First-time freshmen move-in weekend was made possible with the help of the “Bienvenue Krewe”, consisting of 600 volunteers, students and staff. Move-in volunteers helped unload vehicles, and moved students’ belongings to their rooms on wheeled carts. By doing so, the move-in process was made much smoother for the freshmen and their families.
Ashley Allen, a political science major and first-time freshman living on campus, expressed, “Move-in was very helpful, a lot of the student volunteers helped me a lot.” Besides just assisting with move-in, volunteers also played an essential role in welcoming the freshmen and making them feel at home. Allen added on, “It was very informational as well, a lot of the volunteers kind of helped me understand a little bit about the campus.”
The “Bienvenue Krewe” ’s hardwork and dedication is praiseworthy as they left a huge impact on the college experience for the freshmen.
Following move-in weekend, Cajun Craze 2024 kicked off the fall semester. Cajun Craze is a two-week long schedule packed with exciting events for students. Some of the highlights included the Swamp Party, Target Run, Bowl-A-Palooza, BlackP.R.I.N.T’s The Cookout and the Res Life Foam Party.
Mandatory events for first-year students were the Cajun Connection and New Student Convocation. Cajun Connection lets students meet their UNIV 100 instructor, peer mentor, classmates as well as get acquainted with campus resources. New Student Convocation was a formal academic welcome to the university.
When asked what she looks forward to at UL Lafayette, Allen said, “I like how there are a lot of events going on, it really just keeps me out of my dorm room and going places.” Sure enough, events like Cajun Craze provide students with a wide array of activities catering to different interests that they can choose from.
Getting involved in campus events is a great way for students, especially first-time freshmen, to meet more people and create a stronger sense of belonging to the university. Ella Hebert is a freshman majoring in nursing. In response to what she hopes to achieve by the end of her freshman year, she shared, “I hope to get out of my comfort zone, meet new people and get involved in things.”
Besides partaking in campus activities, another great way for first-time students to get more involved is to join student organizations. At UL Lafayette, there are over 180 clubs and organizations as well as a vibrant Greek community.
Get On Board Day was held on Aug. 28, 2024, where over a 100 student organizations were in attendance. This was an opportunity for students to explore organizations that align with their passions and interests, meeting students who share similar ideals. Allen looks forward to joining student organizations and getting herself involved on campus. She mentioned, “I went to Get On Board Day earlier today and I joined like four or five.”
Besides getting involved, first-time freshmen are especially looking forward to meeting new people and making lifetime friendships. Hebert said, “Definitely meeting new people in my major like nursing, and getting help from my peers.” Skye Williams, a freshman majoring in architecture, also said that she wants to “try to make connections, friends wise and classmates wise.”
A huge part of the college experience is the friendships made, these people will become one’s support system, which is crucial to have in order to not just survive college, but also to make the most out of it. Students of the class of 2028 have only just begun their journey at UL Lafayette, stepping in with high hopes and expectations of a fulfilling and fruitful college experience.
