Pacific Hosts Virtual Winter Week of Welcome
Pacific started off 2021 spring semester with a winter fresh event called “Winter Week of Welcome” (WOW). The virtual program included events, activities, and giveaways to preview upcoming opportunities Pacific will be offering to its Tigers this spring. WOW sought to foster community-building, engagement, fun, and connection among the Pacific students.
The purpose of putting WOW together was to help engage students in key programs, connections, and resources that can help them succeed within their first year at Pacific. It is also open to returning students.
Celia Castro, Coordinator of Student Engagement and Transition Programs and Pacific alum, talked about how she worked with Division of Student Life offices and campus partners to craft a vision for WOW, mainly through social media marketing and promotion through Pacific +.
“With the inevitable decision that we would again be remote this semester due to the pandemic, our office and our partners in the Division of Student Life wanted to ensure that these crucial and fundamental ideals were not lost in a virtual environment- not only for new students, but for continuing undergraduate students as well,” said Castro.
The initial expected outcomes of WOW were to provide students with equitable and accessible opportunities to learn about the services and resources available to them. WOW helped students start the semester off with co-curricular opportunities to enhance their college experiences in this new virtual lifestyle.
The increase in traffic to the Pacific + Canvas hub for information, Pacific news, and extracurricular activities enabled more students to participate in these activities around their
schedule, making WOW week successful in achieving its initial goals. One highlight was the debut “Pacific Fridays” during WOW, which will continue through the semester. “Pacific Fridays will be all about celebrating our Pacific school pride and remembering what unites us as Tigers and encourages participants to wear their Pacific gear or orange and black clothes to keep in Tiger Spirit. The most spirited Tiger will be awarded each month to the most creative outfit displaying Pacific pride,” added Castro.
Castro acknowledges how hard the pandemic lifestyle is for everyone, especially with the absence of the in-person connection, as Pacific is well known for its close-knit community. She speaks about what she gained from the experience: “Nothing can replace being able to interact with one another in-person, and we are living in unprecedented times. But even through the challenges and hardships we face, the creativity, the spirit, and the resiliency of Pacific’s students, staff, and faculty is something to celebrate, and I think that has given us the gift to know that even when we are apart, we can still find meaningful ways to be together.”
The best way for students to stay connected with more details and upcoming events is by following Student Engagement and Transition Programs office on social media. Upcoming events will continue to be planned and scheduled by the Division of Student Life on social media and Pacific +.