By Alexander D. Brickey

CIU Student Writer

The Columbia International University Class of 2024 has begun to settled into their fall semester classes, but not before a Welcome Weekend of activities.

“One of my personal favorite parts of Move-In Weekend is just getting to meet new students and talking to them and their families and finding out where they’re from,” said Noah Brown, a returning Humanities major. “It’s great!”

The weekend was filled with events. After getting settled into their new home, students gathered to play a game called “Mission: Impossible.” They roamed the campus under the cover of darkness to reach designated areas without being identified by student leaders with flashlights. A strategy employed by the men of Cassels Residence Hall was to openly approach the areas under a tarp so as not to be identified. 

“My favorite part was getting together with all of my housemates and getting under a tarp using the idea of working smarter not harder, essentially having a team bonding experience,” said Psychology major Scott Campbell, who is also a Cassels R.A.  

Friday included small groups and informative sessions regarding the expectations of joining the community at CIU. And to wrap up the day, a game of Grocery Bingo was held in the Dining Hall. The room was filled with students eagerly waiting for their numbers to be called. Tyler Tong, assistant dean of student activities, announced the prizes: Amazon gift cards, a Google home speaker, a bean bag chair, and most coveted of all, a pair of Apple AirPods.

On Saturday and Sunday, students gathered in The Quad, sliding down an inflatable waterslide and exchanging names, Frisbees, and stories, providing a common ground in which students could casually come together and grow as a community.

Brennan Minton, a transfer student majoring in Bible said he didn’t have much downtime over the weekend, but that was OK.

“It helped break the ice,” Minton said. “Everybody here has been very receptive and very welcoming. And everybody, the staff included, has been very generous and very kind, making you feel like you belong here.”

BestColleges.com ranks Columbia International University the 2020 Best Online College in South Carolina, and CIU is #2 in the state for Best College Campus. CIU also consistently ranks among the Top Regional Universities in the South by U.S. News & World Report. Request information on enrollment at CIU and Columbia Biblical Seminary or call (800) 777-2227, ext. 5024.