Students take a campus tour, above, stopping to check out out the
rock wall and fitness center. UP photo by Morgan Collier
Saturday morning, 315 prospective students and their parents gathered together at the Sheila Umphrey Recreational Sports Center to tour Lamar’s campus and dorms, meet with academic college representatives, learn about financial aid and register for a chance to win a $500 scholarship.
“It is a recruitment event for prospective students, that shows them everything on campus in one day,” Karli Noonkester, welcome center coordinator, said.
Students were able to pick and choose their itinerary, Noonkester said.
“In the years past, we have done it where we keep them on campus all day,” she said. “This year, we did it where they get to pick their schedule and how long they are here — that way they can do what they want to do.”
Students were able to choose from walking tours of campus, getting involved at LU, financial aid and scholarships, living at LU, applying to LU and the student success fair.
“The student success fair was a huge hit,” Noonkester said. “We had all of the main organizations line up in the main walkway of the Setzer Center and they had representatives from each of the organizations for prospective students to go ask them questions and talk to them about their organizations.”
Each student received a nametag with a number attached to it in order to find their matching number partners, or “nest partners,” Noonkester said. Once they found their partners, each student got a ticket to go into a drawing for a $500 scholarship.
“In years past, we’ve had all these students on campus but never pushed them to talk to each other and to meet each other,” she said. “This year we pushed them to mingle and meet other prospective students.”
Each person who attended received a T-shirt, and the design can be found at lamar.edu/makinghistory for an interactive way to learn more about Lamar, Noonkester said.
“In the L and the U of the design is a bunch of facts about Lamar University, along with things that have to do with campus,” she said. “On the website, you can scroll over different parts of the design and click on it for it to tell you facts.”
Sophomore Bayleigh Smith, welcome center tour guide, has worked six Cardinal Views.
“This year’s event is the best one I have been a part of,” she said.
Senior Thalia Polanco, welcome center tour guide, said the event made parents want to come to Lamar as well as the students.
Attendees were able to turn their nametags in at the box office in exchange for a ticket to the football game against Houston Baptist University.
For more information on how to get involved with the welcome center, visit lamar.edu/admissions or the Herman Iles Building in the John Gray Center.
Story by Morgan Collier, UP contributor