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Chico State
Chico State

Wildcat Welcome Invites Students to Rise Up and Roar

Chico State

Incoming freshman and transfer students form a big “C” and are photographed from a drone on Friday, August 23, 2019 in Chico, Calif. (Jessica Bartlett/University Photographer)

We’re off to a great start in 2019! As we welcome back thousands of returning students as well as about 2,600 first-year students, 1,730 transfer students, and hundreds of grad students, we are rolling out the welcome mat with dozens of fun and exciting Wildcat Welcome events.

We launched the festivities by welcoming new students to the residence halls with a two-day move-in event. Volunteers from all over campus helped settle 2,271 Wildcats into the residence halls, unloading their cars and transporting their belongings to their rooms in rapid fashion.

Students and volunteers push carts full of student belongings through the lobby of a residence hall
More than 400 Chico State volunteers helped nearly 2,300 students move into the residence halls over two days. (Jason Halley/University Photographer)

Once moved in, students had many opportunities to get to know the campus and start making friends! A jam-packed week of events helped make the transition easy, starting with free snow cones at the Sunset Social in Sutter Courtyard. A signature highlight of the first week took place Friday morning at the Big “C” welcome, where first-year students gathered at University Stadium to hear words of encouragement from Associated Student President Trevor Guthrie and University President Gayle Hutchinson.

President Gayle Hutchinson speaks to a crowd of students filling bleachers at University Stadium with the words "rise up and roar" visible on her back.
President Gayle Hutchinson led students in a back-and-forth chant of “Who’s a Wildcat?” and “I’m a Wildcat!” (Jason Halley/University Photographer)
Incoming freshman and transfer students form a big "C" and are photographed from a drone
Incoming freshman and transfer students form a big “C” and are photographed from a drone. (Jessica Bartlett/University Photographer)

With the music loud and Wildcat spirit high, 1,813 students filled the large block “C” at midfield of the stadium to pose for a class photo, a tradition that stretches back seven years. While this was going on, transfer students were enjoying their own welcome in the BMU Auditorium, with food, music, prize drawings, and more. From there, it was off to academic advising meetings and college receptions for both first-year and transfer students—but it wasn’t the end of the fun!

Local reggae and ska favorite Triple Tree played for students Friday afternoon in a Welcome Back Concert in Laxson Auditorium before the residence hall courtyard came alive for Rock the Block. With games, club tabling, live DJs, great food, and the chance for new students to meet, Sutter Courtyard and Shasta-Lassen Lawn were booming with activity—and the excitement carried on into the weekend.

A student balances on a slackline that's crossing a pool as a group of students watches.
Students cross a slackline as they take a break at the WREC for food, a pool party, DJ, prizes, and much more during WREC ‘n’ Wild. (Jason Halley/University Photographer)

On Saturday, the Wildcat Recreation Center hosted WREC ‘n’ Wild, its annual pool party that offered some much-needed cooling down from the triple-digit temperatures that greeted students. Then on Sunday, Adventure Outings led the charge out to Upper Bidwell Park for a dip in its swimming holes, while Meriam Library hosted a game night with pizza, video games, and board games. The evening was capped off by EDXCHICO, an open-air teach-in that featured some of Chico State’s best faculty presenting short lessons from their most passionate areas of expertise.

Students sit on a lawn watching a presentation by faculty on a stage in front of a screen that reads E-D-X Chico.
College of Agriculture faculty Betsy Boyd presents on “Let Your Taste Buds Taste Bugs!” at the second annual EDXCHICO. (Jason Halley/University Photographer)

Monday brought on the first day of classes, and even Willie the Wildcat hit the books! (Watch video.)

There are nearly 20 more Wildcat Welcome activities over the next two weeks, too! Nooner concerts each Wednesday, Thursday Night Market hits downtown Chico weekly through the end of September, and this Friday, WREC ‘n’ Roll is taking it old school with a retro skate night with free roller skating, food, and drinks before Sutter Courtyard opens up Get Cheesy in the Courtyard—a late-night grilled cheese hangout from The Hub!

More upcoming events this weekend include Blacklight Bingo, and Kickin’ It on Kendall Lawn. We are so excited for you to find the perfect place for you to make connections and find your family at Chico State!

Visit the Wildcat Welcome website for a complete calendar of the upcoming events.

Chico State
Chico State

Founded in 1887, California State University, Chico is the second-oldest CSU campus and one of the highest-ranked master’s-level public universities in the West.