Wildcat Week is bringing students one last blast of summer with a 200-foot Slip-n-Slide, a block party and an outdoor concert featuring singer-songwriter Eric Hutchinson.
Caddie Coupe, director of new student programs, said Wildcat Week organizers boosted the number of events from last year’s 65 events to more than 75.
“I added them to make sure we were programming for all kinds of students because we are not all the same,” Coupe said.
New students can slide down the hill behind Smith-Adams Hall on a 200-foot wet tarp. Coupe said ACU allowed Wildcat Week to do a Slip-n-Slide for the first time in 13 years. This year’s block party will take place on Cypress Street with food trucks and local churches. Beffers, FoodEx, Papa Murphy’s, Stillwater Barbecue, The Toasted Traveler, Wholly Cow and 1881 will line up on the block with local churches providing dessert and drinks in the middle of the road.
Students also will participate in a new service project Saturday morning – helping sophomores move in. Service projects were cancelled last year so Coupe and the directors could spend time creating this new service project called “Wildcat Pay it Forward.”
The week will still include such traditions as Mentor Group Olympics, Candlelight Devo, Sunrise Devo, a discussion on Title IX and a traditional Chapel with Dr. Jennifer Shewmaker, director of the Adams Center for Teaching and Learning. The Candlelight Devo will begin at 8:30 p.m. and Robert Oglesby, instructor of Bible, missions and ministry, will speak.
Wednesday will feature a “How to be a Wildcat” event featuring Wildcat Reign, Dr. Phil Schubert and learning the ACU fight song.
Each day students will have free time to participate in different activities. “Action” activities will take place in the Money Student Recreation and Wellness Center and will include bouldering, kayak races and co-ed volleyball. “Community” activities will allow new students to experience Abilene at places downtown, Play Faire Park and the Abilene Zoo. “Unplug” activities will be more relaxed and will include board games, coffee at Monk’s and hammocks at Jacob’s Dream.
The week will once again feature a pep rally on Friday morning with athletes and an ’80s dance party late Friday night. Fifty student organizations will have tables at the Larry Sanders Intramural Field Friday evening during the flag football tournament.
