The ѿapp Student Government Association (SGA) has a long-standing tradition of welcoming students back to campus—and to classes—at the beginning of every academic semester. Although these events looked a bit different last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a record number of ѿapp students joined in the socially distanced drive-through Welcome Week events, collecting over 1,000 tote bags filled with ѿapp swag and school supplies.
This Fall, ѿapp’s SGA is returning to the in-person iteration of the week-long event welcoming our ѿapp students to our campus community. The events run from Aug. 23- Sept. 2 at all ѿapp locations, and grant you the opportunity to get cool ѿapp swag, to pet some cute puppies courtesy of Paws for Love, learn more about resources on campus such as our on-site food pantry Wizard’s Warehouse and much more!
“Welcome Week is going to be so exciting this year. It’s a chance for our students to reconnect with the campus. This is especially true for students who started their first year with us in 2020...they’ve never been to the campus,” said SGA President Darian Richards. “I hope we have a lot of students show up, I hope they feel connected to the campus and that they get to meet the amazing staff and faculty here,” she said.
Read on to see how you can get to know our SGA, as well as your fellow ѿapp students, faculty and staff at one or all of these Welcome Week events.
How to Get the Most out of the SGA’s Welcome Week
- Get some food. What’s better than a coffee, a bagel and/or donuts? You can get your free coffee and donut by presenting your ѿapp ID at any of the three Doughboys Donuts locations during the first week of the Fall 2021 semester.
- Get some ѿapp swag. The SGA bags are back and filled with all you need to have a successful semester. Inside the reusable tote, you’ll find a ѿapp planner (with all the important dates and deadlines already printed so you don’t have to remember), a ѿapp pen that also doubles as a stylus, ѿapp mask, hand sanitizer, and a handful of other ѿapp swag items. There are a limited number of bags, and they’re offered on a first-come, first-serve basis. Get yours from a friendly SGA officer or senator at one of the Welcome Week events.
- Learn how you can get involved. In addition to meeting this year’s SGA officers, you can also find out how you can become more involved at ѿapp: the SGA is currently accepting applications for five open senator positions. Or, you could also stop by and learn more about one of ѿapp’s many Recognized Student Organizations (RSO), such as the Business and Entrepreneurship Club, Phi Theta Kappa or the Truckee Meadows Veterans Club.
Become a Part of ѿapp’s Campus Community
After you’ve bought your books and ironed out the details of your class schedule, you should make a point to stop by one—or all—of the Welcome Week events for free food, connection and… fun.
“I really hope students just show up… there’s a lot of information and fun things that will happen at this event. [When I first came to ѿapp], I didn’t even know the SGA existed. In fact, up until I ran for an SGA position, I had never even been to an SGA event. I didn’t know they existed. And then one day at 3 a.m. I saw a banner on the website announcing the elections and I thought: ‘sure, why not? I can’t sleep. It’s been one of the coolest things I’ve ever done,” she said.
Also, if you’re interested in becoming involved in an even bigger way, the SGA has five open positions for Senators. “Senator positions are fantastic as they are paid positions and ...you would represent the student voice on ѿapp committees,” said Richards. “You are able to build bridges and form relationships with experienced faculty and staff that you might not have the chance to talk to otherwise.” Interested students can apply through the SGA website or by contacting the SGA directly.
In other words, don’t be shy! ѿapp’s SGA is ready to welcome you with open arms into the Fall 2021 semester.
For more information about the Student Government Association, contact their office at 775-673-7203.