The Dr. Bill Bennett Student Success Center’s annual Winter Welcome unfolded Thursday (Feb. 5) at the Texas Tech Animal & Food Sciences Livestock Arena, drawing students with the promise of melted cheese, friendly competition and a showcase of student organizations eager to make their pitch for the semester ahead.
“Winter Welcome is the best event to kick off the semester,” said Chloe Krause, Davis College’s program manager for recruitment and marketing. This year, she noted, the stakes were particularly high: Block & Bridle claimed first place in the Queso Cookoff, earning both bragging rights and the coveted Golden Cheese Grater, trophy whose symbolism was not lost on the crowd.
Alpha Gamma Rho secured second place, followed by MANRRS in third, while Sigma Alpha took home the People’s Choice Award. The judging panel comprised of faculty and staff from across the college sampled their way through the competition with the seriousness such a responsibility demands.
But cheese was only part of the draw. The event also featured the annual Mr. Davis College Pageant, a tongue-in-cheek tradition that blended talent, western wear and interviews into a celebration of campus personality. This year’s title went to Alpha Gamma Rho’s Brady Flauaus, while MANRRS’ Avery Fredrick captured the People’s Choice Award.
For students, Winter Welcome offered more than entertainment. Between bites of queso, attendees met organization members, learned about involvement opportunities and got an early sense of the community they could expect in the months ahead.
CONTACT: Chloe Krause, Program Manager for Recruitment & Marketing, Dr. Bill Bennett Student Success Center, Davis College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources, Texas Tech University at (806) 742-2808 or chloe.b.krause@ttu.edu
0206NM26 | PHOTOS: Brooke Myers