Evelyn Filleman
Every school year, Campus Life organizes activities, contests and more for I Heart HU Week. These events take place during the week leading up to Homecoming, encouraging students to get excited about the weekend’s events. The opportunities throughout the week featured activities in different categories to draw students in to celebrate the relationships and community that Harding has given them.
“On Monday, we had a paint and sip event at Midnight Oil, where we had free watercolors and coffee,” senior Brittany LeGrande said. “On Tuesday, we had Harding bingo, and Wednesday was black and gold popcorn in the student center during lunch. Thursday night was pumpkin carving and a Halloween movie by the Lee building, which was a really big hit. To end the week, we’re working with Harding H.E.A.L. to put on the glow run.”
In addition to giving students exciting opportunities, I Heart HU Week also holds meaning for many who participate. Senior Lexi Earnhart works for Campus Life and finds the week to be about more than just fun.
“I Heart HU Week is essentially a celebration of the community that we have on this campus,” Earnhart said. “These activities are, yes, planned to be fun and entertaining, but the main purpose of them is to engage this wonderful community that we have all found here at Harding. Our goal is to create opportunities and events each day leading to homecoming that serve as a set-aside time to help strengthen relationships and allow participants to engage with our Harding family.”
This week encourages students to build relationships with each other and gives the community a chance to show off school pride. Students and alumni enjoy the opportunity to band together in a fun environment.
“When you’re in high school, you have homecoming weekends and dress-up days and all these fun events,” Student Government Association president Adele Duncan said. “The idea here is to replicate a fun, school-spirited environment, to have everyone come together and create a sense of camaraderie within school spirit. That’s why we have I Heart HU Week every year, just to have some common ground. It doesn’t matter what social slub you’re in, or what athletic team you’re on. We’re all Harding students, and we have this week to come together for that.”
Campus Life is often the heartbeat of campus, fostering connections and providing an outlet for students to plug themselves into. Students don’t have to be involved in clubs or other extracurriculars to be a part of the opportunities that Campus Life offers, and many students help to run the office themselves.
“The goal of Campus Life is to aid in the sense of camaraderie that each person who steps onto our campus can clearly see and feel,” Earnhart said. “We help create this by planning events and activities that bring life, joy, and laughter to our campus. By listening to and employing students, our office is able to deliver events that are well-received and attended, allowing campus connections to continue to flourish.”
