By Sarah Wang | Staff Writer
Baylor Student Activities will be hosting Late Night on Aug. 26 from 9 p.m. to midnight. The annual event is an opportunity for incoming students to meet student leaders from more than 300 organizations and to learn how they can get involved on campus.
Jacob Scroggins, assistant director of student organizations, said the event’s sole purpose of offering students the chance to connect with each other is what makes it so highly anticipated. Additionally, he said Late Night traces back to the transformational education Baylor offers, which begins with fostering a sense of place and belonging among students.
“It is a beautiful thing to see our entire student body coming together to find connection and take an active role in our Baylor community,” Scroggins said.
According to Scroggins, the connections formed at Late Night foster “friendship, faith exploration, leadership, a service mindset, academic achievement and understanding of others.” He said the organizations take an active role in introducing freshmen to the Baylor community before following up with those who showed interest in their clubs and inviting them to events.
“Late Night is just the launching point for a student’s connection to community at Baylor,” Scroggins said.
Scroggins also said freshmen have many other opportunities to immerse themselves in the Baylor community through Baylor events, particularly those held during the first six weeks.
Qingdao, China, sophomore Cai Gao spent his freshman year online, so this semester is his first on campus. He said his experience integrating himself into the Baylor community has gone smoothly so far; he attended Global Bears Week as well as a week of orientation dedicated to international students.
“Apart from the opportunities provided by Baylor, I think the key is to be bold in communicating and socializing with others,” Gao said. “The Baylor community is always friendly to new faces.”
