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- Week of Welcome & Valley Ballyhoo
Week of Welcome & Valley Ballyhoo
Week of Welcome
At WCU, we plan a week of events to welcome our students to campus! From information fairs, comedians, and concerts, there's something for everyone everyday.
Convocation and Class of 2027 Photo
New Student Convocation is an important event that marks the official welcome to the university. We are excited to congratulate and celebrate the arrival of WCU's new students with an event they will not forget! WCU's Chancellor, Provost, Deans, Faculty, and staff convene to help mark the significance of this occasion. Convocation is our official welcome and Commencement is our official congratulations!
Afterward, all students will take to the field for the tradition of forming the numbers of the year they anticipate to graduate and will be given the chosen shirt they voted on at Summer Orientation.
Start your first weekend in Cullowhee by joining your classmates in this historical event to welcome you to WCU. We hope to see you all there!
Valley Ballyhoo!
Valley Ballyhoo is the annual fair featuring student organizations, WCU Departments and Programs, and community organizations! Hosted on Saturday, August 19 from 4:00 pm- 6:00 pm on the Central Plaza over 150 groups will be present.
WOW Concert
A Week of Welcome tradition! The WOW Concert will be on Thursday, August 24 on the Central Plaza with a DJ starting at 7:00 pm and the performer starting at 8:00 pm. And the performer is...Jesse McCartney!
Maintaining a career marked by platinum success, performances for two U.S. presidents, sold out shows worldwide, a quarter-of-a-billion streams, and dozens of film and television appearances, Jesse McCartney opens up more than ever on his 2021 fifth full-length album, New Stage. The New York-born and Los Angeles-based singer, songwriter, artist, and actor deconstructs his signature style with no-frills instrumentation, eloquent songcraft, and heightened lyrical vulnerability.
He diligently worked to reach this stage. Since his debut as a solo artist, Jesse has built a catalog of instantly recognizable anthems and captivated audiences on the road and on-screen. His first three albums — the platinum Beautiful Soul [2004], Right Where You Want Me [2006], and Departure [2008] — consecutively bowed in the Top 15 of the Billboard Top 200 with the singles "Beautiful Soul" minted gold and "Leavin'" certified platinum. Plus, he collaborated with T-Pain on the cross-genre banger "Body Language." Meanwhile, Spin touted In Technicolor among its "Top 20 Pop Albums of 2014." Along the way, he performed in arenas alongside the likes of New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys in addition to packing global headline tours and hosting shows for both George W. Bush and Barack Obama. A sought-after songwriter, he notably wrote the quadruple-platinum GRAMMY® Award-nominated "Bleeding Love" for Leona Lewis. In 2018, the one-off single "Better With You" racked up nearly 30 million cumulative streams and paved the way for his fifth offering. Simultaneously, his acting credits grew to include everything from Chernobyl Diaries and Fear The Walking Dead to Alvin and the Chipmunks, and even voicing the character Roxas/Ventus in gamer favorite Kingdom Hearts.
In the end, Jesse McCartney ultimately shows who he is on New Stage.
The concert is free and open to all. Meet and Greets with the performer are available for purchase!
Valley Ballyhoo Registration
RSOs may register starting Tuesday, May 2nd. WCU Departments and Affiliate Programs
may register starting Monday, May 15. Community Partners may register starting Monday,
May 29. Registrations are on MyDCA.wcu.edu.
Need help registering?
Please look over the following before registering for the event.
- All registrations are first-come first-serve. We will accept registrants until all available slots are filled.
- There are no sales or solicitations of any kind allowed at Valley Ballyhoo. Only information and giveaways are permitted.
- For directory purposes, all registrants must be registered by Aug. 4th to have their name printed on the directory. All others after Aug. 4th will be handwritten.
- Specific requests (table placement, special equipment, etc.) can be indicated on the actual registration form but are not guaranteed. You may be asked to follow up with someone in the Department of Campus Activities. Animals are not permitted at the event as part of an exhibit.
- You will receive a confirmation email (with directions and other details) the week leading up to the event. In order to check in and receive your table number, you must bring a printed copy of the confirmation email you will receive after registering.
- Registrants may arrive to begin setting up their table no earlier than 3:00pm the day of the event. Check-in will not be available before 3:00pm. Registrants must arrive by 3:45pm to maintain the reserved status of their table. After 3:45pm, tables will be released to those on a waitlist.
- Waitlisted groups may arrive around 3:30pm to check the status of their request. No tables will be release prior to 3:45pm.
- Power is not available for Valley Ballyhoo tables.
- Tents will not be provided, but you may bring one; maximum size allowed is a 10’x10’. You must bring weights for your tent. Tents that are not weighted will not be allowed to stay up.
- For each WCU Department and Recognized Student Organization who registers, ONE table and TWO chairs will be provided at no cost.
- For off-campus and community organizations/vendors who register, ONE table and TWO chairs will be provided at a cost of $20.00 OR you may bring ONE table (8' or smaller) and up to two chairs for no charge. Payment is due August 1st to hold your space. **Directions for Payment will be sent separately in a confirmation email to you after you register.
- Only ONE table per registered group is allowed; this applies to ALL groups. Requests for additional tables or chairs for a single group will NOT be granted.
- The layout of tables is organized to optimize the flow of attendants at the event. Table preferences/requests will be honored when possible but are NOT guaranteed.