As students return to campus for the spring semester, WSU organizations are holding events to welcome students back.

Joanne Greene, University Recreation programming director, said the Chinook and Student Recreation Center are holding events for their All-Access Week.

The All-Access Week lasts the first two weeks of classes, and Greene said those two weeks are usually where the Chinook and SRC receive the most entries. 

Both the Chinook and the SRC will be holding multiple fitness classes. All fitness session classes will be free during the first week, she said.

The classes offered include yoga, CrossFit, swimming and many others found on the UREC website, she said.

Greene said the Chinook and SRC staff try to be intentional about what they offer during their All-Access Week. 

“[We make] sure that classes are beginner-friendly in that first week,” she said. “It’s really intended to be a fun opportunity for people to try things out but also see what’s available.”

The SRC and Chinook get a lot of people who are excited to be back during the All-Access Week, she said.

Greene said she loves the positive energy students bring, especially from those who are new and want to make a commitment.

“I think it’s really great to have all those people who are excited about coming and utilizing your services,” she said. 

Some students may be skeptical about taking advantage of the services offered by the Chinook and SRC, but there are multiple staff members in each program who are available to answer questions and help people become more comfortable with coming in, Greene said. 

The Chinook and SRC staff are not only available to answer questions, but they are also open to suggestions if a student wants to see something not already offered, she said. 

While the All-Access Week is a common event for the start of class, the Martin Luther King Jr. Committee hosts different events every semester.

Allen Sutton, Office of Outreach and Education director, said the MLK Committee is hosting the first Uncomfortable Conversations event this semester for the first week of classes. Emmanuel Acho, Fox Sports analyst and former linebacker, is hosting the series.

Initially, the first event of the series was going to take place on Tuesday, but because classes were canceled, the event was pushed back a week and will now be held on Jan. 20, Sutton said.

“I am very excited about this because a lot of people struggle with these uncomfortable conversations,” he said. “One of the things [Emmanuel] does very well is try to get people to work through these things and understand it may be uncomfortable, but in the end, it helps you grow as a person.”

The Uncomfortable Conversations series will be hosted online and can be found on the MLK events website, along with other events hosted by the MLK Committee.