Gold Rush Days
Gold Rush Days at Southwest Minnesota State University is our new student orientation program designed to help you smoothly transition to life as a Mustang. During Gold Rush Days, you will have the opportunity to participate in various events, some outside, some in-person with distancing, some with small groups, and some virtual. The programming will assist you in navigating the campus and connecting with new and current Mustangs, faculty, staff, as well as the Marshall community, all while having a blast and staying healthy! We are excited to welcome you to campus and to our Mustang Family.
If you’d like to learn more about the process of returning to campus, visit our Mustangs Return page https://www.smsu.edu/mustangsreturn/index.html
Departments on campus are available to help you during Gold Rush Days with extended hours, visit this link to find more detail.
Before you arrive:
- Check your SMSU.edu email often.
- Important information regarding move-in, coming to campus, and fall course delivery will be sent to your SMSU.edu email.
- Sign-up for a move-in time.
- You must sign up in advance. Check your email for your personal link to book a time.
- Save QR Code for check-in.
- You will receive a QR code via email that you will use for check-in. You will not be able to move-in without a reservation.
- Complete health survey before arrival.
- The day of your move-in you, and all members of your group, must complete the health self-assessment survey: www.minnstate.edu/CV19-SMSU. Completion of the survey gives you authorization to be on campus, if you are healthy.*
* If you are sick, have any symptoms, or have a fever, please stay home. Follow guidelines provided on our site for how to proceed: www.smsu.edu/mustangsreturn
Move-In Day
Move-In for Incoming First-Year Students
Make sure to check your smsu.edu email and find the link to select your Move-In time.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 2020
If you are unable to move-in on the 20th contact Residence Life at 507-537-6136 or email reslife@smsu.edu
Gold Rush Days Schedule
| Time | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 8:00 - 5:00 p.m. | Residence Hall Check IN | Birch Street outside Naoutha |
| 8:00 - 6:00 p.m. | Mustang ID Generation Students, you can come to campus anytime between now and the start of class to get your Mustang ID. Call 507-537-6573 to see how you can get your Mustang ID mailed to you! Once on campus during Gold Rush Days, the Mustang Card Center (student center) and a second Mustang Card station (Conference Center) will be open Thursday August 20 & Friday, August 21 from 8 am – 6 pm. The student will need a form of photo ID, like a driver’s license, High School ID, or passport to verify who they are. |
|
| 10:00 - 12:00 p.m. | SMSU Alumni Schwan's Ice Cream Enjoy some Schwan’s Ice Cream sponsored by the SMSU Alumni Office! |
Central Field |
| 10:00-12:00 p.m. | FREE Chair Massages Enjoy a FREE chair massage courtesy of Health Source of Marshall. |
Central Field |
| 11:00 - 1:00 p.m. | Picnic/Lunch | Student Center / Alumni Plaza |
| 1:00 - 5:00 p.m. | Campus and Classroom Tours |
Fireplace/Comfy Couches 2nd Floor Student Center |
| 5:00 - 6:00 p.m. | Mustang Meetings | On Campus – Residence Halls Off Campus - Fireplace/Comfy Couches 2nd Floor Student Center |
| 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. | Dinner Eat with your Orientation Leaders & RA’s |
Residential Restaurant |
| 7:30 - 8:30 p.m. | Blake Fly Your Mustang trail starts here. Using live music, storytelling and appropriate humor Blake will give the keys to unlock your full potential at SMSU and inspire your peers to do the same by accessing new opportunities available to you as a college student. |
Viewing Party Rooms in Academic Buildings |
| 9:00 - 10:00 p.m. |
Virtual Game Show Login on your device to play in an interactive pop-culture trivia virtual game show. There will be a mix of awesome games and trivia interspersed with fun audience participation. Have a blast while testing your knowledge! Advance into prize rounds to win! |
| Time | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 7:30 - 9:00 a.m. | Breakfast | Residential Restaurant |
| 8:00 - 6:00 p.m. | Mustang ID Generation Haven't gotten your Mustang ID yet? You can come and get that checked off your list! |
Conference Center Upper Ballroom |
| 9:00 - 9:20 a.m. | Mustang Meetings | On Campus – Residence Halls Off Campus – RA Lobby |
| 9:20 - 10:00 a.m. | New Student Photo Join the rest of the incoming Mustang Family and take part in the biggest group photo you’ve ever seen! |
Regional Event Center |
| 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. | Convocation Your official welcome to campus from the SMSU administration, faculty and staff! Hear from President Kumara Jayasuriya, and a featured alumni speaker, about how to find success early and throughout your SMSU career! Students will be divided into groups by declared major. Undecided students will also be grouped together. |
Viewing Party Rooms in Academic Buildings based on Academic Major |
| 11:00 - 12:15 p.m. | Meet Your Advisor In this session you will learn more about your major, meet your faculty advisor, and hear more about the classes and opportunities that await you! If you are undeclared, there will be a special session to help you explore the majors offered at SMSU! |
Viewing Party Rooms in Academic Buildings based on Academic Major |
