Welcome to T-Bird Nation

Transcript

Let’s head over to SUU’s Bell Tower to meet psychology major Hadley Cowan and see what life as a T-Bird is really like. Hadley, take it away.

– Hello and welcome to SUU. One of the main reasons why I chose to come to SUU is the sense of community found here. I’m lucky to come from a long line of SUU alumni, including parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, and cousins. While having alumni family members who may have helped me to pick SUU, the student life and community helped me to stay here. Southern Utah University is focused on having positive student life, which is easily seen in the over 100 student events held each year. From Paint the Town Red to freshmen orientation, otherwise known as Thunder U, to athletics and alumni events such as Forever Red, there’s always a campus activity to get involved in. As a new student, each T-Bird has a chance to participate in the Bell Tower tradition. After a welcome address from SUU’s president, students walk up campus toward the Bell Tower. The path leading to the Bell Tower is lined with fellow students, faculty, staff, and SUU alumni. They are all there to officially welcome these new students to the T-Bird nation. Students will walk under the Bell Tower toward the rising sun, symbolizing the sun rising on their time at SUU. And in a few years, those same students will again walk underneath the Bell Tower, but in the opposite direction towards graduation symbolizing their time ending at SUU. When I went through the Bell Tower tradition, it was the first time that I felt that I belonged to something bigger. During my three years as a T-Bird, I’ve had the chance to work as a presidential ambassador for SUU, where I gained 50 instant best friends. Working within admissions and recruitment, I’m able to promote SUU and the programs offered here. I give tours of campus, I visit high schools, and I even get to meet with incoming college students to show them what life is truly like as a T-Bird. Because SUU is so focused on student success, my sense of belonging with the presidential ambassadors is not unique. SUU provides a variety of different organizations that are all dedicated to helping new students find their people and feel connected to one another. Whether you’re a first generation student or come from a long line of college graduates, you’ll find a home and a family here at SUU. New students are taken under their wing, no T-Bird pun intended. Life at SUU is truly unique and made my college decision one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Welcome to the T-Bird Nation. Take it away, Alex.

– Thank you for showing your SUU experience Hadley, your experience walking under the Bell Tower gave me chills. What an awesome tradition for students, and even cooler, that you get to share your love of SUU with alumni family members. That was great, thanks again.