We’re coming into the home stretch! As classes wrap up Wednesday, May 2, and we spend Study Day on Thursday, May 3, preparing for exams, campus activities for the week ahead focus on celebrating, studying, taking breaks and serving others. Good luck to all students as you take your finals! In between, here are some great campus activities this week:

Tree Campus USA: The Arbor Day Foundation has named Stetson University a 2011 Tree Campus USA, and that honor will be a big part of the Arbor Day Celebration at 3 p.m. Friday, April 27, on the CUB steps. A tree will be planted.

Moving into the weekend: Green Hat Media will get the weekend started with Movie Night focusing on spectacular sound design, featuring Star Wars, 8-10 p.m. Friday, April 27, in the Rinker Field House.

Movie Night: Hatter Productions will be showing, “My Week with Marilyn,” at 9 p.m. Friday, April 28, next to Hulley Tower. Enjoy a great movie and a night under the stars.

Hatter Saturday: Think back to the first time you set foot on campus. For many, it was love at first sight! On Saturday, April 28, more than 500 accepted students and their families will be here for Hatter Saturday, a day of fun and learning. The students will be packing 25,000 nutritious meal boxes for hungry children in Honduras and Central Florida in cooperation with Feeding Children Everywhere. National Decision Day – when high school seniors finalize their college selections – is May 1; please show our guests warm Hatter-hospitality.

Go for a ride: SGA is offering a bike triathlon Saturday, April 28! It includes a 10-mile bike ride to DeLeon Springs, where students will enjoy pancakes at the Old Sugar Mill and swimming in the springs. Sign up on the SGA Green Bikes webpage.

Take a Hat Trick study break: Stetson’s favorite (and only) male acappella group, Hat Trick, will have a free concert at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, April 28, at First United Methodist Church of  DeLand, 115 E. Howry Ave. (corner of Woodland Boulevard and Howry Avenue). Hat Trick will be selling shirts, CDs and other merchandise, and 10 percent of profits will go to the Autism Society of America for the group’s new project “A’ Cappella for Autism.”

Paint Party: Don’t miss Hatter Productions’ Annual Paint Party on Saturday night, April 28, from 9 p.m. to midnight on Rinker Field. This is a favorite campus tradition! Wear white, and listen to the latest hits while dancing under the stars and black lights.

Children’s Literature: There’s still time to register for the Department of Teacher Education’s 7^th Biennial M. Jean Greenlaw Children’s Literature Conference to be held in the Stetson Room from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday, April 30. Helen Ketteman, author of 20 children’s books incuding Aunt Hilarity’s Bustle, The Year of No More Corn, Not Yet, Yvette,  Luck with Potatoes, Grandma’s Cat, Bubba the Cowboy Prince: A Fractured Texas Tale,  I Remember Papa, and Armadillo Tattletale.Registration is still available through online registration. You can also register the day of the conference between 8:15 and 8:50 a.m. at the Stetson Room. The cost $12. An author book-signing session will be at 2:40 p.m.

First of May: As the regular classes of the semester wrap up, take a break to watch Igor Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring” ballet on DVD from 6:45-7:45 p.m. Tuesday, May 1, in Room 25 of the Library/Media Services.

Last Health Hut of spring: Come out to the Quad on Wednesday, May 2, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. to talk with the Wellness Interns at the Health Hut about having a fun, safe summer! They will be giving out an information flier and a bunch of free promos such as Stetson cups, hand sanitizers and more.

Stress-Free Zone: Exams are about to start! So on Study Day, Thursday, May 3, from 2-4 p.m., release your stress in the Stress-Free Zone on Rinker Field. There will be a rock wall, giant obstacle course, bungee run, music, Bellini’s, de la Vega and Subway food, massage therapists, henna tattoo artists, a mechanical shark and puppies brought by PAWS. Career Services, ARC, Wellness interns, SGA and Counseling Center will all be there. The Zone will put you in the right frame of mind for finals!

Do you love to sing? Returning students interested in singing in a choir next year should sign up for an interview/audition before leaving school in May, even though interviews will not take place until August. Sign-up sheet is on the North bulletin board in Presser Hall. Students from all majors are invited! There are four choirs to choose from; school-credit or non-credit available. Also, all faculty, staff and community members may sing in Choral Union. Contact Dr. Andrew Larson: [email protected].

Hollis Center survey: Please take the time to complete the Hollis Center semester survey. The staff wants to hear from you! The survey helps the Hollis Center team assess its current program and make improvements where needed. Here’s the link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/hollisspring2012. The survey will close May 2.

Airport transportation: SGA is now taking reservations for a free shuttle ride to the Orlando International Airport for students on May 10. The shuttle will leave from the CUB circle at four designated times: 9 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. You must sign up on the Shuttle webpage and can only sign up for one shuttle time.

Go Hatters: Come out and support your Hatter Baseball and Women’s Softball teams this week – lots of sports action at home starting mid-week! Check out all the Hatter sports schedules.

Last chance: Concentrated Color: Watercolors by Oscar Bluemner – exhibition in Hand Art Center, runs through Wednesday, May 2.

The Stetson Today Team