tigerland is one of the most prestigious marching bands in the nation and will be under the direction of first-year Director of Tiger Band Roy King. The band won the only national college marching band show competition ever held, the 1970 All American College TV Band Award; earned the coveted Sudler Trophy, awarded by the John Philip Sousa Foundation; and won the 2008 ESPN Battle of the Bands Indiana Jones movie music video contest and $25,000 by a landslide public vote.

Beginning on Saturday, Aug. 14, members of the Panhellenic Council began sorority recruitment period, also know as "Rush Week." The 12 chapters making up the Panhellenic Council held an eight-day recruitment period, culminating in "Bid Day" on Aug. 21. The 20 chapters of the Interfraternity Council began fraternity recruitment on Thursday, Aug. 19, which culminates in "Bid Day" on Monday, Aug. 23.

With more than 40 Greek organizations on campus, nearly 17 percent of LSU's population is Greek. In the last year, fraternity and sorority members at LSU have donated more than $250,000 to charitable organizations and participated in more than 50,000 hours of community service. During Greek Week, the Greek community raised more than $160,000 and built two homes in Baton Rouge for Habitat for Humanity.

On Thursday, Aug. 19, thousands of students participated in "Roaring into the Halls," LSU's annual student move-in day for residence halls and on-campus apartments. “Roaring into the Halls” provides a warm, welcoming atmosphere full of LSU pride and spirit for new and returning on-campus students. More than 500 volunteers from faculty, staff, student organizations and friends of the university worked with Residential Life staff to assist students in moving into their residence halls, answer their questions regarding campus life and aid in their adjustment to living in the residence halls.

Among the volunteers offering their time to assist students and their families was Chancellor Michael Martin, who visited West Laville Hall and the horseshoe community of Evangeline, Highland, Annie Boyd and Louise Garig Halls; new Vice Chancellor of Student Life Kurt Keppler; and Vice Chancellor of Finance and Administrative Services Eric Monday.

“Roaring into the Halls" also marked the opening of the newly renovated Honors House, West Laville Hall, and the new Mass Communication Residential College in Jackson Hall. With eight residential colleges, the Honors House and two Freshman Interest Groups, LSU residence halls are not the dorms of yesteryear, but are part of the 21st-century living and learning philosophy.

"Roaring into the Halls" also kicked off First Year Experience's "Bengal Bound" program. "Bengal Bound," which hosts events from Thursday, Aug. 19, through Friday, Aug. 27, welcomes students to campus with a variety of events.

Events included numerous social gatherings and various information sessions to help orient new students to campus life, the Baton Rouge community and life in Louisiana. "Ask Me" stations will be set up at various places throughout campus from 7:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 23, and Tuesday, Aug. 24. At those stations, Student Life representatives will be available to answer students' questions. Library tours are also available twice a day through Friday, Aug. 27, to help familiarize students with the resources available at the Middleton Library.

On Saturday, Aug. 21, "Bengal Bound" continued as Martin participated with more than 600 students, faculty and staff in Community Bound Service Plunge, an annual day of service to public schools and other sites in Greater Baton Rouge. Community Bound is also one of four signature service activities of the LSU Serves the World project, which is part of the LSU Sesquicentennial Celebration.

The students, primarily incoming freshmen and transfer students, joined LSU faculty, staff members and student leaders by splitting into site teams and traveling to 16 area schools. These included University Terrace, South Boulevard, Belfair, Bernard Terrace, Southdowns, Polk, Buchanan, Westdale, Highland and Magnolia Woods elementary schools; Glasgow, Westdale and Mayfair middle schools; Baton Rouge Magnet (at Robert E. Lee) High, Baton Rouge Center for Visual and Performing Arts Magnet and Arlington Preparatory Academy.

Community Bound is sponsored by Volunteer LSU; LSU Community-University Partnership; Campus Life; the Center for Community Engagement, Learning and Leadership; Career Services; African American Cultural Center; LSU Honors College; Campus Federal Credit Union; First Year Experience; and ARAMARK Facility Services.

The weekend "Bengal Bound" events concluded with the LSU Student Veterans Welcome and the Chancellor's Welcome on Sunday, Aug. 22. The LSU Student Veterans Welcome honored students who have either served or are currently serving in any branch of the nation’s armed forces, allowing the service members and their families to meet their fellow veterans and LSU staff.

Martin, with the help of The Golden Band from Tigerland, Golden Girls, LSU Cheerleaders and the Mike the Tiger mascot, officially welcomed all students back to campus during the annual Chancellor’s Welcome, held at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

For more information on remaining "Bengal Bound" events this week, visit bengalbound.lsu.edu. To learn more about First Year Experience and the services it provides, visit fye.lsu.edu. For more information about LSU, including how to apply for admission, campus tours, financial aid and housing, visit www.lsu.edu/admissions.

Melissa Foley | Editor | Office of Communications & University Relations
August 2010