As Purdue University Northwest (PNW) kicks off the new school year, it’s only right to do so in style. PNW students, faculty and staff gathered to celebrate at the annual Welcome Rallies on Wednesday, August 21 at the Westville campus and on Thursday, August 22 at the Hammond campus.
Student organizations, academic units and numerous booths provided information about some of PNW’s services. Kale Wilk, PNW communications specialist, shares what this event means for everyone involved.
“Our welcome rallies are an annual campus tradition that we host during Welcome Week,” Wilk said. “They provide students with a fantastic opportunity to get some insight into the different resources and units that are available around our campuses. It’s also a great chance for students to build relationships with classmates and faculty members. It’s really beneficial for them because it's their first time either starting classes or coming back to campus in a while. This event sets the tone for not only Welcome Week but for the academic year as a whole.”
Wilk noted how involved the student organizations at PNW have become with meeting new faces and reaching out to all the students.
“We have more than 80 student organizations at PNW where students can engage with different interests that they have,” Wilk said. “We really like to help our students have a sense of welcoming and belonging when they're on campus and one of the many ways students can connect is through our student organizations.”
Salvador Cordova is the assistant director of programming and administration in the Office of Student Life at PNW. He’s noticed how the Welcome Rallies have grown over the years.
“This is my third year in my role at PNW but we've done this for a long time,” Cordova said. “We really like to make in-person connections with students to show them all that PNW has to offer.”
Along with the resources provided at each booth, the Welcome Rally offered plenty of giveaways to help students gear up for classes. The most popular giveaway was the free 2024 Welcome Rally t-shirts that gave the students a chance to represent their university.
“The shirt has our fight song on it,” Cordova said. “It’s a really cool shirt. The rallies are all about bringing energy back to campus, and we have a very positive vibe. We’re all excited to be here and to have students back on campus.”
After long preparation to make sure this event came together without any hiccups, Cordova is pleased with the overall collaboration to keep building on to the tradition.
“It really came together very well,” Cordova said. “This event is the Super Bowl for the first week of classes. Other students have a chance to connect with each other and that’s what we’re here for.
“We couldn’t do this without our Facilities and Grounds team members,” Cordova added. “They really make sure everybody is happy and good to go.”
The students are back on campus but that doesn’t mean they’ll be constantly buried in their textbooks. Events like this show the many ways PNW fosters cocurricular student experiences. Combining that point of emphasis with a wide variety of fun activities, the Welcome Rally has become a staple for the PNW community.
“I’m going into my fourth academic year on staff, so I’ve had a chance to see this event a few times,” Wilk said. “I think it gets better every single year. We care about the students and their outcomes, so if we’re able to help them out or enhance their experience, then it’s really important for us to make that happen.”
For more information on PNW, visit pnw.edu.
