Welcome Week marks the beginning of more than 125 events hosted by the Student Activities Association on campus each year.

The association’s coordinator Nathan Darce said the student-run organization hosts Welcome Week to provide the opportunity to both first-year and returning students to participate in fun events on campus.

“These events are designed for students to make friends and experience something new,” Darce said.

The area surrounding the Union becomes home to a variety of activities for students to experience during the week.

“Welcome Week is a great way for students to become familiar with everything ‘Ole Miss’- the campus, the culture, and the student organizations to get plugged into,” director Anna Leigh Phillips said.

Phillips said the week is organized in a way to show students what the university has to offer them.

“Hopefully, students can walk away with an idea of how they want to leave their legacy on campus.” Phillips said this is the time of the year when student organizations are searching for new members to get involved.

Welcome Week began last Friday with a movie in the Grove. The beginning of the week was filled with social activities like a photo booth, the “Get Involved Fair” and free snow cones.

Students participating in Welcome Week activities are posting pictures on social media, one of the most popular posts being the “Ball Pit with Strangers.”

Sophomore communications sciences and disorders major Courtney Moffett was eating lunch at the Union when she saw the ball pit out in front.

“I thought it looked like fun so I got in line with my friend and someone took our picture. I got to meet and interact with a few people during the process so that was nice,” Moffett said. “Welcome Week is a fun way to welcome the students back to campus.”

SAA coordinates with vendors, other student organizations and departments like the Alumni Association, Ole Miss Athletics and the Center for Inclusion and Cross-Cultural Engagement to plan the entire week.

Other events happening this week include a Multicultural Perspective program, “Pancakes on the Plaza”, “Union Unplugged”, “Late Night with Campus Rec” and more.

The final day of Welcome Week is Friday and will feature former American Idol winner Fantasia on the Grove stage at 7 p.m.

-Lana Ferguson