Carnegie Mellon University

Winter Welcome

Each winter SLICE partners with departments across Student Affairs to organize an exciting slate of Winter Welcome events. Through the collaborative and celebratory events, we hope to reconnect students to each other, the Carnegie Mellon campus and the Pittsburgh community. 

The Winter Welcome events are a great way for students to meet new people, get involved with CMU’s student organizations, build school spirit, participate in service projects and practice wellness as they start their spring semester.

The 2024 Winter Welcome schedule will be released late in the fall semester. Check back for updates!

 Example Schedule from January 2022

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Celebration

Tuesday, January 17 | 12:30 - 1:30pm

Location: Cohon University Center, Mellon Institute, Tepper, CFA Building, ANSYS Hall, Baker Hall, Hamburg Hall, Gates/Hillman

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday, the Office of the Vice Provost of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and the Center for Student Diversity & Inclusion invite the entire campus community to join us for a special birthday celebration. Stop by a convenient campus location to celebrate the life of Dr. King with us by participating in a small service project and having a sweet treat in his honor. 

Registration is not required.

Spring Informal Recruitment Info Session

Tuesday, January 17 | 12:30 - 1:30pm

Location: Zoom

Are you looking for leadership and service opportunities? Would you like to meet new people and build deeper relationships with your fellow Tartans? Consider joining a Panhellenic sorority this semester! All six Panhellenic sororities will be recruiting this semester at CMU. At this info session, each sorority's recruitment chairs will be present to share information about their chapter and upcoming recruitment events. Check out Panhellenic's Instagram for the Zoom meeting link.

Host Family, Virtual Neighbors Info Session

Wednesday, January 18 | 12:00 - 1:00 pm

Location: CUC Danforth Conference Room

International students expand their network of connections through the Host Family/Virtual Neighbors Program.  Selected by lottery, they’re matched with CMU community members that include faculty, staff, and other international students.  Getting together monthly, in person or virtually, they forge friendships with people that last through their time here at CMU, and often beyond. 


Winter Warm-up! S’mores and Cocoa with SLICE

Wednesday, January 18 | 4:00 - 6:00 pm

Location: Merson Courtyard

Enjoy some toasty treats with the Office of Student Leadership, Involvement, and Civic Engagement! Snap a photo with the Scotty statue and tag SLICE on instagram (@sliceatcmu) and you might be picked to win some sweet CMU swag!

Pittsburgh Racial Justice Summit

Friday, January 20 & Saturday, January 21 | All-day conference

Location: Pittsburgh Theological Seminary (community event)

Registration Required: see information below

The Pittsburgh Racial Justice Summit is a one-and-a-half-day conference dedicated to providing resources and spaces for community dialogues, sharing strategies and experiences of organizing for racial justice, healing from racial trauma, and providing connections to social support services for all attendees.


The Center will be sponsoring registration to the summit for CMU students, faculty or staff interested in participating. Please complete this form to receive the code for Center-sponsored registration for PRJS.

Weight Room Orientation: Barbell 101

Saturday, January 21 & Sunday, January 22 | 9:00 - 10:00 am

Location: CUC Weight Room

Registration Required: link

Want to learn how to properly lift weights? Here’s a chance to join CMU Athletics for an introduction to lifting safely and effectively. Learn the correct form for lifting in the racks and Olympic lifting techniques from Personal Trainers Randy and Molly. Two sessions available.Limited spots available; advance registration required.  



I’m Fine Project: Mask Making Workshop (2 Sessions)

Sunday, January 22 | 12:00 - 2:00 pm & 3:00 - 5:00 pm

Location: CUC Connan

Registration Required: link

"I'm Fine," a phrase we often say when we are not fine, is a statewide community project dedicated to sculpting mental health awareness, conversations and support through art. Initiated by co-curators Maureen Joyce and Carrie Breschi in 2019, this thought-provoking I’m fine. experience will encourage each participant to create a ceramic mask that represents their own stories, struggles and hopes. By coming together to articulate our stories through the creative process, we can transform the stigma surrounding mental health. No artistic experience is necessary.

