Mariajose Garza/THE RIDER
UTRGV will welcome students back to campus with two weeks of events across the Edinburg and Brownsville campuses.
For the first time, Welcome Week will last two weeks, running until Jan. 29, and will include a weekend event, according to Cristina Rodriguez, assistant director for Student Activities.
Welcome Week is a collaborative effort among departments within Student Affairs and is designed to help students “acclimate” to the start of the semester, according to Berta Maldonado, assistant director for the Center for Student Involvement.
“What’s really making it unique this year is that we’ve shifted more to a daytime event so students can attend throughout their schedule,” Maldonado said.
The CSI assistant director said one of the newest additions to this year’s Welcome Week is the Vaquero Family Feud Game Show which will take place from 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday in the PlainsCapital Bank Theater on the Edinburg campus.
“That’s what’s really unique about this semester … that it won’t just be Monday through Friday,” Maldonado said.
The Welcome Back Bash will also return with a new theme and activities, including UTRGV’s “dynamic” first silent disco, according to Raul Leal, program coordinator for Student Activities.
“This event is really just to open the doors for your level of involvement and to make sure that you know about all of the cool things that happen on campus,” Leal said.
The event will take place at 3 p.m. Wednesday in the Health & Physical Education II Building on the Edinburg campus and at noon Thursday in the PlainsCapital Bank El Gran Salón on the Brownsville campus.
Leal said the event will include multiple activities such as roller skating, laser tag, arcade games, arts and crafts, and food offerings.
“This whole version of the event is completely new,” he said.
In addition, the Career Center will bring back the Runway to Success: Career Ready Fashion Show, which Rodriguez said is returning after not being offered in recent years.
Welcome Week is meant to introduce students to involvement opportunities available throughout the semester, according to Rodriguez and Maldonado.
Students can find the full Welcome Week event schedule at www.utrgv.edu/welcomeweek, V Link and the social media accounts of Student Activities, the Student Union and the Center for Student Involvement.
–Sophia Cortez and Emilio Suarez contributed to this story.
