By Joshua Knopp/managing editor
TR Campus got off to an up-tempo start with its third annual Rock Enroll event Aug. 6.
Staff, students and a crew from KISS-FM radio lined Main Street to give prospective students a handshake, carnival games for the kids, food and information about registration, testing, advisement and financial aid. Additional entertainment included an hourly magic show and a performance from local band Night Flight.
Director of weekend college Letty Gallegos put the event together.
“It started out as kind of an introduction to the community,” Gallegos said. “Last year was more of a fun kind of thing, but [campus president] Dr. [Tahita] Fulkerson has always intended it to be a recruitment activity, and so this year we kind of re-tooled the marketing to do that, so hopefully we’ll have a good response in that area.”
To do this, Gallegos changed the marketing to be less about the rock and more about the enroll, emphasizing information about TCC programs, admissions and enrollment processes. Prospective students also could enter a drawing to win a free class.
The changes were somewhat successful, Gallegos said. Seven students registered, 17 applied, 27 saw advisers and 44 signed in with the registrar for various reasons. In all, 177 people attended the event.
“Turnout was low, but folks who came seemed to be more interested in getting information than prizes and food,” she said.
The event was also fun for returning students, such as All-Star Alumnus Anita Weddle, who volunteered to help.
“It’s always fun to see the little kids’ faces,” Weddle said on working in the carnival games, “especially when they win.”
Weddle thought the event would be good for getting word out about the many branches of TCC.
“Not only does it help enrollment, but it gives you different information about the different departments in general,” she said.
To members of the target audience, such as freshly minted TR student Megan Spears, the event was helpful.
“At the big college, [registration] took a really long time,” she said. “But I just got everything done, and that’s a big plus.”
