MTSU welcomed to campus more than 300 freshman scholarship recipients and family members from across the state, South and other parts of the country May 18 for the first of a two-day CUSTOMS orientation session.

Coordinated by the Office of New Students and Family Programs, CUSTOMS shows freshmen the ropes of being an MTSU student. It helps new undergraduate students make the transition into the university; it prepares them for educational opportunities; and it propels them into the intellectual, cultural and social climate of the university.

Senior student orientation assistant Claire Owens, left, part of MTSU’s New Student and Family Programs office, waits while Neal Burton, center right, and his mother, Debbie Reyes, complete paperwork at CUSTOMS orientation for freshmen scholarship recipients May 18. Burton, 18, is a senior at Central Magnet High School in Murfreesboro. Also pictured is MTSU Student Government Association 2015-16 President Lindsey Pierce at center left. (MTSU photos by Randy Weiler)

The visit to MTSU’s campus was a first for Caroline Moore, a senior at Hillwood High School in Nashville.

“I am undecided on a major,” Moore said as she walked from the James Union Building to Tucker Theatre, where she and her mother, Susan Moore, heard a welcome and preview of the day’s activities from Dr. Deb Sells, vice president of student affairs and vice provost for enrollment and academic services.

CUSTOMS orientation sessions for new students will continue until the end of July.

To learn more about CUSTOMS , dates for the remaining sessions and to register for a future session in May, June or July, visit www.mtsu.edu/customs.

Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis.

To find parking and building locations, a searchable campus map is available at http://tinyurl.com/MTSUParkingMap.

Students are required to attend every CUSTOMS activity and register for classes at the end of the session.

For more information, visit the CUSTOMS website or call 615-898-5533. New Student and Family Programs is located in Keathley University Center Room 326.

— Randy Weiler (Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu)

MTSU senior media and entertainment major Emily Hollingsworth, left, hands Caroline Moore of Nashville her ID badge to use during the two-day CUSTOMS orientation May 18 in the James Union Building’s Tennessee Room. Moore is a Hillwood High senior who is undecided on her college major. At right is Moore’s mother, Susan Moore.

A large crowd gathers in MTSU’s Tucker Theatre May 18 for the first of a two-day CUSTOMS orientation for fall 2016 freshmen scholarship recipients. They heard a welcome and instructions for the day from Dr. Deb Sells, vice president of student affairs and vice provost for enrollment and academic services.