| 11:30 - 1:00 p.m. | Lunch | Residential Restaurant |
| 1:30 - 2:00 p.m. | Playfair PLAYFAIR is totally unlike anything else you have ever experienced. It’s entertainment! It’s fun! It’s the perfect way to make new campus friendships! PLAYFAIR is a great way to meet other new students and promotes campus unity and school spirit! |
Connect with individual devices – spread out across campus (residence halls, Student Center, academic buildings) |
| 2:30 - 3:30 p.m. | Jumpstart to Finding a Job On-Campus or in the Marshall Community Get prepared to land a job on-campus at SMSU or in the Marshall community. Career Services will explain Handshake, SMSU’s job search platform, that will be used to host the SMSU Part-Time Job & Volunteer Virtual Fair on Tuesday, August 25. Financial Aid will provide information on how your work study financial aid award can help you land a job and how you can work on campus if you don’t have a work study award. Tips for how to apply for campus jobs and attend the virtual fair will be given. |
Upper Student Center |
| 2:45 - 5:30 p.m. |
Activity Block |
|
| Sand Volleyball Sign up for Sand Volleyball before 1:00 p.m. in the Student Center and arrive at the courts by 2:45 p.m. for announcements. Sign up individually or with a team! |
Sand Volleyball Courts | |
| Bean Bags | Central Field | |
| Slip and Slide Kickball | Grass Lot by Campus Daycare. Game times will be posted. | |
| Mustang Zone Games Come chill in the Mustang Zone! Play billiards, table tennis, PS4 and WiiU for free! |
Mustang Zone | |
| 3:00 - 3:30 p.m. | Mental Health Awareness Transitioning to college can present some challenges. Get some helpful tips on dealing with them and find out how SMSU Counseling and Testing Services can help in this Zoom session with a professional staff member from the office. Log on with your own device or come to Student Center 249 to participate. |
Online |
| 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. | Student Success Tips - Academics Prepare yourself for your 1st semester of college with some tips to help you achieve the academic success you want. |
SC 207 |
| 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. | Access Opportunity Success (AOS) This session is an opportunity to meet AOS service Faculty find out how the program can assist you while attending SMSU. |
AOS/ODI Commons East |
| 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. | Mustang BBQ | RA Facility Parking Lot |
| 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. | You. Me. We. - Presentation 1 GTC Dramatic Dialogs theatre troupe acts out two scenes of often-unintentional presentations of prejudice. The performances sets the stage for an interactive program in which you can present your opinions on some of the hottest topics of the day in preparation for successfully navigating multi-cultural campus relationships. |
Viewing Party Rooms in Academic Buildings – Divide By Residence Hall |
| 7:30 - 9:00 p.m. | Sex Signals - Presentation 1 Sex Signals has become one of the most popluar sexual assault prevention programs on college campuses through its unorthodox, humor-facilitated approach to examining our culture, sex and the core issue of bystander intervention. A 2-person team of highly trained educators take the audience on an interactive, relevant and often hilarious exploration of beliefs, behaviors and gender sterotypes related to dating and sexual interaction. |
Viewing Party Rooms in Academic Buildings – Divide By Residence Hall |
| 9:00 - 11:30 p.m. | Movie on the Scoreboard Mustang Athletics is proud of the SMSU student section being the best in the conference. They want to welcome the newest Mustangs to the team before the movie Remember the Titans plays on the big screen at the Regional Event Center. |
Regional Event Center |
| Time | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. | Campus and Classroom Tours Need another tour of campus or want help finding your classrooms? The SMSU Orientation Leaders will be available to show you around campus! Bring your class schedule and they’ll even show you where your classrooms are. Available to all new students! Also available on Sunday at 3:00 PM. |
Fireplace/Comfy Couches 2 nd Floor Student Center |
| 10:00 - 12:00 p.m. | Scavenger Hunt Get to know more about the SMSU campus and win some cool prizes. Join the Gold Rush Scavenger Hunt! You can play as an individual or create a team of up to three people. The hunt can be completed in 45 minutes. (Register and begin the hunt no later than 11:15.) You’ll share completed hunt picture sot be eligible for prizes. |
Meet at Lower Level SC |
| 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. | Brunch | Residential Restaurant |
| 12:00 - 3:30 p.m. | Mud Volleyball A staple of Gold Rush Days, Mud Volleyball is an event you won’t want to miss! Sponsored by Mustang Maniacs, you can sign up with your orientation leader. If you need a team the orientation leaders will find one for you. Complimentary showers on site after the game! Game times will be posted. |
Green Lot (west of campus) |
| 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. |
Activity Block |
|
| Laser Tag & Amusement Games Get ready for some high-energy tag! Come to the RA Facility to get a time for your laser tag game. Bring a team or come as an individual and we will pair you up. Games to play while you wait for your turn. |
RA Facility | |
