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July 6, 2007
Camping, Red Raider Style
From Texas Tech traditions to teambuilding activities, Red Raider Camp gives incoming freshmen all the tools they need to succeed.
Written by Gretchen Pressley
A group of students cheer after winning their team-building competition.
Most people think of campfires, “s’mores,” sleeping bags and mosquito bites when they hear someone mention camping.
But for students attending Texas Tech’s Red Raider Camp this summer, they are thinking about the Masked Rider, the words to the Fight Song, study tips and other tidbits that will help them make the most of their time at Texas Tech.
“The camp is a way for Texas Tech to help new students transition into university life,” said Emily Curtis, assistant director in the Center for Campus Life. “We try to connect them to the university by teaching them the Fight Song and other customs. We want to make them feel like they are Red Raiders right from the start.”
Red Raider Camp, which started in 2001, is a three-day, two-night program held on the Texas Tech campus in Junction that introduces incoming freshmen to the traditions, culture and people that make Texas Tech unique. Thoughout the summer, there are six three-day camps, beginning the middle of July and continuing until the second week of August.
Do You Know the Words to the Fight Song?
During camp, incoming freshmen play games and work on communicating as a group. Watch a video of students at Red Raider Camp.
During their adventure, students learn about the Texas Tech background though activities designed to help freshman get to know the counselors and campers, improve their time management and discuss what to expect from Texas Tech. They get tips for surviving and succeeding in college, participate in team-building activities and test their skills during a half-day challenge ropes course at the end of the program.
“Red Raider Camp definitely gives you a head start at Texas Tech,”said Brittni Hodges, a camp facilitator and a junior management information systems major from Godley who attended the camp as a freshman. “You get to meet so many professors and other new students. The camp showed me all of the different issues that I was going to face during my college years.”
At the end of the weekend, the campers participate in a farewell bonfire and a special ring ceremony for all those “graduating” from the camp.
The campers each receive a miniature version of the official Texas Tech ring. They can wear their camp ring on a chain until their junior or senior year, when it is replaced by the real thing.
Jamie Davis, a facilitator at the camp, said attending the camp was the best decision she made once choosing to come to Texas Tech.
“Going to camp was the best choice I made besides choosing to come to Texas Tech,” said Jamie Davis, a facilitator at the camp and a junior agricultural communications major from Dayton who also attended the camp as a freshman. “Statistically, students who attend have a much higher retention rate, they tend to enjoy their time at the university more, they have higher GPA’s and they are more involved. I wish it were mandatory for incoming students because it is such an amazing experience.”
Who’s Who
In order to teach the next generation of Red Raiders, the camp must have an exemplary team ready to organize and coach the incoming freshmen. These hardworking individuals are known as the Red Raider Camp staff.
Watch the official ring ceremony at Texas Tech and hear one student's memories of receiving his ring at Red Raider Camp.
“It’s an elite group,” Davis said. “To be a good staff member, you really have to be aware of all the services at Texas Tech. You have to be ready for all of the questions freshmen are going to ask. You have to uphold the school image at all times because you are one of the first people the new students will meet.”
The staff meets once every week during the spring semester in preparation for the summer. Members are in charge of planning all of the activities, making sure they are knowledgeable about all of the university’s traditions and academic resources, and are instrumental in recruiting freshman for the camp.
“I love seeing the behind-the-scenes things that happen at the camp,” Hodges said. “It’s great being involved with the planning. We all have different strengths and are there for each other during the planning stage.”
Each summer, about 20 students are chosen to be members of the camp staff. Since the camp takes up most of their summers, the students are asked to dedicate much of their time to the program.
“We look for students with great time management skills, who know how to work in teams and who are passionate about Texas Tech to train the future Red Raiders,” Curtis said from her office in the Center for Campus Life. “It’s a diverse group. They exemplify what Red Raiders should be.”
More Texas Tech Traditions
2007-2008 Masked Rider Takes the Reins
Lighting up a Texas Tech Tradition
Story produced by the Office of Communications and Marketing, 806-742-2136.
Photographs courtesy of Emily Curtis
Web layout by Gretchen Pressley