New Maroon Camp is a life-changing experience that you will not regret.
1. You get to make new friends!
Ptolemy Group 8! Me with my campers!
Emily Allegrezza
Meeting people in college isn't easy if you're doing it on your own. Luckily New Maroon Camp is around with ways literally planned to help you meet new people. College is about connections and New Maroon Camp creates the perfect opportunity to reach out and meet new people.
2. You learn about involvement!
Mississippi State University has over four hundred student organizations on campus. It is hard to navigate each opportunity this University has to offer, but the staff of New Maroon Camp will give you a clear path. Whether it be through presentations, discussions, orientations, or organization fairs, camp shows students that getting involved at state is not only easy but is important.
3. You have a healthy competition!
All the Ptolemy staff members!
Emily Allegrezza
At camp, there are six family groups: Ptolemy, Reveille, Tatonka, Maroons, Collegians, and Cadets. Each family group is assigned a color. Each group has fun chants, cheers, and competitions. Between the Family Group Olympics, maroon madness, and the lipsync competition, New Maroon Camp has a lot of great competitions to get you in the spirit!
4. You get to know campus!
New Maroon Camp takes students around walking tours on campus. When I went to New Maroon Camp two years ago, I learned campus so well that I haven't gotten lost since. As a counselor, I was able to show my students around the main campus. New Maroon Camp even had tours of the best places to sleep and study on campus!
5. You get experience being out of your comfort zone.
Emily Allegrezza and Andrew Weddle having a deep conversation at the staff retreat for Camp
Emily Allegrezza
New Maroon Camp is not just about fun and games. A big part of camp is having deep, intentional conversations with other students. Talking about diversity or your struggles in front of a bunch of strangers can be scary, but New Maroon Camp really helps people open up. New Maroon Camp also gets shy students moving and grooving in the lipsync battle! Getting out of your comfort zone is essential for self-growth!
6. You get to interact with students of all levels.
New Maroon Camp Ptolemy counselors!
Emily Allegrezza
New Maroon Camp had 1,058 students in this years session, not including the students that were on staff! Students attending camp could be freshman or transfer students and staff members ranged from sophomores to seniors. Camp really emphasizes the fact that while we are all different ages and from different backgrounds, we are all a part of the Bulldog family!
7. You learn MSU history and traditions!
Have you ever wondered what the alma mater and fight song are? Do you know about the game of change or the name of our first bulldog? What the heck is a cowbell and why do we use them? New Maroon Camp will answer all of those questions and more! Learning the history and traditions of MSU only gave me a deeper love for my university.
8. You learn practical MSU knowledge.
There are so many things I wish I knew during my freshman year at State. Nobody told me to wait to buy my textbooks or which bathrooms to use on campus. At orientation, nobody told me that every semester a group of crazy preachers comes to campus. New Maroon Camp is there to tell you what we wish we had known during our freshman year!
9. You get to move in early!
Are you ready for college to start? Do you want freedom? New Maroon Camp lets you move in a whole week early! It's the best of both worlds because you get to be on campus early and you don't have to stress out about class yet!
10. You fall even more in love with Mississippi State University!
If I had to describe MSU and New Maroon Camp in one word, it would be "family."
Emily Allegrezza
Personally, I have loved this university even before I was a student. Going into my junior year, I thought it was impossible to love Mississippi State even more. Being involved with New Maroon Camp helped me really find my home here in Starkville. I fell in love with the campus and the people.
If you have the chance to get involved with New Maroon Camp, take it. It is the best organization on campus by far and it will help you establish your roots here at State. At New Maroon Camp, we have a saying that says "Your legacy starts here." New Maroon Camp helps you start your legacy and your path to success both at Mississippi State and in life. Hail State!
