Discussions on sponsoring a welcome week concert this fall at Breslin Center has spurned MSU's undergraduate student government to expand fall welcome activities.

ASMSU members will work with the Department of Student Life to add music, sports and other activities to the five-day stretch between freshman move-in and the first day of classes.

Some of the ideas under consideration are a Taste Fest in East Lansing with area businesses, intermural sports activities, a Battle of the Bands and an event for dorm residents to meet their neighbors.

"We're trying to come up with a whole set of things to do," said Kevin Glandon, external vice chairperson for ASMSU's Student Assembly. "We're encouraging different departments around the university to do something special."

Glandon said the idea for more activities came from a bill passed last month that set aside $50,000 for a welcome week concert.

Comptroller Mike Trudeau, who proposed the concert, said it would be a good way to get ASMSU's name out and keep students out of raucous house parties.

Currently, Fall Welcome is primarily made up of Party at the Aud, which introduces students to campus organizations, Midnight Madness Shopping Spree and College Colloquium, where students meet with representatives from their majors.

There are usually more than 7,000 freshmen at MSU Party at the Aud has between 6,000 and 8,000 attendees, Student Life officials said.

They had no numbers as to how other events were attended.

"It's designed as a whole to help new students connect to both the academic and social elements of MSU," said John Jobson, assistant director of Student Life.

Jobson said he won't be sure until later this semester exactly what Student Life will do. They'll start promoting the events over the summer at Academic Orientation Programs.

Last year, a new addition was a series of more than 30 half-hour discussion sessions addressing topics such as writing tips, community policing, student government, and lesbian, bi, gay and transgender issues.

With a variety of events being offered, students wouldn't be expected to attend all the activities.

"Freshman year, I did go, but not to every single thing," economics sophomore Autumn Boggues.

But no-preference freshman Kaili Dohm said she wasn't sure that new students would attend new events.

"Kids don't go to activities that the university sponsors. It's more of a party-type weekend, they make their own social life."

For more information on Fall Welcome, visit www.studentlife.msu.edu

Staff writer Agnes Soriano contributed to this report.