Free food, swag and the opportunity to connect with others are just around the corner at the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences’ fifth annual LAS Week celebration.

“Students love LAS Week,” says Erin Halverson, social media and events coordinator for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. “It’s a really fun time to just take a step back and celebrate what you’re learning and who you’re connecting with in the college.”

The excitement of LAS Week begins at 8 a.m. March 28 at the annual Kickoff Breakfast on Central Campus, Northeast Campanile Lawn.

“[At the Kickoff Breakfast] we give out promo items like the LAS Week t-shirts and we have really great ceramic coffee mugs that we’ll give out too,” Halverson said.

The week has no shortage of food with other annual events like Donuts with Econ, Donuts and Coffee with Psychology and Pancakes with Sociology and Criminal Justice. One new event is the Boba Break with the LAS International Student Network.

LAS Week also has opportunities for extra credit and scholarships.

The LAS Study Abroad program is giving away scholarships to two first-time study abroad students who are present at the Study Abroad Snapshot Stories event Wednesday night. Snapshot Stories is an informational presentation highlighting students’ study abroad experiences.

“This event will be really fun because it’s going to be in the courtyard of the Student Innovation Center, like underneath the twinkly lights,” Halverson said. “And we’re going to have fun hot beverages, like teas and hot chocolate and some dessert options from around the globe like Stroopwafel.”

For those in search of academic currency, Thursday night’s Dean’s Lecture may be an extra credit opportunity for some classes.

The lecturer, professor in the geological and atmospheric sciences department, William Gutowski, was on a Nobel Prize-winning research team. Gutowski was a lead author for the working group one report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Gutowski’s lecture is called “Climate Change in Iowa: How we got here, how we can choose a better future together.” The event will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Durham Great Hall.

Extra credit is student-focused, but LAS Week isn’t. Many department staff will be enjoying the week’s events too.

“A lot of the departments get involved with planning their own event,” Halverson said. “And faculty [and staff] really like being able to interact with students kind of outside the classroom in some of these fun environments.”

Even outside sponsors get excited about LAS Week. This is the fifth year that Kingland has sponsored LAS Week, which has helped make the week’s events possible.

Aside from getting free food and swag, which is reason alone to come, LAS Week serves as a connection for student success and growth. LAS Week helps students get the most out of their college experience by connecting them to resources: student clubs, college departments, study abroad recruitment, undergraduate research, innovation and entrepreneurship, alumni networking and career services.

“I would say like, really just coming and learning what you can experience in the college and meeting with your peers in the college is like, that’s a reason why everyone should come to LAS Week events,” Halverson said.

For the week’s schedule and more information, visit the LAS Week official website. Stay up-to-date throughout the week’s events by visiting the LAS Instagram account @las_iastate.