Fairmont State University prepares for Welcome Week – WV MetroNews

FAIRMONT, W.Va. — New student move-in and Welcome Week activities get underway at Fairmont State University on Thursday.

Associate Director of Student Engagement Justin Rader said the Welcome Week activities help students feel at home, make friends and get excited about fall classes.

“Building those peer-to-peer relationships that are a crucial part of their success,” Rader said. “So, that’s what we encourage for the weekend: that students get out of their rooms, get out of their housing assignments and go interact with their peers.”

Welcome Week officially gets underway at 6:30 p.m. Thursday with the Back to School Bash at the Falcon Center Quad. Rader said there are a variety of activities planned with food and treats.

“After that, they will attend several activities starting that evening,” Rader said. “We have a back-to-school bash hosted by one of our student organizations on campus and a game night with a soda float bar station.”

The estimate is that 40 percent of the Falcon student body is made up of first-generation students. Rader said the school was awarded a $5,000 grant through the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (WVHEPC) to hold a week of recognition from Nov. 4-8.

“We want to highlight their resilience and the tenacity of the first-generation college student who steps out of the traditions of their family and says, ‘I’m going to be the first to come to college, and I’m going to be the first to get this type of degree,’” Rader said.

Live music will also return this year, according to Rader. At 8 p.m. Saturday, “The Walk of Shame” will take the stage in the Falcon Center Quad for a live show.

“They’re a cover band out of Pittsburgh called The Walk of Shame,” Rader said. “They do 90’s, 2000’s, Indie, and country, and they have over 500 songs in their portfolio.”

On Sunday, Aug. 25, students will participate in the Day of Action with the Tygart Valley United Way. Students will meet the leaders of local non-profits and understand the challenges facing the community while pitching in and helping out.

“Some of our spots are the community garden, Palatine Park, the Center of Hope, and the Marion County Humane Society,” Rader said. “So, get out there helping and giving back to the community.”