Willie J. Young, Sr. Off-Campus and Commuter Student Engagement will host Welcome Week events in the University District and on-campus at the Student Involvement Fair from Aug. 18-22. Credit: Casey Cascaldo | Lantern File Photo
Students can look forward to food, goodies and Welcome Week events in the University District and on campus over the next few days.
The off-campus community can enjoy free food trucks, home safety devices and welcome bags containing information on the neighborhood and coupons for local businesses from Aug. 18-22, Rachel DeMooy, the Willie J. Young, Sr. Off-Campus and Commuter Student Engagement program manager, said in an email. Students will also be able to connect with OCCSE at the Student Involvement Fair and provide suggestions for off-campus community building.
“While these events are geared toward welcoming back off-campus and commuter students, we also welcome any community members and long-term residents,” DeMooy said.
This year’s off-campus Welcome Week events were formulated after two ideas sessions with students, Tracy Stuck, the Office of Student Life’s program director, said in an email.
“We took their concepts and developed multiple welcome-back moments for the University District,” Stuck said. “Following a recommendation from students, we are using reusable grocery bags printed with ‘Be Kind’ and ‘Be Well’ messages.”
Student Life will give away 10,000 welcome bags to off-campus students living in the University District Aug. 18 and 19, DeMooy said. The bags, which include free or discounted items from local businesses and mental health resources and information, will be distributed to individual residences, Greek life communities and apartment complexes.
Off-campus students will also be treated to free food with the Off-Campus Food Truck Event Aug. 20 at 4 p.m., DeMooy said. Two taco trucks will give out food at three stops on Indianola Avenue at the intersections of Chittenden, 16th and Norwich avenues.
DeMooy said students can follow the trucks’ route throughout the day via the office’s Instagram, @offcampus_osu. She added that they will be able to enjoy the food trucks with their neighbors and pick up free safety devices for their new house or apartment.
The OCCSE offers free safety devices year-round at the Ohio Union, including window and door alarms and safety light timers, according to its website. Students can also receive devices from the university by filling out this form.
The office will also participate in the Aug. 22 Student Involvement Fair, Demooy said. Students can provide input on off-campus programming, discover more about their neighborhoods and learn about support available at Ohio State.
“We welcome any off-campus or commuter student to stop by our table with questions or suggestions of what they would like to see in their community this year,” Demooy said.
