A 16-day schedule of events has been developed to bring Ferris State University students,
faculty and staff together with the Big Rapids community on many occasions as Bulldog Beginnings starts Friday, Aug. 24 and continues through Saturday, Sept. 8.
Center for Leadership, Activities and Career Services Director Angela Roman is the chair for the Bulldog Beginnings committee and said the roster of activities brings both new and continuing students into their academic year, helping them to be aware of and to appreciate the diversity of the student body and the university’s traditions.
“There has been a university-wide committee effort made by Ferris staff and faculty, who have collaborated with student input, such as orientation leaders’ suggestions and surveys to help shape this year’s calendar,” Roman said. “While we have offered Bulldog Beginnings for many years now, a ‘Welcome Week’ concept traces back to the earliest days of Ferris Institute or Ferris State College.”
With move-in day set for Friday, Aug. 24, a variety of athletic contests and campus events are taking place which includes the Bulldog Welcome at Top Taggart Field, beginning at 8:30 p.m., and the showing of “Avengers: Infinity War” for the Residence Hall Association Movie in the South Quad, starting at 9:30 p.m.
“We hope that new and returning Ferris students take part in Bulldog Beginnings and
embrace the schedule from its first days, to get a full sense of their campus community,”
said CLACS Assistant Kathryn Thomas, who is also part of the organizing committee.
“We suggest that students review the entire schedule on our event page, though emergent
information will be available on CLACS’s Facebook Page in case of bad weather or some
other development.”
Some of the highlighted events during the first week of Bulldog Beginnings include Summer Fest, A Downtown Celebration and UC Late Night on Saturday, Aug. 25; DoughRunts for Commuter Students, the morning of Monday, Aug. 27; and Headphone Disco on Wednesday, Aug. 29.
“A wide variety of our staff contribute to organize what we believe will be successful events, throughout the Bulldog Beginnings schedule,” Thomas said.
“Particularly on Founders’ Day, Thursday, Aug. 30, we will offer a campus and community-wide welcome to honor and celebrate the values of our founders,” Roman said. “They will conclude with the opening football game that evening against East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, beginning at 7:30 p.m.”
Second-week Bulldog Beginnings activities include Bulldog Bonanza, Wednesday, Sept. 4 in the University Center from 4 to 7 p.m.; a performance by RePercussion on Friday, Sept. 6 starting at 9 p.m., along with Ferris athletics contests for the soccer, volleyball and football teams.
“We hope that everyone taking part in Bulldog Beginnings will spread the word about
their good times by using the hashtag #imabulldog on social media,” Roman said.
PHOTO CAPTION: In 2017, Ferris State University students enjoyed “Bulldog Welcome,” one of the dozens of events on the Bulldog Beginnings 2018 schedule of activities that begins Friday, Aug. 24. This year’s offering of music, entertainment and prize offerings in the University Center will begin at 9 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 25.