Southern Utah University’s Thunder U from August 26-29 will prepare new T-Birds for their college experience before SUU’s first official day of class on August 30.
Saturday, August 26
8 a.m. – 6 p.m.
— Thunder U Check-In (Student Center, Ballroom)
11 a.m. – 12 p.m. -OR- 4 p.m. – 5 p.m.
— Optional Parent and Family Meeting
6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
— BINGO (Student Center Rotunda)
— Cornhole (Library Quad): Come play cornhole with the Healthy T-Birds! The Healthy T-Birds Coalition seeks to encourage health and wellness through social involvement and by providing education on substance use, mental health and other relevant wellness topics on campus. Join us to get updates on events, activities and health and wellness information!
— Mario Kart (Student Center, Q-Center, Room #176): The Q Center invites you to come check out the new LGBTQIA+ student resource space in the student center! Socialize and play some friendly competition of Mario Kart!
— Dance Party (Student Center, Living Room): Join us for an electrifying night of dancing at this year’s Dance Party with the International Student Ambassadors! Get ready to be swept off your feet as we take you on a globe-trotting musical journey like no other. Our phenomenal line-up of songs will feature an eclectic mix of tunes, ranging from sizzling Latin rhythms to high-energy Bollywood hits and from heart-pounding African beats to chart-topping K-Pop sensations. Embrace the spirit of unity as you dance alongside students from all corners of the world, forging unforgettable connections and creating cherished memories.
— Grocery Run (Library Parking Lot): Need a lift to the store? Looking to explore your new home of Cedar City? Head to the Library Parking Lot to be shuttled to Walmart with fun city facts throughout your drive.
— Happy Hour (Student Center, Starlight Room)
8 p.m. – 11 p.m.
— Open Rec Night (P.E. Building)
— Pot Party (Intramural Field)
— Movie Showing: “Uncharted” (Upper Quad)
Sunday, August 27
8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
— Thunder U Check-In (Student Center Ballroom)
9 a.m. – 10 a.m.
— Optional Parent and Family Meeting
8 a.m. – 10 a.m.
— Sunday Morning Cartoons and Cereal (Student Center, Living Room)
10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
— Friendship Bracelets (Student Center, Living Room)
10 a.m. – 11 a.m.
— Sun Salutations Yoga (Library Quad)
11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
— Sand Volleyball (P.E. Building, Outdoor Courts)
1 p.m. – 8 p.m.
— Outdoor Inflatables (Upper Quad)
1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
— Sunday Stroll Class Tours (Student Center, Rotunda)
3 p.m. – 5 p.m.
— Midday Magic with Matt the Knife (Hunter Alumni Center, Gilbert Great Hall)
6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
— Kickback on the Quad (Upper Quad): Kick back and relax to an outdoor band, yard games and inflatables for a night full of fun!
8 p.m. – 11 p.m.
— Open Rec Night (P.E. Building)
— Karaoke and Games (Student Center Living Room)
— Movie Showing: “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” (Library Quad)
Monday, August 28
8 a.m. – 10 a.m.
— Last Chance for Thunder U Check-In (Student Center Ballroom)
— Veteran Resource and Support Center Kickoff (Student Center Theatre)
10 a.m. – 11 a.m. (MANDATORY)
— Thunder U Team Captain Meeting
11 a.m. – 12 p.m. (MANDATORY)
— New Student Induction (America First Event Center): Sensory friendly live-stream located in the Student Center Church Auditorium. Following the induction, students will proceed beneath the Carter Carillon Bell Tower located on the upper campus.
1 p.m. – 2 p.m. (MANDATORY)
— New Student Lunch (Upper Quad)
2 p.m. – 3 p.m. (MANDATORY)
College Meetings
— Education and Human Development (Education Building, Rooms #103 and #104)
— Science (Bradshaw Grove): Bradshaw Grove is located outdoors between the General Classroom Building and the Science Building.
— Business (Hunter Alumni Center, Gilbert Great Hall)
— Performing and Visual Arts (Student Center Starlight Room)
— Humanities and Social Sciences (Student Center Ballroom)
— Health Sciences (P.E. Building, Room #101)
— Engineering and Computational Sciences (Corner of 800 W and University Blvd)
— Undeclared and Exploratory Studies (America First Event Center)
3 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Interest Events
— Sports (Intramural Field): Join us for yard games, sand volleyball, mini golf and more on the Intramural Field! This activity is recommended for students wearing RED lanyards.
— Music (Student Center, Ballroom): Head to the Student Center Ballroom to mosey through some groovy vinyl records, paint and contribute your favorite tunes to the Thunder U 2023 playlist! This activity is recommended for students wearing BLUE lanyards.
