In the Office of New Student Programs, a poster board prominently displayed in the back room has a list of names paired with responsibilities. David is in charge of the buses, Missy is in charge of the tables, and Laura Ann has got the lunches covered.
And there are only 20 or so more tasks to complete before 650 first-year and transfer students head off to Glen Rose, TX, for Mustang Corral.
Corral, an annual orientation retreat, is “a great way to get to know almost 700 classmates,” said Emily Sandvall, coordinator of New Student Programs.
Students participate in icebreakers and outdoor activities with 78 student leaders from Aug. 11-13, the weekend before classes begin. Participants learn about SMU traditions and the transition to college.
Three groups of students are assigned to two different campsites after registration, and they’re then divided into groups of 10 known as “home bases.” Each home base has one student and one faculty or staff leader.
“Student leaders are paired with faculty leaders so groups get to know professors and staff, too,” said Joaquin Acevedo, a student director and senior international studies and marketing major.
Acevedo, along with four other student directors, has been working almost a year to put Corral together.
“Throughout the summer there were three directors. Now everyone’s back finalizing everything,” said Acevedo. “We all kind of work with each other on different projects- If we finish one of our tasks and someone else needs help, we pitch in.”
“We” includes everyone in the Office of New Student Programs, which is in charge of AARO (Academic Advising, Registration and Orientation), Corral, WOW (Week of Welcome) and Mustang Stampede.
But just because Corral will be over doesn’t mean the office will get a breather.
Starting Aug. 13, residence halls open and WOW begins. It’s four full days of activities geared to first-years culminating in a mandatory hall meeting the night before classes start. Options include an opening day picnic, a leadership breakfast, casino night, ice cream socials, an involvement fair, a trip to Six Flags, and rotunda passage and convocation.
Not only do the five student directors of WOW organize all the programming for the first-years, they also plan Mustang Stampede, a series of activities to welcome back the entire school. On Friday, Aug. 18, Seth Myers and Mark Curry will perform in McFarlin Auditorium. After that, there will be food from area restaurants and a carnival on the main quad.
If it sounds complicated to organize, said student director Sarah Bellotti, that’s because it is.
“When you have 60-plus student leaders, it’s hard to coordinate schedules. During summer everyone’s gone, so it’s hard to have meetings and meet deadlines,” she said.
Junior Elise Holmes agreed.
“Most of us (directors) have other full-time internships, so we do what we can,” she said. “It’s been hectic.”
But student workers also say it’s worth the effort.
Acevedo said he enjoyed Corral so much as a transfer student that he wanted to get involved. Besides, “I like doing programming,” he said.
For Holmes, though, her co-workers make the work worthwhile. Despite battling a cold and juggling cheerleading practice with office time, she talked excitedly and rarely stopped smiling.
“We’re all very close,” she said.
