Raider Welcome offers various events

Raider Welcome 2023, an assortment of events created for new and returning Texas Tech students, will run Aug. 13 through Sept. 2 at dozens of locations throughout campus.

Activities are designed to celebrate academic success, wellness and recreation, community involvement, culture and diversity, social connections and Tech traditions, according to the Raider Welcome website, https://www.depts.ttu.edu/ studentengagement/raiderwelcome/.

The majority of events are offered free of charge.

According to the website, Raider Welcome offers students the opportunity to get information about campus resources; become acquainted with roommates and classmates; learn to successfully navigate the Tech campus; become comfortable in your new home away from home; and ask questions you may have prior to the start of classes.

Below is a small sampling of the many Raider Welcome activities planned as of late July (many require a Tech ID, so be sure to pick that up on your way out the door):

It’s a dessert out there

Desserts from Lubbock food trucks will be offered at the Dessert Food Truck Welcome Party, corner parking lot of the United Supermarkets Arena and the Rec Center (near the rugby fields) from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Aug. 14. Desserts will be free. Sponsored by the Journey at Southcrest.

Line up for Line Dancing

NOVUS, the Catholic Student Association, will offer free line dancing classes from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Aug. 14 at the John Saleh Catholic Student Center, 2217 Main St. knitting, sewing and other creative activities.

Tie Dye with CoMC

The third floor lounge of the College of Media & Communication will host a free T-shirt tie dye event (complete with treats) from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 15. Learn more about the event on the Raider Welcome website.

Painting with a TTwist

From 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Aug. 15, students can paint their own 8x8-inch tile at the Learning Center, Drane Hall Room 164, while learning more about the center’s resources. Music, snacks and painting supplies will be provided free; event will be limited to the first 125 students.

Popsicles and T-shirts

University Studies will be distributing T-shirts and free popsicles outside of Drane Hall (between the Black Cultural Center and Drane Hall) from noon to 2 p.m. Aug. 16. Bonfire, s’mores and more Raider Awakening, the Catholic Student Association, will host a bonfire at the John Saleh Catholic Student Center, 2217 Main St. The event, which will run from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Aug. 16, will include s’mores and scary stories by the fire.

Become a Maker University Libraries will host a free Become a Maker at the Library event from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Aug. 15, University Library Room 205 East. Visit the Raider Welcome website for more about this workshop/tour combo that will focus on 3D printing, laser cutting, sewing and other activities.

Ice cream social

The Baptist Student Ministry will host a free Ice Cream Night from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Aug. 17 at the BSM Student Center, 2401 13th St., one block from campus).

High Riders info session

The High Riders, a women’s spirit organization that supports women’s athletics, will host an informational session from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Aug. 18 in the Double T Room, second floor of the Student Union Building.

Passport Party

The Department of Classical and Modern Languages & Literatures will host a Passport Party from 10 a.m. to noon Aug. 18 on its Main Floor Level. Students are invited to come enjoy “languages and literatures through diverse cultures” and get a feel for what it’s like to study abroad. Free iced coffee will be served, and prizes and a raffle are planned.

Welcome, y’all

The Honors College will host its Welcome Y’all event from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Aug. 18 on the McClellan Hall lawn. This event is open to all Honors students and members of their families and will include free tacos, Honors swag, introductions to the HC team and House points.

Cake Walk Raider Red’s Food Pantry will host a Cake Walk from noon to 2 p.m. Aug. 18 at the Doak Hall courtyard (close to the College of Human Sciences building). Come learn more about the food pantry and grab free cupcakes and other goodies.

Swag & Sweets

The College of Human Sciences will host a Swag & Sweets event from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 18 at the Human Sciences building’s southside doors. Free Tiff’s Treats yummies and CoHS swag will be given away. International games, trivia Study Abroad will host an International Games & Trivia event from 3 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Aug. 18 at the International Cultural Center Hall of Nations. Show off your trivia skills, try international snacks, meet new people and learn how you can study abroad. Prizes will be awarded to game winners.

Casino Night RISE and the Residence Hall Association will co-host a Casino Night from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Aug. 19 at the United Supermarkets Arena, 1701 Indiana Ave.; Use the student entrance. Casino games, prizes and food will be provided, and a caricature artist will be on hand.

Two-step Social

The Texas Tech Ballroom Dance Team will host a Two-Step Social from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Aug. 20 in the Student Union Building Ballroom, Room 118. Join the dance team for some two-stepping beginner lessons, make new friends and learn more about the organization. No partners required.

Henna Booth Tech Kahaani, Texas Tech’s only Bollywood dance team, will offer free non-permanent henna tattoos and Indian ice cream (Kulfi) from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Aug. 20 at the Honor classroom located in the Honors Residence Hall.

Dive-in Movie

Pizza, refreshments and a screening of “Avatar: The Way of Water” will be part of the pool party planned from 8 p.m. to 11:45 p.m. Aug. 20 at the Rec Center Leisure Pool/Lazy River in Urbanovsky Park. The event will be sponsored by the Student Government Association.

Snow cones galore

The Honors College First Year Experience Welcome Event will run from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Aug. 21 at the Urbanovsky gazebo near the sand volleyball courts. Honors students are invited to enjoy snow cones and meet First Year Experience mentors.dents to learn more about campus resources.