Welcome future Bearkats!
Last Saturday, Nov. 21, SHSU hosted its biannual preview day, Saturdays @ Sam, for potential students looking to make Sam Houston their place of study and home away from home.
Saturdays @ Sam is held to promote Sam Houston to prospective students and their families, and to show what the school has to offer.
“We try to highlight as many programs as we can, including the academic fields that each student might be interested in studying, as well as organizations on campus,” Susan Houston, enrollment management counselor and Saturdays @ Sam coordinator, said.
At Saturdays @ Sam, students are divided up by their majors and are given information on the field that they are looking to study and what SHSU can offer them in that field.
“First thing students do is go to a classroom where they get information on their potential major, whether it be Criminal Justice, Fashion Merchandising, etc. Whatever they are, we have teachers and faculty to give them an overview of what to expect with that major,” Houston said.
During their visit to the campus, students and parents are able to go on campus tours given by volunteers and self-guided tours through the residence halls. There is also an organization fair where students can get questions answered about Financial Aid, Residence Life or any other department, and see what organizations the school has to offer.
Something that was new this semester at Saturdays @ Sam was the Junior Bearkats Program.
“From the time they check-in till the academic sessions are over (8:00- 10:30), we have the younger brothers and sisters of the students visiting over in one of the gyms where they play games and do activities,” Houston said. “This program develops loyalty to Sam Houston at an early age.”
Due to rain, the turnout was lower than what was expected, but the number of people that registered prior to the event totaled to over 2,100.
To get Saturdays @ Sam in motion, it takes contributions from the entire campus- departments, organizations, professors and volunteers.
“Saturdays @ Sam takes about 200 volunteers to run
and we wouldn’t be able to do it without them,” Houston said.
Sophomore and second time Saturdays @ Sam volunteer, Lauren Lampe, wanted to be a volunteer at Saturdays @ Sam because of the positive experience she got from the event before becoming a student.
“Saturdays @ Sam was fun for me and so I decided I would help out,” Lampe said. “I think Saturdays @ Sam is a good event because you get the opportunity to talk to professors, which I think really helps out because you can get a feel for what you would be like in a classroom, and you also get to walk the campus and see what it’s like.”
The next Saturdays @ Sam will be held March 27, 2010.
Contact the Visitor Center for more information on the event and volunteering.