#CougarWelcome is a 36-hour online event inviting alumni and others to offer advice, share memories, and send their best to new students.
Anyone who has spent time in Charleston has spotted a festive pineapple on a fountain, wrought iron gate and elsewhere. While it may not have originated here, this symbol of hospitality has been long embraced by this city known for its welcoming spirit.
As the College prepares for tomorrow’s Move In Day, pineapples will also start popping up on campus. They are part of a new program called #CougarWelcome, which kicks off at noon, Thursday, Aug. 20, 2015, and runs through midnight on Friday, Aug. 21.
Alumni and others will pass along this striking symbol as a greeting to incoming students.
Powered by social media, #CougarWelcome is a 36-hour online event inviting alumni and the College community to offer advice, share memories and send their best to newbies and returning students. In the days leading up to the event, alumni have posted comments, such as suggested favorite classes and cautioning words about tripping on the famously tricky bricks. Others have tagged and teased former roommates with a few vivid recollections about residence hall life.
The pineapple is a symbol of hospitality long embraced by the welcoming City of Charleston.
And about that pineapple: When Cougars and friends contribute to the College of Charleston Fund during the 36-hour time frame, the Annual Giving Office will also execute on-campus promotions to welcome students. These include the posting of alumni-sponsored paper pineapples in residence halls and welcome signs sporting the tropical fruit in Cistern Yard.
“The goal is to secure 360 participants showing their support for the College of Charleston,” says Laurie Soenen, director of annual giving programs for the College’s Division of Institutional Advancement. This inaugural program is certain to demonstrate to the new class that the College’s community of alumni, parents, faculty and staff is here for them from the first day they land on campus.
Watch the video below to see how pineapples figure into #CougarWelcome.
