This year the members of the Student Government Association and Favrot Student Union Board provided one of the best Freshmen Village Move-Ins Grambling has ever seen. Everyone in the academic community contributed in welcoming new members to the Gramblinite family.
Kindrell Plains, Graduate Student Government Association president, enjoyed this year’s Move-In event, including the Welcome Week. “The move-in event was more effective this year. We as students participated more and we paid State Farm to help with moving freshmen in.”
The university, including the SGA and Favrot Student Union Board, has been working to reinvent the annual Welcome Week, motivating freshmen to not just attend Grambling, but to be a part of it.
While Miss Cover Girl Ambra Brice, Miss GSU Geralka “Gerri” Jackson and her Royal Court provided information and refreshments to family and freshmen, members of other organizations and continuing students became the ultimate moving crew.
Senior criminal justice major Germaine Patterson was one of many who helped the freshmen move in. “Every semester I help people move in, and one time I ran into a girl that went to high school with me,” Patterson said.
SGA President Jonathan Allen assisted with any vehicles that pulled into the Freshmen Village Courtyard parking lot. The work of the many volunteers contributed to making the unified work effort a success.
“Some people came in anticipating having to move all this stuff in, (but we were) here to help them,” Allen said. “I am proud of the progress, the effort and everybody.”
Freshmen got an opportunity to make new friends and learn what Grambling has to offer. As a result of its involvement in Welcome Week festivities, the SGA has been rewarded in finding candidates interested in changing ways on campus and representing their class.
Malcolm Brown, a freshman from Miami, met Allen at the Move-In and is interested in joining the SGA, wanting to run for either Freshman Class president or vice president.
Kimberly Spikes is another freshman whom Allen helped move into her new dorm. The Bogalusa native wants to major in criminal justice. Spikes said she came to GSU because “I did ROTC in high school and I became very fond of Grambling’s ROTC program.”
Chase Bank has long had a presence during Registration Week at Grambling, but they were seen at the Move-In event, helping freshmen open checking accounts free of charge.
“This is our first year coming to the Move-In Event,” said personal banker Charterria Bowie. “Today we are focusing on helping the freshmen financially, and we have been very successful today.”