We have created some activities for you to participate in before Freshmen Fest begins. Activities run between 2-4 PM and you can register for them by clicking on the Freshmen Fest "Click to Register" link at the bottom of the page.
First, we have the IPFW Expedition, our take on the Amazing Race. You will make your way through our campus’s buildings and grounds following the clues. You will need to use your head and some talent to complete the tasks, but once complete you will get the chance to win an incredible prize. Not $1,000,000, but something just as nice and that fits inside a treasure chest. This is a timed event and you will need a partner to make your way through the competition to win the reward; wait that is Survivor; anyway, you get the point. Don’t have a partner? No worries, we will find you one the day of the event. Limited to the first 50 teams to sign up.
Not so into the Amazing Race? Try your hand at Speed Stacks. 
Started in 1985 in
So, you don’t like running around campus and solving riddles
or stacking cups, how about a card game, or better yet, euchre. Grab a partner and sit down and play some
euchre, wasn’t that invented in
Feeling a bit hungry?
Well, IPFW Student Government will be around from 2-4 PM handing out
some wonderful refreshments: sno cones,
popcorn, cotton candy, slushes, and who knows what else, but I know it’s gonna
be good.
Books, books, and more BOOKs: You can use this time to visit the IPFW Bookstore to pick up your books for the semester. Actually, you can do this at any time after you have officially registered for classes, but beat the rush and get it done early. Many books will be available at that time, or you can visit Folletts Bookstore to order your books online, save on gas, avoid the lines and travel time, and have them sent directly to your home. Your books can also be delivered to the bookstore, already prepaid, and all you have to do is pick them up.
Official Check In:
So, how do you tell one freshman from another? Your IPFW Mastodon ID Card, silly. At 4 PM, you can pick up your official, one-of-a-kind, Mastodon ID Card. It is like a credit card but better, there is no annual fee or monthly charges. There is a whole series of things your card gets you, but here are just a few: access to Gates Fitness Center, Admission to all IPFW home sporting events, borrowing privileges with the IPFW Helmke Library, discounted software from the bookstore, admission to IPFW theater productions and music concerts (these are all free by the way). You can also use your card to make photocopies or receive discounts at local restaurants. For all other uses visit the Mastodon Card website: (www.ipfw.edu/idcards/acquire/discounts.shtml). It’s the card with clout!
You are probably wondering what else does IPFW have to offer
and “How can I get involved?” IPFW has
over 105 student organizations and a plethora of resources, all available to
help you make the most of your freshmen year and collegiate experience. There will be a Student Organization and
Resource fair at Freshman Fest for you to check out and see what interests you.
You will get a Passport Card at check-in and we encourage you to fill it out by
visiting 5 organizations and 3 resources that appeal to your academic or social
interests. You will need to acquire
signatures from representatives you meet, fill out your contact information
and drop it off for a drawing for one of the many prizes we will be giving away
throughout the night. For a complete
list of the student organizations at IPFW visit (www.ipfw.edu/stulife).
At 5 pm we will have a special Keynote Speaker that will inspire you, well if not inspire, certainly make you think. Dr. William Keim is a principle author of the book, “Keys to Success in College and Life.” He inspires students to make life-giving and empowering choices in many areas that include community service, peacemaking, parental relations, and success training for life. Dr. Keim frequently states, “I cannot motivate you. I can only inspire you to make good choices. The only person who can motivate you is YOU!” Be sure to attend this presentation to prepare for your first year at IPFW!
What’s that grumbling? Is that your stomach? Well, we have just the thing.
We are having a cookout just for you, immediately following
Dr. Keim’s presentation. We will be
grilling and chilling, Mastodon Style.
You know, no one can chill out like a Mastodon, well minus the whole La
Brea Tar Pit thing. C’mon! Hang with your friends or meet new ones. This is the kickoff to the second half of the
night. We will be completing the Euchre
tournament and will also have several other games and challenges for you to
participate in and win more prizes.
So put on your dancing shoes or warm up your pipes as we present the official Mastodon Dance and Karaoke Event. This event is co-sponsored by the Waterfield Student Housing and the Freshmen Fest committee to give you the opportunity to let loose and have some fun. Do the Cha Cha Slide, the Electric Slide, Cupid Shuffle or Iggy Shuffle, anyway you move, do it on the dance floor. We just ask “No poodle skirts.”
We welcome you to IPFW and the start of your collegiate
years as a Mastodon. Please follow the
link to register for Freshmen Fest and sign up for anything that tickles your
fancy, or puts butterflies in your stomach.
Check with your friends too so you can be a team for some of the
competition. Although, it is not
required to have this much fun at Freshmen Fest, why on Earth would you not
want to participate? You don’t have to
pay a cent; heaven knows that all your change will be going for late night
pizza once you’re in classes anyway. We
look forward to meeting you at Freshmen Fest.
