First Year Experience (FYE) is giving the freshman class an opportunity to come together once more before heading their separate ways for summer break.
The (P)Reunion will be on April 21 at 6 p.m. on the lawn adjacent to Midnight Oil (MO). According to junior peer guide Abby Smith, the free event will involve a choice of one small drink — coffee, granita or tea — along with dessert from MO, chicken wraps, hamburgers, games and door prizes. Smith said door prizes include gear from MO, and the grand prize is one free drink a week from MO for the next school year.
“I love the idea of the (P)Reunion,” Smith said. “It gets everyone together again and gets a community feel, and that’s what Harding is about. It’s a good way for the freshman class to recognize that they’re in this together and to see how far they’ve come.”
According to Smith, freshmen that wish to attend need to text their name, H number and favorite MO drink to their peer guide to be registered to attend.
Alumna Micah Bartz, creative coordinator for FYE, said (P)Reunion is a unique way for the freshman class to come back together again after their first year at Harding.
“Being able to get back together with all of your friends and celebrate that victory of overcoming all these things — club week, finals, Spring Sing — is one sort of hoorah before parting ways for the summer,” Bartz said.
Dr. Kevin Kehl, dean of student success, said although freshman year is a time of uncertainty and change, students learn a lot about themselves, and (P)Reunion is a way for them to reflect on how they have changed and grown.
“First-year students come to college and there is a lot of uncertainty,” Kehl said. “I think this is a kind of celebration that says, ‘Hey, we made it!’ I think the other important thing about this is being able to look forward to the next great part of the Harding experience. The (P)Reunion really facilitates those things.”
First Year Experience looks to build freshman community with (P)Reunion
