On March 7, Sam Houston State University invited students and families to Saturday @ Sam, an event intended to show students what SHSU has to offer and how to connect with the campus communities. Students had the opportunity meet faculty, explore degree paths and experience what it means to be a Bearkat.
Dr. Alisa White, President of SHSU, welcomed attendees with a heartfelt letter that provided attendees with warmth and security as they navigate SHSU.
“You probably have your own definition of what the college experience should be,” White stated. “You may see it only as an opportunity to study hard and get a degree; you might see it as one big social experience. My hope is that your college experience is somewhere in between. College is more than just a path to a degree; it’s an opportunity to explore the world around you and build a foundation on which to live the life you want to live.”
Attendees checked in at 7:45 a.m. between the Johnson Coliseum parking garage and Frank Parker Plaza to get their day started. After checking in, attendees were provided a campus tour to explore all that SHSU has to offer to its students.
Next, the event moved to admissions and financial aid sessions. This session provided attendees with essential information on getting their SHSU journey started. Attendees learned how to register for courses, apply for scholarships and campus life at SHSU.
The primary goal of this event is for attendees to gain insight into what degree programs might interest them at SHSU. The following two sessions were academic overviews. The event offered more than one academic overview session to allow attendees the flexibility to experiment with multiple degree plans.
One degree plan that stood out during “Saturday @ Sam” was mass communication, located in the Dan Rather Communications Building. The department chair, Dr. Nam Young Kim, led a presentation that provided attendees with an overview of degree concentrations, minors, student organizations and hands-on experience within the MCOM department.
“Our department mission is to make our students ready for tomorrow’s media industry, so we have lots of concentrations for students to choose,” said Kim.
The four concentrations include: Broadcast production, multi-platform journalism, public relations and advertising and film.
Associate chair Debbie Hatton was introduced by Kim to provide additional information on concentrations and degrees with MCOM.
“One thing about this department that a lot of departments don’t have, and that is, we have five classes in the university core,” said Hatton.
After the presentation, attendees took a tour around the building. LeeAn Muns, broadcast production track coordinator, led one group of attendees to the radio station and production studios. The other group was led by Marcus Funk, multiplatform journalism track coordinator, to the podcasting stations and equipment room.
In addition, other colleges such as the College of Criminal Justice, Business Administration, Education, Health Science, Humanities & Social Science and Science & Engineering also led academic overviews to their attendees.
Throughout the event, there was open housing and tabling found at Parker Plaza for students to interact with different organizations and departments within SHSU. “Saturday @ Sam” concluded at 2 p.m. with what appeared to be a successful turnout.