— Trendy (Student Center, Starlight Room): Calling all Swifties! We know “All Too Well” that this event will exceed your “Wildest Dreams.” “You Need To Calm Down” and head to the Starlight Room to build friendship bracelets that are sure to last “Forever and Always.” This activity is recommended for students wearing YELLOW lanyards.
— Gaming (Student Center, Living Room): Join us for Xbox, Playstation, Nintendo Switch, pool, pingpong and more in the Student Center Living Room. This activity is recommended for students wearing ORANGE lanyards.
— Outdoors (President’s Field): Head to the President’s Field (250 S 1025 W) to enjoy the SUU Ropes Course and yard games! This activity is recommended for students wearing GREEN lanyards.
7 p.m. – 8 p.m.
— Student Panel (Student Center, Ballroom): Have a few unanswered questions? Meet us in the Student Center Ballroom to talk with the experts! Current students will be available to answer and discuss your current questions.
— Picnic Dinner with LDSSA (Cedar City Institute of Religion): Dinner will be provided by LDSSA at 650 W Center Street while supplies last.
8 p.m. – 11 p.m.
— Open Rec Night (P.E. Building)
— Tie Dye Dance (Library Quad)
— Movie Showing: “Thor: Love and Thunder” (Upper Quad)
Tuesday, August 29
10 a.m. – 11 a.m.
— SUU Resource Fair (America First Event Center)
11 a.m. – 12 p.m. (MANDATORY)
ACE Meeting
— Tory (Physical Education Building, Room #104)
— Ada (Education Building, Room #104)
— Hailey (Business Building, Room #126)
— Brynn (Business Building, Room #120)
— Tda (America First Event Center, Room # 227)
— Amber (Student Center, Theater)
— Abby (Student Center, Church Auditorium)
— Wyatt (Hunter Alumni Center, Charles Hunter Room #107)
— Riley (Hunter Alumni Center, Whiting Room #211)
— McKay (Hunter Alumni Center, Gilbert Great Hall #203)
— Sarah (Bristlecone Hall, Room #104)
— Kaylee (Bristlecone Hall, Room #105)
— Madi K (Bristlecone Hall, Room #121)
— Kasia (Student Center, Living Room)
— Denali (Student Center, Starlight Room #208)
— Sydney (Student Center, Cedar Breaks #141)
— Carston (Library Quad)
— Kade (Old Sorrel Statue)
— Tyler (Library Quad)
— Kris (Library Quad)
— Braeden (Outdoor Classroom, Upper Quad)
— Jeff (Upper Quad)
— Maddy S (Upper Quad)
— Kaston (Upper Quad)
— Katelyn (Upper Quad)
— Leona (Upper Quad)
— Micah (Upper Quad)
— Logan (Intramural Field)
— Landon (Intramural Field)
12 p.m. – 1 p.m. (MANDATORY)
— Tradition Time (America First Event Center)
1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
— So You Think You’re a Catch (Student Center, Cedar Breaks, Room #141): Kick-start your social life and dating game! Play games, eat free pizza and come away with your first SUU date! Hosted by SUU Professional Sales.
— I Scream for Service (Business Building Plaza): We all scream for ice cream … and service! Want to get involved and make a difference? Come join the Community Engagement Center to enjoy an ice cream sandwich and find out the many ways you can get involved with making a difference in our community.
— Cookies and Careers (Student Center, Career Center, Room #204): Join the SUU Career Center at Cookies and Careers. Enjoy decorating cookies with friends and learning about all the jobs, internships and career opportunities available to you. See you there!
— Bingo (Student Center, Church Auditorium): The SUU Bookstore is more than just a place to buy your textbooks — we carry everything you need to have the best time while here at SUU! Come hang out with us and learn about everything we have to offer while playing Bookstore Bingo! Win awesome prizes like SUU swag, gift cards and so much more! You are not going to want to miss this, trust us!
— Rock Painting (Business Building Plaza): TRIO Student Support Services thinks that SUU rocks! Come and paint into a new semester!
— Nacho Traditional Student (Student Center, Non-Traditional Office, Room #172): Come network with your fellow non-traditional students, get some resources and nosh on some nachos.
— Name that Tune (Student Center, Theatre): Come join Financial Aid in exploring music across the decades! Do you have what it takes to be at the top? We hope so and look forward to having a great time!
— Snacks with Thor’s Hammer of Knowledge – Digging into Cultural Wealth (America First Event Center, Room #229): At this kick-off event for Thor’s Hammer of Knowledge, enjoy some snacks while we hear from Daneka Souberbielle about what you bring to campus. Your voice is so needed here, and we’d love to show you why. After a brief discussion, you’ll make a bracelet that will show you how much you contribute just by being you. Attendance will count toward the yearly swag prize. You don’t want to miss it!
