Sunday, Aug. 27 marked the beginning of Welcome Week for Michigan Tech students new and returning. Student Leadership and Involvement collaborated with the Houghton Walmart for the first time this year to host a Walmart takeover. The event featured giveaways, flash sales on popular items, free samples, and job opportunities. Special guests included Tech’s radio station WMTU, Blizzard T. Husky, and the Tech Dance Team.
This event was piloted by Danielle Meirow, the director of Student Leadership and Involvement (SLI). The SLI office is interested in continuing the collaboration to make this an annual event for Tech students, and Walmart seems to be on board according to Meirow. When asked about the future of this event, Meirow explained that “We [SLI] are hoping that it will come back year after year and be a resource for our students.” She also mentioned that the regional manager for Walmart was satisfied with the turnout of the event, which was higher than originally anticipated. As SLI and Walmart continue to collaborate on future events like this one, they will be considering the high density of customers and adjusting accordingly to streamline the welcome event.
When students and the community arrived, the Walmart parking lot filled up quickly. Inside, customers were greeted with a WMTU DJ booth and the fan favorite WMTU gorilla. As visitors walked through the store, they came across various games and had a chance to play for small prizes. The Dance Team and Blizzard could also be found walking around and welcoming students. SLI and Walmart management were pleased at the overall effectiveness of the Walmart welcome event, and students should keep an eye out for similar events in the future.
