The celebratory spirit around ringing in a new academic year was especially strong this past weekend, as first-year students were welcomed to campus with more in-person events than were possible last year, due to the pandemic.

Second-year students who missed out on some of the welcome festivities last fall were also invited.

There were several highlights in the concluding days of Ram Welcome:

• The Lory Student Center celebrated the new year and new Rams at Ramapalooza on Friday night. The community-building event featured live musical performances, arcade games, crafts, free snacks, prizes and more.

• On Saturday night, the Rambunctious Pep Rally at Canvas Stadium provided students with the opportunity to show their pride and spirit as a CSU Ram while being introduced to Colorado State Athletics. They learned about traditions, competed with classmates, won prizes and experienced what game day feels like as a student.

• On Sunday, students hiked to the top of the “A,” a symbol of CSU history and pride since 1923.