Jackson County Campus Hosts Snowball Cookout

by Tyler Hilbert

February is many things; it is the second month, it holds Groundhog Day and Valentine’s Day and causes leap years.  However, on February 1st from 11 a.m.-1 p.m., make plans to attend the Snowball Cookout at the Jackson County campus of WVU Parkersburg.  The Snowball Cookout is a great event where all the members of the Jackson County Campus staff gather together with students and enjoy great food and fun company.  The Snowball Cookout is like the winter version of a similar event the Jackson County Campus holds at the beginning of the fall semester.  Each September, the campus holds an outdoor Welcome Back picnic for students and faculty to get together as well.  

The menu for the Snowball Cookout consists of grilled hamburgers and hot dogs with all the “fixins,” like baked beans, chips, assorted desserts and soft drinks.  After the food is grilled, it is brought into the Student Commons Area, which now has a new pingpong table and pool tables.  With help from some members of Student Government, the new pool table in the commons area replaces last Spring’s pay-for-play rental pool table.  

Student Government will also be discussing their roles and recruiting additional members at the cookout.  During that time with Student Government officials, students can voice any problems, difficulties or new ideas they may have.  There will also be a LGBT coloring page table at the event where students can color sheets that will be used to make a quilt for display in the Student Commons area. If the turnout is high, there may even be pingpong, pool and cornhole tournaments.  

These events are a welcomed and exciting time for the staff of the Jackson County Campus.  Events like the Welcome Back picnic and the Snowball Cookout really allow the opportunity for the staff and students to get to know each other a little bit better. The staff likes that they get to interact with students on a non-formal format during this event.  

“We are all looking forward to this event, it seems to ease a great deal of anxiety and tensions that can occur with new students, and new classes and has been a tradition for some time now,” Annette Landis, President of the Jackson County Student Government said.

So, come on down and enjoy the festivities.  Make some new friends, get to know the professors a little bit better, play some games, and talk to the Student Government representatives and voice any concerns or passions.  Most importantly though, just make sure to have a good time. Besides, what is better than hanging out with friends and chowing down on some free food?