How does campus prepare for more than 2,000 freshman? By giving the wheel to a trio of Bulldogs who've got what it takes to make Bulldog Welcome Week rock.
It's always a little dramatic. Well before the sun rises, families across the Midwest start loading up, squeezing reluctant siblings in between Target mirrors and body pillows, and pointing their vehicles in Duluth's direction.
Meanwhile, on campus, soldiers armed with enthusiasm and wearing fluorescent uniforms await the rumble of tires. They are RockStars and their job is to acclimate UMD's 2,208 new freshman.
Zooming out a little farther, three Bulldogs emerge. They've worked all summer long in anticipation of this, Bulldog Welcome Week.
Rock Stars Amplified
Alex Ryan, Emily Madigan, and Nick Vittorio are the rock stars behind the RockStars. They've planned workshops, organized massive events, scheduled the heck out of six days, booked entertainment, and communicated and then communicated some more.
"I couldn't imagine a better group of people to run Bulldog Welcome Week," says Jen Doebler, associate director of the Office for Students in Transition.
Jen completely relies on Alex, Nick, and Emily and stresses that, while fun is a factor, Bulldog Welcome Week's mission is actually pretty serious. "The things that our RockStars are talking about is curriculum based," she explains. Her team starts during Advisement and Registration and continues through the start of school. "It feels very informal, but it's actually very structured."
Emily adds that having students teach their peers is the most effective way to ensure that their message is being heard. "It's not faculty lecturing them– it's students who are in college and role models for incoming students. We're going to tell them realistically what they need to do and what they're going to experience."
Nick, who's double majoring in graphic design and photography, remembers his RockStar stopping a high school senior slide right on time. "He actually prepared me for the workload of being in college, which helped so much going into the new school year."
Beyond the fundamentals, however, Alex, Emily, and Nick say the most important mission of Bulldog Welcome Week is ensuring that connections are made. This, too, is purposeful. Early connections equate to success throughout students' college careers.
Alex discovered this firsthand. From the southeast Minnesota town of Winona, he was the only one from his high school who came to UMD. "I was really worried about not making friends, but the Rock Groups gave me connections."
Connections so solid, in fact, that his current roommates are from this core group, proving that a strong welcome goes a long way.