Category | News

Residence Life department welcomes new students with old tradition

Published on July 21, 2009 by Andy Nelson

The KSU Department of Residence Life will host its traditional “Get in Gear” (GIG) week beginning Friday, Aug. 14, in order to ease new residents into their on-campus homes.

The festivities are sponsored by the Department of Student Life and are open to all faculty, staff and students of KSU. GIG week has been a KSU tradition since the creation of the Residence Life Department in 2004.

Among the traditional events of GIG week are Casino Night, Movie Night and Bazaar on the Bricks. Casino Night on Aug. 21 will have more than $1000 in prizes. Movie Night, Aug. 15, will feature a showing of “The Fast and the Furious.” Bazaar on the Bricks, a vendor fair that gives faculty and students the opportunity to advertise their organization to residential students, will take place on Aug. 21. Tables are free for KSU departments. Organizations and registration forms are available online at kennesaw.edu/residencelife. The registration deadline is Aug. 7 and space is limited.

According to Mindy Coleman, coordinator of Residence Life for the University Village 2000 and 6000 buildings, new events this year include the “Chill Out” ice cream social catered by Cold Stone Creamery on Aug. 18, a Rock Concert featuring the Australian band “Hailmary” on Aug. 19 and an Improv Show on Aug. 23. “[The events in the past] have been huge,” said Coleman. “Every single event we have has had at least 100 people in attendance.”

“It is critically important for new students to get involved and attend as many programs as possible in the first couple weeks of school. All the national research, plus my own 20 years of experience, show that new students are far more socially and academically successful if they fully engage in their new collegiate community,” said Dr. Michael Sanseviro, director of Residence Life. “I speak to all the parents at orientation and stress that importance of encouraging their students to stay on campus day and night, especially weekends, for the first few weeks of the semester to build the necessary bonds with other KSU students and our campus.”

Sanseviro also said that before moving in, students should know their check-in date and time, try to connect with their roommates in order to get to know one another, decide who is bringing what and to bring only the essentials on moving day, as sales will be happening all over Kennesaw.

For a move-in checklist, as well as a complete list of check-in dates and times, students can visit the Residence Life Web site at kennesaw.edu/residencelife.