Today: Mar 29, 2024

Discovery Day designed for Accepted Students

Tyler KorponaiOnline Editor

Accepted Students Day this year was revamped as Discovery Day, which encompasses a spring
open house session for prospective students.

Alexis Haakonsen, Director of Admissions, broke down the day’s events.

“Its day to dive a little deeper,” said Haakonsen, “to come to Southern see a little more about
who we are. We connect with them with the deans in each of the schools in the majors that
they have told us they’re interested in.”

An important component of the day according to Haakonsen is to provide a sense of what
education means at Southern.

“They attend a mini class with a faculty member,” said Haakonsen, “maybe not specifically in
their intended major because we know sometimes that can change, but just to have an
experience in a classroom with a faculty member. This is what academic life is at Southern.”

In addition, prospective students get to interact with different university resources and
organizations.

“There’s a student club fair, student resource fair, different offices from around campus, tours,
have lunch in the dining hall, see the residence halls, important things,” said Haakonsen.

On the day of, April 15, prospective students and their parents were gathered in Lyman Hall for
performances from student groups such as singing group Noteorious, who performed a medley
of music by Hozier.

Afterwards, President Joe addressed the audience highlighting Southern’s values, vision, and
future, He cited the expansion of Southern facilities such as a new building for the Health and
Human Services Department. He made a point to emphasize that Southern is a social justice
university committed to diversity, compassion, and the agreement to disagree during
conversation.

However, for Kiley Burrows, a Special and Elementary Education major who also assists during
the day’s events, it’s business as usual.

“This is my second or third time,” said Burrows. “I’ve done it so many times. Today I am leading
students and parents around to classes and leading mini classes after, basically just helping
everyone find their way around. I love seeing how many students come out.”

Burrows finds the day to be a great time to start forming relationships with prospective
students.

“I already talked to a girl who said she committed to Southern,” said Burrows. “She just wanted
to come and see, and that’s awesome. I love to hear that. Today is the exciting day to hype up
the students and parents about coming here, and you want to make them feel at home.”

Friends from their hometown, Ally Moss and Carmen Bellonio are two of these prospective
students who came to see what Southern had to present.

“Well I want to stay close to home starters,” said Moss. “Southern was right for me. They have
my major—speech pathology so I thought it was the perfect place to come. But now that I’m
here, I kind of want to go in undecided to see the other fields that they have.”

Bellonio agrees, “I feel that staying close to home is important,” said Bellonio. “It’s sort of nerve
wracking. I want to meet new people and try new things. And I feel what the president was
talking about before, that there’s so many different things you can do here.”

Photo Credit: Tyler Korponai

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