More than 1,020 incoming students, including 60 transfer students, were welcomed to campus last week during Welcome Week with the use of technology and tradition.

Dr. Eric Gumm, director of the First-Year Program, said the week consisted of the same team-building exercises that have greeted freshmen for years – with a few minor tweaks.

“We made adjustments to the team-building and Twister events from last year to better balance the time and provide the opportunity for all new students to participate in the giant Twister tradition,” Gumm said.

Alex Abston, junior pre-law communication major from The Woodlands, was a student director of Welcome Week and said a major change in Welcome Week was the use of technology.

“We added a social media component to kind of test running it this year,” Abston said.

Each day brought a new Instagram competition in which students took pictures of their CORE groups and hashtagged it “#ImWakingUp” with the day’s number to gain points for their team in the Mentor Group Olympics.

Abston said the Source Book that was handed out to freshmen upon their arrival in the past was integrated into a free app that students could download on their phones called “Guide Book.” The app contained everything the students needed for the week.

“You can post pictures, you can find out the schedule and it really helps,” Abston said.

Gumm said the freshmen seemed to be enjoying themselves throughout the week.

“Our primary goal for Welcome Week is to prepare the new students for the start of the semester so the overall success of the week will be determined by how well they begin the semester next week,” Gumm said. “At this point all indications are that it has been a very successful, and awakening, Welcome Week.”