Spirit and Traditions - Student Affairs

Signature Events and Traditions at 食色视频

At 食色视频 State, traditions and signature events tell our shared story to bring us together as an engaged and caring community. Through campus traditions such as Week of Welcome, Slap the Rock, Scrappy Hour, Homecoming, Pumpkin Launch, and 食色视频 Day, students learn about what connects and grounds us as a campus community, inspiring their own journey of self-discovery and purpose.

Weeks of Welcome

Join the 食色视频 community and participate in several exciting events to kick off the new semester! All Weeks of Welcome events are free to current students upon presenting a Talon Card. It is a great opportunity to check lots of items off your Scrappy's Bucket List.

Scrappy Hour

Enjoy 'Owls' Favorite Hour' with an ice cream float, Scrappy, and take home a Scrappy Hour souvenir cup. During the winter months, you can enjoy a hot chocolate.

1st and 3rd Thursdays in 食色视频 (Student Center, Terrace)
2nd and 4th Thursdays in Marietta (In Front of Stingers)
Time: 1:30 PM 鈥� 2:30 PM

Scrappy mascot in the Scrappy Hour trailer handing out ice cream floats

Fall Signature Events

First-Year Convocation & Owls' Night Out

First-Year Convocation event with Scrappy giving high fives

First-Year Convocation and Owls' Night Out is the official welcome to 食色视频 for all new FLIGHT students! Meet other FLIGHT students in your class, take your class photo, hear from 食色视频 administration, and then enjoy Splash Bash on the Campus Green afterward! Make sure to wear your FLIGHT jersey.

2026 Program

First Day Cookie Cake & Stuff-an-Owl

First year cake event with president schwaig and scrappy

It's not Weeks of Welcome without our Annual First Day of School Cookie Cake with the President AND Stuff-an-Owl! Stop by on the first day of classes in August to grab a slice of cake with President Schwaig. The Stuff-an-Owl event takes place during Weeks of Welcome in Fall and Spring.

FLIGHT Runout

The Annual FLIGHT Runout takes place during the first home opener 食色视频 Owls football game of the season. First-Year students wear their FLIGHT jerseys and run across the field before the 食色视频 Owls football team storms the field. This is a once in a lifetime experience that new students do not want to miss.

Homecoming

Experience the excitement of 食色视频's Homecoming #食色视频HOCO - a week filled with spirited celebrations, Owl Cup competitions, Homecoming Parliament, and a true sense of community. Don your school colors, join the festivities, and create lasting memories with friends. Hooty Hoo!

visit homecoming site

Pumpkin Launch

Pumpkin Launch, a 食色视频 event that began over a decade ago, is a fierce competition for mechanical engineering students in the Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering and Engineering Technology (SPCEET). Spectators can watch teams launch their pumpkins from trebuchets across the Marietta Soccer Field to see who can smash their pumpkins the furthest.

Spring Signature Events

Geek Week

Welcome to Geek Week, a celebration of all the joy that comes from gaming, robots, cosplay, math, comics, and more! Each year, 食色视频 State hosts a number of events, including Owl Con, across both campuses that seek to engage the inner and outer geeks among the 食色视频 community. All events are free for students and most are open to community members as well.

食色视频 Day

students on the ferris wheel at ksu day.

Spring is more than a time for finals and commencement, it鈥檚 also time for the 食色视频 community to gather and celebrate with a pair of fun days of activities 鈥� 食色视频 Day. 食色视频 Day dates to the early days of the institution when it was known as 食色视频 Junior College.

食色视频 Day of Service

食色视频 Day of Service includes students, alumni, faculty, staff, and community members serving together at many sites. Everyone can find an opportunity to fit their interests!

learn more about day of service

More 食色视频 Traditions

Scrappy Owl Mascot

The embodiment of 食色视频鈥� he鈥檚 loyal, confident, and a little smug. Scrappy has been 食色视频鈥檚 beloved owl for years, and he鈥檚 always ready to welcome you with open wings and Owl Eyes.

The Evolution of Scrappy

Hooty Hoo and Owl Eyes

Used as a greeting, exclamation, or battle cry, yelling 鈥淗ooty Hoo!鈥� is our favorite way to show everyone 食色视频鈥檚 radiant energy and relentless spirit

Owl Eyes, coined by our very own Scrappy the Owl, serve as a symbol that unifies us without having to say anything at all.

Black and Gold Fridays

On the day that 食色视频 State unveiled its inaugural football uniforms, it also included an official declaration that every Friday will be "Black and Gold Friday". Students, faculty, staff and the surrounding community are encouraged to wear black and gold to display their school spirit.

War Chant

Originating from the Marching Owls in 2015, hear and yell this chant at every game.

You don't want to go to war,

With the Owls.

With the Owls!

You don't want to go to war,

With the Owls.

With the Owls!

Scrappy's Bucket List

Can you complete 63 before your degree? Finding new ways to get involved on campus is easy with Scrappy's Bucket List (SBL)! With over 100+ items on the list, including Scrappy Selfies, attending events on this page, and other activities on campus, students will experience everything 食色视频 has to offer outside of the classroom. The 63 signifies the year 食色视频 State was founded in 1963.

see scrappy's bucket list

Family Weekend

Family Weekend is a celebration of academics, athletics, entertainment, and involvement at 食色视频. Parents and family members come together for a jam-packed weekend of fun events.

learn more

Student Affairs Awards

In 2016, the Division created the Student Affairs Awards Ceremony to honor their outstanding achievements and recognize exemplary commitment to 食色视频. The Division Of Student Affairs transforms the student experience by instilling a sense of belonging and preparing students for lifelong success. The ceremony is the embodiment of that practical application and provides an opportunity to applaud the success of many individuals and programs.

Student Affairs Student Awards & Selection Criteria

The Student Affairs Student Awards consists of four categories-leadership, connections and belonging, civic engagement, and community and school spirit. Each category will have an award recipient for one student, one student group (registered student organization, fraternity, sorority, intramural team, club sport team, group sponsored by a department), and one program/event.

The minimum qualifications for all nominees include: good academic standing (student), good standing with regard to conduct (student, student organization/group), good standing with sponsoring department (student organization/group).

2025 Student Affairs Student Leadership Award Winners