Campus event geared towards college sophomores
Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK) Center for Student Success dedicated its Javelina Squared event to second-year students.
Javelina Squared is an annual social event that includes food, prizes and an information fair for sophomore students. This year’s event, held Sept. 10, invited the sophomore and junior class, since COVID-19 cancelled the event last year, to release bubbles as they welcomed a new semester.
Dr. Shannon Baker, the associate vice president of the Center for Student Success (CfSS), was inspired to host Javelina Squared to educate students.
“We wanted to show students about all the opportunities that await them, such as international travel and undergraduate research, now that they have survived freshmen year,” Baker said.
CfSS handed out some “Javelina Swag,” as some members titled it, which included a raffle ticket to win prizes. To enter the raffle, students had to visit each booth to ensure that they took part in the event. With a variety of booths accessible, many students were elated to find information that was catered to their interests and needs.
“Being a transfer student, I really didn’t have a great first year here with COVID,” Christian Luna, a third-year student, said. “I found that this was a great opportunity to find out more about my campus and what they provide.”
At the end of the event, all participants walked to the Javelina Statue to release their bubbles and hear the raffle results. There were five prizes in total which included two Jalisco Zone passes, two $500 scholarships and an iPad.
“It felt surreal,” sophomore Vielka Rivera, winner of the iPad, said. “I felt like I was winning Miss Universe. I’m so grateful for this.”
The event concluded with a small speech by Dr. Baker saying thank you to all of students and workers who attended. Porky, the TAMUK mascot, took some photos with students before the night filled with bubbles ended.