Utah Valley University, as with many other universities nationwide, has lower student enrollment in the summer semester. This does not mean that the campus stops buzzing, or that the Liberal Arts and Rebecca Lockhart highway stops flowing. Instead, the activities that fill the halls of UVU are FSY groups, volleyball tournament athletes, or Jumpstart Orientation students. There is also training and recruitment for positions that begin in the fall, and inter-office celebrations. That brings up the question, what does UVU look like in the summer?
“It’s pretty social and chill,” states soon-to-be senior Julia Henika. She shared her academic experience at UVU this summer, but she also expressed appreciation for the summer social events that provided a welcome break. “I get stressed pretty easily, so it’s nice that we have things like the Summer Movie Series.” When asked about the summer movie series, she stated that it was a movie event held every Thursday by UVUSA during the summer to help students stay involved in campus life during the summer. “I appreciate that they do this because it helps get me out of my apartment for something other than school or work.”
This sentiment is echoed by the crowds that regularly attend these events. The Review has seen solo viewers, and friend groups ranging from 2 to 3 people to numbers larger than 10. They’ll gather on blankets or use the chairs that UVUSA provides to gather in their groups. Casual conversations with some of these groups unveil regular guests for these events—people who show up every Thursday to watch every movie. Other conversations reveal fans of specific movies, like the undercover acapella students at Pitch Perfect.
For students who enjoy movies and summer activities, one of the conversations the Review had with students revealed that Wolverine Crossing, one of the complexes near UVU for student housing, also does movie nights every Wednesday night during the summer, and this complex also provides free food for every movie.
Freshman Mikayla Billings also shared what UVU looks like to her during the summer. “It’s full of various non-school events.” She said that she’ll run into FSY groups on the Lakeside or lower half of campus during the week, and that she’s recognized by a couple of the FSY attendees, and that she’s also recognized them. “I see some of the people who I went to FSY with in previous years, except I’m now in college and they’re still in high school.” She elaborated on this statement, saying, “It feels weird, but it’s also fun to see that UVU is more than just a university with classes every day. It’s also a host to fun summer camps, events and activities.”
Summer is also when Jumpstart Orientations take place. UVU has students from all seven schools and colleges who graduate every year, and the graduating classes are continuing to increase. With the number of graduates from UVU, there are also freshmen that start every fall, spring, and summer who attend the First-Year Experience office’s Jumpstart Orientations. Incoming freshman students take to the halls led by their current Student Orientation Leaders, and crowds congregate in the Sorenson Student Center’s Grand Ballroom as these Jumpstart Orientations prepare the next wave and generation of UVU students.
These Jumpstart Orientation take place at least once a week during the summer, and with FSY, they do their part to keep the halls of UVU alive. The halls aren’t the only thing kept alive, either. One Friday of every month, staff and students alike gather together outside the Clarke Building as the summer series of Food Truck Fridays hosted by UVU’s People and Culture office commences. Student employees, part-time and full-time staff receive food vouchers, and guests from all over the university gather to purchase food from the variety of food trucks provided. The food truck line-ups also change from Friday to Friday.
Another Friday tradition that begins in the summer is the Care Hub’s Fresh Food Friday series, which continues into the fall semester. You’ll often find students there, whether they are taking a break from the classes they are attending that semester, or they are taking an academic break and are on campus for another reason.
And while academics will always be a focus at a university, UVU students are also provided with different opportunities in leadership programs like UVUSA and campus jobs like the Orientation Leaders previously mentioned. Training for these students occurs during the summer as well, alongside student leadership in campus resources and offices such as the Zone or the Honors Program.
While UVU students are not enrolled in the same force and numbers during the summer, campus doesn’t cease to be busy. Summer at UVU looks like a great deal of things. It looks academic. It also looks incredibly social, with plenty of events for everyone. Summer at UVU is full of leadership training, and it’s also where you will catch campus growth in the new freshman students, and the prospective students in all the on-campus activities. Just like the academic experience and the nuance of that for each student, campus involvement also carries variety, even in the summer—less busy and full—semester.
