The Student Activities Association kicks off the fall 2025 semester with a Welcome Week that will include free, on-campus events for all students.
Events began Sunday night with roller skating and pizza in the Union Ballroom. Festivities will continue through Friday afternoon.
Hannah Hoang, a senior journalism major from Amory, Miss., serves as the co-director for special events for SAA. She, along with co-directors Nina Poiroux and Gibson Russell, plans events, organizes vendors, reserves spaces on campus and leads all other event logistics.
The First Day of Class Bash will begin at 10 a.m. today on the Union Plaza. The event will include a photo booth, Chick-fil-A sandwiches, a sticky note board with encouraging messages and free Welcome Week t-shirts.
Hoang said the Bash is her favorite event of Welcome Week.
“You get to see people catching up with old friends or making new friends,” Hoang said. “We always play music, and people stop by and get their picture made or get a Chick-fil-A sandwich or a t-shirt. That’s usually my favorite because I get to catch up with people that I didn’t get to see over the summer, (and) I think it’s the perfect way to start off the school year.”
Tonight, “Wicked” will screen on the Grove Stage for the There’s No Place like Oz-ford event. Food will be available starting at 7:30 p.m., and the movie will begin at 8 p.m.
For incoming students, “Hotty Toddy Hangout” is a phrase that might ring a bell and remind them of orientation over the summer. On Tuesday, SAA and the Ole Miss Orientation Leaders will team up to host another Hotty Toddy Hangout on the Union Plaza during which students can meet and chat with each other.
On Wednesday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Grove will turn into a zipline adventure with Zippin’ into the School Year.
“We found a mobile zip line company that’s going to come and set up, and so you can zip line across the Grove,” Hoang said. “It’s going to be really neat. I think the last time we had (a zipline) on campus was a couple of years ago. I don’t think any current students were here while they had it. And so that was kind of the one thing that we really wanted to have for students this year.”
Students are invited to show off their dance moves Wednesday night at Groovin’ in the Grove. This silent disco will take place on the Grove Stage from 8 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
If you are more of an early bird than a night owl, SAA and Campus Recreation will host Sunrise Pilates at 7 a.m. on Thursday on the Grove Stage. In addition to the pilates class, Magnolia Coffee Co. will have refreshments.
“We’re also going to have the Magnolia Coffee Co. truck set up a tab,” Hoang said. “And that’s gonna be kind of early, but that way it’ll still be a little cool.”
Thursday night, the Entertainment Board of SAA will host the Fall Show, featuring headliner Hannah Berner and opening act UMProv, the university’s student-led improv organization. While it is a ticketed event, all university students are admitted for free. Students may pick up their tickets at the Gertrude C. Ford Center’s box office.
Welcome Week will close out on Friday with Trash Can Friday as the student body prepares for the first football game of the season.
“We’re going to have stickers and game day buttons and also pretzels from Sonic to pass out,” Hoang said. “And fans, because I’m sure it’ll be really hot for the first game.”
For Hoang, Welcome Week is more than just a way to have fun at the beginning of the school year.
“For freshmen, it’s a great way to meet new people and kind of learn how to get involved on campus,” Hoang said. “For upperclassmen, I think sometimes maybe you can get stuck into the routine of just going to school, but I think it’s a great way to kind of get excited about coming back … I can’t think of a better way to start off the school year.”
All events are free for students and funded by the Student Activity Fee.
