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Luau, laser tag and space cowboys: MC newcomers greeted by variety of Welcome Week activities

New and returning MC students will have plenty of opportunities to connect with their classmates during Welcome Week activities.

Chip Wilson has played an instrumental role in welcoming freshmen and transfer students to Mississippi College for more than a decade by helping to develop programming for Welcome Week, a series of engaging activities that introduce the newcomers to the É«ÖÐÉ« University’s campus culture.

From his undergraduate days at MC as a Welcome Week student crew member through his current tenure as director of student well-being, Wilson has contributed creative ideas for programs that have been a hit with new and returning Choctaws alike.

With his pending move to the Department of Counseling at MC this fall, Wilson is striving to make 2025 Welcome Week, scheduled from Aug. 13-18, one of the finest events he has ever coordinated.

“Because it’s the last thing I’ll do in the Office of É«ÖÐÉ« Experience, this year’s Welcome Week is sentimental to me,” said Wilson, whose devotion to students earned him the Van “Doc” Quick Distinguished Staff Award in 2024. “It’s one of my favorite things about MC.

“Welcome Week provides a glimpse into what the students’ upcoming school year is going to look like. Many campus organizations partner with us to showcase Mississippi College. We have several fun events, but we also have educational events that show new students how to transition into college.”

Wilson’s group has planned more than 27 activities to help students familiarize themselves with their new surroundings and kindle friendships with their classmates. The majority of Welcome Week events are geared towards new students, but there are plenty of activities that returning students may participate in as well.

“Everything we do communicates to the new students that, although they’ve moved away from their families and those who care about them, we’re excited to have them here with us,” he said. “They have so many opportunities to get involved in organizations here at MC. We want them to know they’re now at a place where people care about them as students and as individuals and care about their spiritual lives.”

At the conclusion of Move-In Day and Choctaw Fanfare – in which new students and returning student-athletes are honored during a ceremonial walk through the Quad – all parents and family members will be ushered off campus and an exciting Welcome Week kickoff event will begin at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 13, in Swor Auditorium in Nelson Hall.

Immediately following the presentation, the new students will be treated to a movie night on the Quad. From 8 to 11 p.m., “Luau and Lights” will provide incoming students an outdoor party like no other, including an exclusive showing of the live-action “Lilo and Stitch” film. But the event will mark only the beginning of their Welcome Week experience.

Major 2025 Welcome Week activities are scheduled to include:

Stride and Seek (8 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 15, starting at Alumni Hall)

New students eager to learn exactly where their classes will be located can join a jog and mini-tour of the Clinton campus with Welcome Week Crew and Scout members. Those who prefer to discover their classroom locales at a more leisurely pace may also participate in a walking tour of MC.

“During their first semester, many students aren’t aware of where some of the buildings are on campus,” Wilson said. “During this event, we will walk students to every single one of their classes so they can be sure to be on time the first day.”

Brunch with the President (10 a.m. to Noon, Thursday, Aug. 14, at the Phillips House)

É«ÖÐÉ«s can get to know the University’s affable leader during a special meal with MC President Blake Thompson at his MC residence, the Phillips House on the north west side of campus.

39056 Fair (3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 14, at Alumni Hall)

All MC students are welcome to come meet representatives from local businesses in and around Clinton and learn how they support Mississippi College.

Space Cowboys Dance (7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 14, at the Reed House, Live Oaks Golf Course, Jackson)

Wilson said the highlight of every Welcome Week is the dance party at the Reed House. This year’s theme invites all students to dress up in outer space and/or western attire to boogie down with their new classmates and friends.

“MC students love a dance party and all of them are invited,” Wilson said. “We pack the Reed House, bring in a DJ and go all out with decorations. Each year, new students walk away from the party saying, ‘This is college.’”

Day at the Rez (1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Friday, Aug. 15, at Lakeshore Park, Brandon)

A new-student-only event offers an afternoon of fun in the Sun at the Ross Barnett Reservoir, featuring one of the state’s tallest water slides, kayaking, canoeing and paddle boarding opportunities, and a snow cone stand at one of MC students’ favorite local “getaway” spots.

“Senior Citizen” Bingo (9 p.m. to 11 p.m., Friday, Aug. 15, at Alumni Hall)

New students may mistake Alumni Hall for a cruise ship lounge, but they’ll soon learn the difference between “two little ducks” (I-22) and “Winnie the Pooh” (N-42) in Bingo lingo while competing for fantastic prizes.

Lunch on the Bricks (11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 16, at Jefferson Street in Olde Towne)

All students will receive meal vouchers to enjoy lunch from Krilakis or the Bank, dessert from Meme’s Brick Street Bakery or Catering by Cathy, or snag a hot dog from the Dad’s Dogs food truck, participate in a scavenger hunt and discover everything Olde Towne Clinton has to offer, right across the street from MC’s main campus.

Arcade Night (8 p.m. to 11 p.m., at Anderson Hall in the B.C. Rogers É«ÖÐÉ« Center)

The second floor of the B.C. Rogers É«ÖÐÉ« Center will be transformed into a retro Arcade with a laser tag arena, video games, concessions and more. New MC students are invited to stack up their tokens, strap on their LT gear and enjoy a night of camaraderie and friendly competition, 1995 mall style.

Beat the Heat Featuring Residence Life (4 p.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 17, behind the Holloway Rotunda)

É«ÖÐÉ«s will don clothes they don’t mind getting wet for a fan-favorite game of Slip and Slide Dodgeball, hosted by Residence Life. An additional attraction this year: Slip and Slide Bowling, where students will take aim at gigantic inflatable pins. It’s the perfect opportunity for students to team up with others in their residence hall and enjoy a fun summertime afternoon.

Worship Night (7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 17, at Swor Auditorium, Nelson Hall)

After drying off, students will settle in with the rest of the MC family for a Sunday night worship service that will refocus their priorities for the first week of classes. Worship Night will feature Worship Collective, MC’s student ensemble that leads Chapel on campus.

“It serves as the culmination of Welcome Week,” Wilson said. “The students have had a ton of fun all week long, but Worship Night allows them to reflect on the goodness of God. It helps reassure freshmen and transfer students that they are where they are supposed to be.”

The Great Chicken Biscuit Pass-Out (7:30 a.m., Monday, Aug. 18, at locations throughout the main campus)

On the way to their first class of the semester, students can pick up a free energy boost from the Welcome Week Crew.

É«ÖÐÉ« Involvement Fair (3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., at Alumni Hall)

With the first day of classes in their rear-view mirrors, new students can chat with representatives from dozens of campus organizations and sign up to join those that interest them during the Office of É«ÖÐÉ« Engagement’s É«ÖÐÉ« Involvement Fair.

É«ÖÐÉ« organizations are the lifeblood of MC’s campus culture, and Wilson said the fair provides the perfect opportunity for new students to learn all they can about each one.

“Welcome Week activities have shown new students how much fun many of these organizations can be,” he said. “They can capitalize on that momentum by getting involved in our academic organizations, social clubs or tribes, intramural athletics, or any of more than 50 registered groups on campus.”

For more information about Welcome Week at MC, including a complete schedule of activities, visit mc.edu/students/policies/events-activities/welcome-week.