What do costumed dinosaurs, bumper cars, Dubai chocolate strawberries, and ping pong tournaments have in common? As Kean Cougars can tell you, they were all part of the 2026 edition of Jump Into Kean Week.
From August 25 to September 1, Kean University hosted several events to welcome new and returning students to campus to the start of the academic year. Students participated in game shows, a carnival, the Greek Showcase and other activities as the university welcomed both its largest freshman class and largest overall student body in its 171-year history.
Underclassmen residents poured onto campus for Bartlett, Cougar & Freshman Halls Move-Ins on Tuesday, August 25. Students drove in with parents, partners, and friends as they prepared to move into their new dorms.
Maryennys Torres, a freshman majoring in Math Education from East Orange, NJ, said she was already excited about her new campus. "I loved this school since the minute I touched campus," she enthused. "I feel like everything is very up-to-date [and] very clean as far as the bathrooms and everything else goes."
Later that day, the campus held a Minute to Win It Tournament at the Miron Student Center Game Room, challenging students to compete with friends in a series of 60-second challenges such as Word Unscramble, Ping Pong Toss, Match Item Challenge, and Flip Cup. Immediately after, pop culture fans gathered in the Little Theater for a "Name That Tune" Game Show, guessing the names of songs, movie themes, and TV shows. Participants competed across four rounds for a share of $200 in prizes.
On the morning of Wednesday, August 26, emcee and Vice President of Student Affairs Kerrin Lyles welcomed the Class of 2030, the largest freshmen class in Kean history, in the annual Freshman Convocation.
"Today marks the beginning of an incredible journey, one that will take you through many peaks and valleys, breakthroughs, and moments that will stretch you in ways you would never imagine," Lyles said to the hundreds of freshmen assembled. "But through perseverance, grit, determination, and passion, you will build the kind of academic, personal, and emotional muscle that will carry you long after graduation."
Afterward, the campus hosted a Carnival in the Harwood Arena parking lot, where newly anointed freshmen celebrated the start of their college journey with games, food trucks, dancing and social activities.
Thursday morning brought the President’s Opening Day Address in Wilkins Theater, where President Lamont Repollet introduced the new academic year with celebrations of the university's achievements and a promise to take it further.
In the afternoon, clubs and organizations gathered in the Miron Student Center for the Kean Cougar Cooldown, an opportunity to connect with Kean's student life and enjoy a fresh fruit paleta. That evening, students headed to Downs Hall for the Greek Showcase. Members and attendees performed, socialized, and enjoyed music, food, and even line dancing while learning more about Greek life on campus.
Upperclassmen returned to campus on Friday for move-in, unpacking their belongings and settling into Burch Hall, Rogers Hall and Sozio Hall. Later that day, Kean P.U.L.S.E. hosted its Passport: Campus Edition, where students could participate in activities, create personalized glass art, and enjoy Dubai chocolate strawberries.
The camaraderie continued into the weekend. On Saturday, August 29, the Office of Residence Life hosted Battle of the Buildings on the MSC Basketball Court. Students played games in a tournament-style bracket to see which residence hall would come out on top.
On Sunday, students embarked on a trip to Six Flags Great Adventure, meeting in the Wilkins Theatre Bus Stop at 8:30 a.m. to spend all day at the amusement park. For 25 dollars, students could experience the thrills of summer on the last weekend before the beginning of the semester.
Several organizations came together on Monday, August 31 to make the last day of break as fun as possible. In Jersey City, the Office of Student Government invited students to wear neon attire and spend an afternoon Glow Bowling in the GSUB Multi-Purpose Room. In Union, the Office of Belonging and Community Engagement hosted an outdoor yoga and juice bar to help students "catch a vibe" on the MSC Turf, and the Office of Student Government hosted a Mini Golf session.
To round out the day, the Wellness Center hosted "Keep Calm Cougars," offering a tour of their services in Downs Hall. The tour featured a Student Health Services healthy snack bar, Office of Accessibility hand scrub making station, and Kean Counseling Center mindfulness coloring and aromatherapy.
On Tuesday, September 1, in celebration of the beginning of the semester, Kean P.U.L.S.E. hosted the Cougarversal Cougar Kickoff, with a Universal Studios theme. At Downs Hall, students were greeted by dancing dinosaurs as DJ Nix in the Mix played music. The Kean Dance Theatre then performed live, while students could participate in fossil digs, bumper-car rides and mechanical surfboards.
Students who entered the giveaways then made their way to the VISER lab in the Nancy Thompson Learning Commons, which had been transformed into a candlelit, Hogwarts-themed space. P.U.L.S.E. workers offered visitors "Butter Potion," a fizzy concoction of cream soda, butter extract, caramel syrup and whipped cream.
For students like freshman Yuthikshe Ramalingam, a Computer Science major from Edison, NJ, the Kickoff was not only an opportunity to have fun on campus, but it also provided an opportunity to meet new people. "There's a lot of activities here, and I'm having fun," she said. "I came here alone, [and] I did make two to three friends."
Cheers to a new semester and a new academic year—one as exciting, enjoyable, and enriching as Jump Into Kean 2026 was for Kean Cougars.
