It’s springtime at Southern Oregon University, which means Raider Days is coming up, beginning Tuesday, May 28 and going until Saturday, June 1.
Organized by the Events, Planning and Involvement Committee as well as a group of 12 individuals from various groups on campus, Raider Days is an end of the year bash for students to unwind and have fun at the end of a long year.
“Raider Days has been a tradition on campus for quite a while,” says Katilyn Eccleston, director of communications for EPIC. It is meant to “bring the campus community together to celebrate with the individuals putting it on.”
Kicking off the series of week-long events is EPIC’s Raider Games on Tuesday in the Stevenson Union courtyard at 12:30 p.m. These will also take place on Wednesday and Thursday at the same time. The games will include a hockey shootout, trivia with students against staff and faculty, and one-on-one basketball. There will also be a dunk tank food-raiser for the SOU Student Food Pantry.
Also taking place on Tuesday is the Raider Academy Awards at 4 p.m. in the Rogue River Room and the Residence Hall Association’s Block Party on Cox Lawn starting at 5 p.m. The awards ceremony will be held to celebrate the success and hard work of students who have been nominated for leadership awards and the block party will feature live music, bounce houses and various street foods.
In addition to RHA’s block party, there will be an Appreciation Bash hosted by the Associated Students of Southern Oregon University at Emigrant Lake following the Raider Academy Awards.
On Wednesday, the Inter-Club Council’s Spring Bash and BBQ will take place in the SU courtyard starting at 11 a.m. and the Queer Resource Center’s Gayme Night will take place in SU’s Diversions at 8 p.m. with a variety of video games, board games and tabletop games.
There will be a competition of “Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader?” in the Commuter Resource Center on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. and a triathlon in the SU courtyard starting at 6 p.m.
Apart from the on-campus events, the Outdoor Program is putting together a couple different opportunities for students to enjoy the fresh air, such as a climbing trip on Friday and rafting and kayaking trips on Saturday and Sunday. If you want to participate in these events, sign up at the Outdoor Programs office in the McNeal Pavilion.
The Raider Days week will conclude with its third annual Chili Hoopla in the SU courtyard and Britt Lawn on Saturday beginning at 12:30 p.m. This event will include free food, a basketball tournament and music from Fox Hollow, Seasons, Mayor Coalz, Mani Draper and Mike Stud.
EPIC and the many other campus clubs and organizations that have been planning these events since the start of term are encouraging everyone to attend.
“The purpose of [these events] is to bring all of the clubs and organizations together to build community on campus,” says Eccleston. And hopefully they will allow students to relax and have some end of the year fun as well.