| Frisbee Disk Golf BYOD (Bring Your Own Discs) or borrow some of ours (based on availability) and enjoy an afternoon playing disc golf on our 18-hole course. |
SS Parking Lot – Campus Disk Golf Course Hole #1 | |
| Hammock Hang Come and chill in our hammocks in the trees outside the Social Science building on the northwest end of the academic buildings. We’ll have hammocks, but if you have one, feel free to bring it. |
Grounds Next to Social Science Building | |
| Wiffle Ball Sign up with your orientation leader. Game times will be posted. |
Residence Hall Central Field | |
| 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. | Web Survival Recap Need a refresher on accessing your SMSU email, online classes, e-services, and more? This Zoom meeting led by a member of the SMSU admission team will get you all the important information you need. Log on with your own device or come to Student Center 249 to participate. |
Zoom Meeting from SC 249 |
| 5:00 - 5:30 p.m. | Intramurals Intro Over 80% of students participate in intramurals every year! Find out what we offer, how to sign up and also learn about possible employment positions with intramurals! |
Postponed. Watch the Mustang app for details. |
| 5:00 - 6:30 p.m. | Dinner | Residential Restaurant |
| 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. | You. Me. We. - Presentation 2 GTC Dramatic Dialogs theatre troupe acts out two scenes of often-unintentional presentations of prejudice. The performances sets the stage for an interactive program in which you can present your opinions on some of the hottest topics of the day in preparation for successfully navigating multi-cultural campus relationships. |
Viewing Party Rooms in Academic Buildings – Divide By Residence Hall |
| 7:00 - 8:10 p.m. | Sex Signals - Presentation 2 Sex Signals has become one of the most popluar sexual assault prevention programs on college campuses through its unorthodox, humor-facilitated approach to examining our culture, sex and the core issue of bystander intervention. A 2-person team of highly trained educators take the audience on an interactive, relevant and often hilarious exploration of beliefs, behaviors and gender sterotypes related to dating and sexual interaction. |
Viewing Party Rooms in Academic Buildings – Divide By Residence Hall |
| 8:30 - 11:30 p.m. | STAT Bonfire/Fire Pits Come join us for a bonfire to kick off the semester right! We’ll provide the music and good vibes! Sponsored by Students Today Alumni Tomorrow and Mustang Traditions. |
Green lot (west of campus) |
| Time | Event | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 10:30 - 11:30 a.m. | Yoga in the Courtyard Take some time to de-stress and center yourself before starting the semester. No experience with yoga? No problem! All skill levels are welcome! Bring your own mat (or towel) and water! Be sure to wear something comfortable. |
Central Courtyard |
| 11:00 - 1 p.m. | Brunch | Residential Restaurant |
| 11:30 - 1 p.m. | Cupcake Contest Try your hand at cupcake decorating! The cupcakes and decorations are provided. Be sure to bring your A game because we’ll have prizes for the winners! Plus, who doesn’t love to eat cupcakes?! |
Upper SC |
| 11:30 - 1:00 p.m. | Soccer Open Pickup Game Sponsored by the SMSU Soccer Club, enjoy a game of soccer at the Regional Event Center! All skills levels are welcome! |
REC |
| 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. | How to Use the MAT Bus System
Getting around Marshall isn’t too tough, but using the MAT Bus system makes it even easier. Come for a session explaining the routes of the different Marshall Area Transit (MAT) bus system lines to learn how to get around town for fun, food, and shopping for the things you need without driving. |
Meet in
Conference Center - Upper Ballroom |
| 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. | Transfer Student Social Transferring to SMSU? Stop by the coffee house for your favorite Starbucks beverage on us and meet other incoming transfer students. We’ll chat, answer questions, and hear from some current students who transferred to SMSU. Prizes will be available. |
Coffee Shop |
| 3:00 - 4:00 p.m. | Campus and Classroom Tours Need another tour of campus or want help finding your classrooms? The SMSU Orientation Leaders will be available to show you around campus! Bring your class schedule and they’ll even show you where your classrooms are. Available to all new students! |
Fireplace/Comfy Couches 2nd Floor Student Center |
| 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. | Shooters Sporting Clays Whether you’re a skilled marksman or a novice, come join us at Shooters Sporting Clays for some stress-relieving recreational clay target shooting! Bring your own shotgun and eye protection (sunglasses, safety goggles, etc.) or use some available on site. There will be a caravan leaving from the Loop at 3:45pm outside of the Conference Center. Find a ride and bring a buddy! Sponsored by University Sportsperson’s Association. |
10713 300th Street, Marshall, MN 56258 |
| 4:30 - 5:30 p.m. | Drama Club Improv Join the SMSU Drama Club as they present an evening filled with hilarious original sketches, comedic scenes and much more! |
Courtyard (Quad) |
| 5:00 - 6:30 p.m. | Dinner | Residential Restaurant |
| 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. |
Mustang Happy Hour |
Coffee Shop |
| 7:30 - 8:00 p.m. | Final Mustang Meetings |
On Campus – Residence Halls Off Campus - Fireplace/Comfy Couches 2nd Floor Student Center |
