Mane Event brings prospective students to campus

Up and coming high school graduates will be given the opportunity to take a look around Texas A&M University-Commerce campus and preview programs they are interested in this Saturday, Oct. 31 at the annual Mane Event. More than 800 students from various high schools in the surrounding area will come to A&M-Commerce to learn about the university and the services it provides.

Vice President of Student Access and Success, Dr. Mary Hendrix, is overseeing all the activities with the Dean of Enrollment and Retention Division, Stephanie Holley, and the Director of Undergraduate Admissions, Hope Young.

"The Mane Event is focusing this year on juniors and seniors and transfer students to get them here to the university to learn more about us, with the goal of them coming here and enrolling," Hendrix said.

The event gives A&M-Commerce a chance to advertise itself to high school students who have not yet discovered what they would like to do after their senior year.

"The goal is just to provide an opportunity for the university to put their best foot forward in terms of showcasing what we have to offer to the public," Holly said.

The word on the event was spread by special communications managers and contacts that the university has with all the major school districts in the area.

"Special publications were created for admission counselors when they go out to their high schools and college fairs and meet with high school counselors," Young said.

Students can begin registering at 8:30 a.m. and Hendrix will begin welcoming them at 9 a.m. There will be information booths set up so attendees will have something to do while they wait for the day to begin.

Students will be given two time slots to fill from a list of programs they have interest in.

"There are tons of options," Holly said. "You may be interested in journalism, and you may also be interested in economics. So you can see journalism in your first block and economics in your second block."

Organizers of the event want students to be in control of their interests and to kind of get a taste of what college life and class might be like.

"They can come and actually experience different academic sessions," Hendrix said. "The academic departments will be demonstrating their own programs."

The schedule is set for a full day of activities and planned events.

"The morning is focused at the student center," Hendrix said. "Then the sessions will be in the department buildings. During the afternoon, activities will gather in the student access and success building."

In the parking lot various student organizations will be dressed in family-friendly Halloween themed costumes for an event called Junk in the Trunk.

"We're doing something called Junk in the Trunk at the success center for Halloween," Hendrix said. "Academic departments and campus life and student organizations will be involved."

They will break briefly for lunch after the morning activities. Lunch, like the rest of the event, will be provided free of charge.

"We're doing a very casual finger food, kind of hot dog, chips, chicken nuggets with a fall festival theme," Holly said.

At the end of the day, the festivities will be concluded with a drawing.

"When we finish we will wrap up the day with a scholarship drawing," Holly said. "Seven to ten students will receive a scholarship for $1000."

For more information, visit http://www.tamu-commerce.edu/home/special/ManeEvent/ or visit the main website at http://www.tamu-commerce.edu and click on the Mane Event button.