By Maddie Escalon, Cody Hineman, & Natalia Rich/
Jacket Journey at Howard Payne University is a new student’s first HPU tradition.
The Director of Student Leadership and Engagement Kailee Torgerson said she believes Jacket Journey helps students get involved and make relationships before their first class starts.
“Jacket Journey is a time for new students, both freshmen and transfers, to come to campus early, and get acclimated, integrated into campus life and campus resources, and community on campus,” Torgerson said. “So it’s really a time for our new students to transition into being a Howard Payne student and find what they need to be successful.”
Jacket Journey has been going on for decades now, introducing new students to HPU and campus life. It involves many events, from move in, to a church social, a cookout on the President’s front lawn, and a tradition known as “Chime In” during which students walk through the front gates of HPU. Then, a few years later, students will walk through those same gates and “Chime Out” as they conclude their journey at HPU.
Torgerson said that Jacket Journey is no easy task, and it takes a large amount of planning.
“Technically, we start in the fall with creating a Jacket Journey committee with a group of students to lead Jacket Journey,” Torgerson said. “We get that group together in the fall and in the spring they began working on the program for it, and interviewing and hiring Jacket Journey leaders, who are current students, to come back and facilitate it. A good six months is pretty much dedicated to the weekend.”
Kellen Raigosa, a freshman from Austin, said Jacket Journey was a great experience.
“My experience was very, very good,” said Raigosa. “I wasn’t expecting to be engaging in so many activities and with so many people. It opened my eyes and got me connected with a lot of people, so I would say it was a very fulfilling and wonderful experience.”
While students are overwhelmed over the fact their entire life just changed, Jacket Journey helps by giving a hands-on opportunity to make friendships from move-in to Sunday night, preparing for the first days of classes.
Photos of Yellow Jacket staff writers Maddie Escalon, Cody Hineman, & Natalia Rich