— Root Beer Garden (Library Quad): Enjoy our laid-back Root Beer Garden and meet the team from Financial Wellness. We’ll have lawn games and music. Come kick back and enjoy. We’ll also be raffling off some prizes, so stick around for your chance to win!
— Kahoot! (Student Center, Escalante Room, Room #144): Join the SUU Health and Wellness Center and Canyon Creek Services for a fun and informative Kahoot! game to test your trivia skills and learn about campus and community wellness resources!
— Cotton Candy (SUU Library)
— Nine Square (Library Quad): Please come score and destroy your friends in a fierce nine square tournament with the Disability Resource Center staff, who will serve student access and support options your way.
— Pizza and Politics (Student Center, Leavitt Center, Room #112)
— Travel Trivia (Student Center, Global Landing, Room #169): The Office of Learning Abroad invites you to learn about study abroad opportunities available at SUU while testing your knowledge at Travel Trivia!
— Swag with the Testing Center (Electronic Learning Center, Testing Center, Room #204): Come meet the Testing Center staff while playing games and learning about the fun things that the SUU Testing Center has to offer. There will be swag for all who attend!
— Meet and Greet with Academic Advising (Student Center, Academic Advising, Room #203): Check out the SUU Advising Board Game Cafe, where students will be able to play a quick game and then make an appointment to get to know their academic advisor better.
— Minute to Win It (Electronic Learning Center, Tutoring Center, Room #105): Test your skills and luck! Play “Minute to Win It” games with your tutors and win some swag. The SUU Tutoring Center helps 2,000 students each year pass over 150 math, science, engineering and business courses. See which courses are most requested, get a glimpse of what happens in tutoring and learn how to sign up for free tutoring and private tutoring.
— CAPS Counseling (Student Center, Brian Head, Room #144)
— Cornhole (Library Quad): Come play cornhole with the Healthy T-Birds! The Healthy T-Birds Coalition seeks to encourage health and wellness through social involvement and providing education on substance use, mental health and other relevant wellness topics on campus. Join us to get updates on events, activities and health and wellness information!
— Mario Kart (Student Center, Q-Center, Room #176): The Q Center invites you to come check out the new LGBTQIA+ student resource space in the student center! Socialize and play some friendly competition of Mario Kart!
— Basketball (Library Quad): SUU Athletics wants to see your athletic skills with a basketball/football blow-up. Make a shot or throw the perfect pass to win a prize! Also get a chance to meet our coaches and student-athletes and take home some schedule posters so you don’t miss out on any of the action this fall.
— Wi-Fi Setup (Student Center, IT Help Desk, Room #107)
— Cup Pong (Student Center, Veterans Resource Center, Room #113): The SUU Veterans Resource and Support Center would like to challenge all our new T-Birds to cup pong! We will have tables out front of the Veteran Center for any students who want to come play. We will have treats, and our Student Veterans of America Club cabinet will be there to answer questions about membership and service opportunities open to all students. We even have some Veteran Center t-shirts and beanies to give away, so don’t forget to stop by!
— Spin to Win (Student Center, SUU Outdoors, Room #127): Come by Basecamp to learn more about how you can meet new friends, learn more about what SUU Outdoors is all about, and set yourself up for your next adventure! Spin the wheel to have a chance at winning some sweet swag! Go T-Birds!
3 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Interest Events
— Sports (Intramural Field): Join us for yard games, sand volleyball, mini golf and more on the Intramural Field! This activity is recommended for students wearing RED lanyards.
— Music (Student Center, Ballroom): Head to the Student Center Ballroom to mosey through some groovy vinyl records, paint and contribute your favorite tunes to the Thunder U 2023 playlist! This activity is recommended for students wearing BLUE lanyards.
— Trendy (Student Center, Starlight Room): Calling all Swifties! We know “All Too Well” that this event will exceed your “Wildest Dreams.” “You Need To Calm Down” and head to the Starlight Room to build friendship bracelets that are sure to last “Forever and Always.” This activity is recommended for students wearing YELLOW lanyards.
— Gaming (Student Center, Living Room): Join us for Xbox, Playstation, Nintendo Switch, pool, pingpong and more in the Student Center Living Room. This activity is recommended for students wearing ORANGE lanyards.
— Outdoors (President’s Field): Head to the President’s Field (250 S 1025 W) to enjoy the SUU Ropes Course and yard games! This activity is recommended for students wearing GREEN lanyards.
6 p.m. – 7 p.m. (MANDATORY)
— Thunder U Team Captain Meeting
7 p.m. – 8 p.m. (MANDATORY)
— Closing Celebration (America First Event Center)
8 p.m. – 11 p.m.
— Open Rec Night (P.E. Building)
— Blanket Tying for Iron County Holiday Assistance Program (Student Center, Convention Center)
— Movie Showing: “The Little Mermaid,” 2023 (Library Quad)
Story and photos courtesy of SUU
