SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — Missouri State University sophomore Zoey Warren remembers her first time on the MSU campus. Originally from Chillicothe, Missouri, she came for one campus tour and immediately knew she wanted to go to school in Springfield.
“It sealed the deal for me,” Warren said. “I was like, ‘This is it.’ I like the bear statue. I like the trees. Everyone was just so friendly.”
For Warren, and other students coming to MSU from out of town, the annual Sample Springfield event, which kicked off at 11 a.m. Wednesday, was a pivotal part of easing into the college experience. As a new Week of Welcome initiative, the university changed its format from only having a single weekend for welcoming activities to using the entire first week of the semester to introduce students to Springfield…