Transitioning from high school or community college to Mississippi State University can be tough for anyone entering a new environment, but the Student Association at Mississippi State University makes meeting people a little easier by hosting Dawg Daze.
Andrew Rendon, assistant dean and vice president of Student Affairs, said Dawg Daze is a series of fun events that are held before the fall semester to welcome freshmen and transfer students to MSU and also helps student organizations on campus introduce and promote themselves.
“Dawg Daze is an exciting collection of MSU sponsored activities and events held to welcome new freshman and transfer students to MSU,” Rendon said. “Dawg Daze also provides student organizations an opportunity to spread the word about what they do and how new students can become more involved.”
Rendon said Dawg Daze usually starts the same day as the first day students move in to their residence halls.
“Dawg Daze typically starts on the same day as Moving You to MSU (MVNU2MSU) and lasts for a period of two weeks,” Rendon said. “This year’s 2014 Dawg Daze will start Aug. 9 with MVNU2MSU, and the Dawg Daze BBQ will end on Aug. 23.”
Rendon said the events that go on during Dawg Daze are usually different every day.
“Because Dawg Daze is a collection of activities and events sponsored by student organizations, student programming departments and academic departments, the events will vary,” Rendon said. “In the past we have seen all kinds of unique programming to engage students including outdoor cookouts, resident hall room competitions, ice breakers, student organization and local community vendor fairs, service project events and campus ministry sponsored programming.” 
Rendon said Dawg Daze is extremely important because it allows students to meet new people and build strong personal connections for the future.
“Dawg Daze provides a great opportunity for new students to immediately engage other students, organizations, faculty and staff,” Rendon said. “Dawg Daze encourages students to maintain and foster relationships and networks established prior to arriving on campus while embracing new relationships.”
Lauren Iupe, chief programming officer for the Student Association, said Dawg Daze benefits freshmen by helping them get out of their dorm rooms and gain new experiences they will carry with them for the next four years.
“Dawg Daze benefits freshmen specifically because it gets them out of their residence halls and out on the campus meeting new people and trying new things,” Iupe said. “The first week of college is very scary and very different than high school life, so Dawg Daze is a way to get them all more relaxed and excited about the next four years of their life.”
Iupe said she really wants students to come out of their shell.
“I want to encourage our new freshman to jump out of their comfort zone and do something different,” Iupe said.