Appalachian Popular Programming Society and AppolCorps organized several events to welcome the class of 2017 to Appalachian State University.
The events began last Friday and will conclude with DJ Styles & Completes’ performance at Legends Thursday.
Welcome Week kicked off Friday with mandatory University Housing residence hall meetings at 8 p.m. followed by UREC Night in the Student Recreation Center at 9 p.m.
Freshmen later that night freshmen had the opportunity to attend a screening of “Finding Nemo” on Sanford Mall and a midnight pancake breakfast that lasted until 2 a.m. in Central Dining Hall.
The events continued Saturday and Sunday. Highlights from the weekend included the annual Big Sale, Fan Fest, App Spectacular and Carnival Night.
Amanda Jacobson, APPS president, said the events were largely a success.
“‘Nemo’ drew the biggest crowd, our adviser said he had seen for an outdoor movie,” Jacobson said. “And he’s been here 27 years.”
Carnival Night also attracted a large number of incoming freshmen to Plemmons Student Union for a night of dancing and games, including a casino and a live auction.
“There were over 2,000 people, definitely,” Jacobson said.
Most of the events of Welcome Week have become standards of the phase-two orientation experience for freshman, but there are a few new and modified events this year.
Saturday night’s APPS Spectacular event was one of the new events. It was originally to be hosted at Duck Pond Field, but uncooperative weather moved the event indoors to Quinn Recreation Center.
The Spectacular included free food, bouncy houses, obstacle courses, laser tag, big chair photos, personalized street signs, a local band and DJ and an auction.
The event served as a replacement to the concert that has played in previous years after the Saturday scrimmage and Fan Fest.
Last year after Fan Fest, Christian rock band NEEDTOBREATHE played in Kidd Brewer Stadium.
Responses to the Welcome Week events from the incoming freshmen have been overall very positive, APPS said.
“The same people keep coming back, which is good,” Jacobson said.
Jacobson said students would attend one event where they would hear about another upcoming event and then end up going to that one as well.
“I love how they make everything fun,” freshman Kaitlyn Blanken said. “I have not stopped laughing.”
For many freshmen, Welcome Week served to solidify their excitement for the next four years.
“App is so beautiful and awesome,” freshman Chelsea Cook said. “I can’t wait for the school year to start.”
STORY: EMMA SPECKMAN, A&E Reporter