Student Perspectives on Study Abroad Panel

Monday, January 23 | 4:30 - 5:30 pm

Location: CUC Danforth Conference Room

Come learn more about study abroad from students in the know!  Recently returned study abroad students as well as study abroad staff will be on hand to share insight and answer your questions. We hope you can join us!

Burgh Basket Giveaway!

Monday, January 23 from 12-4pm; Tuesday, January 24 from 9am-1pm

Location: CUC Wean Commons

Stop by the tables in Wean Commons for an opportunity to enter our Burgh Basket Giveaway. Check out some specially curated gift baskets, celebrating some of Pittsburgh’s local women- and minority-owned businesses and welcoming you back to campus.

Info Session & Service Opportunity with PACE

Tuesday, January 24 | 4:00 - 6:00 pm

Location: CUC Connan

Get to Know PACE! PACE students are paid student staff that help students take part in civic opportunities and strive to grow understanding of social issues. Join us to learn more about what PACE does, how you can get involved, and our upcoming opportunities! Free hot chocolate and cookies!

Healthy Campus Kick Off

Wednesday, January 25 | 12:00 - 1:00 pm

Location: Wiegand Gym

Kick off the new year with the Athletics department! Drop by and meet personal training interns from Pitt. Learn if personal training is right for you! Limited personal training spots in Mini 3 are available at no cost for students.  

The Edge Cafe Grand Opening Celebration

Tuesday, January 24 from 4:00-6:00pm

Location: The Edge Cafe - Tartans Pavilion, Resnik House

Join us for The Edge Café Grand Opening Celebration! The Edge is campus’ second Vaad-certified kosher dining location, featuring hearthstone pizza, a bagel bar, Turkish bourekas, and flaky pastries.


Enjoy menu samples, giveaways, and entertainment, including airbrush tattoos, balloon art, and caricature drawings. Tockify link

5th Annual Soup Crawl!

Wednesday, January 25 | 4:00 - 6:00 pm

Location: Select Dining Locations across campus

It’s back! Warm up this winter by sampling soups from all around campus. Pick up a ballot at any participating location and taste delicious soups from all around CMU. Cast your final vote at participating locations or drop off your ballot at the Cohen Center Information Desk. This event is FREE and open to everyone!


Participating locations include Au Bon Pain, Innovation Kitchen, The Exchange, The Underground, Tahini, The Edge. Check out the soup options here: link

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Keynote Lecture 

Featuring Majora Carter

Wednesday, January 25  | 5:00pm

Location: CUC Rangos 

Registration Required: link 


Majora Carter is a real estate developer, urban revitalization strategy consultant, MacArthur Fellow and Peabody Award-winning broadcaster. She is responsible for the creation of numerous economic development, technology inclusion and green-infrastructure projects, policies and job training and placement systems. Majora is quoted on the walls of the Smithsonian Museum of African-American History and Culture: "Nobody should have to move out of their neighborhood to live in a better one” — which is also the subtitle of her 2022 book, “Reclaiming Your Community.” To learn more about Majora Carter, visit her website.

The FAIR

Thursday, January 26 | 4:30 - 6:30 pm

Location: Cohon University Center, Multiple Locations

Come check out the FAIR! Showcasing many of CMU’s 200+ student organizations, 23 fraternities and sororities, and campus partners, the FAIR is the perfect way to get involved! Learn about all the neat engagement opportunities on campus and find meet students from across the college. Open to all members of the campus community: undergraduate students, graduate students, staff/faculty

Interfaith Breakfast

Friday, January 27  | 8:30am Breakfast, 9:00am Program

Location: CUC Rangos

Every year, members of the Carnegie Mellon community are invited to an informal breakfast with campus and community interfaith leaders, followed by fellowship and conversation about the life and legacy of Dr. King through the lens of faith, activism, and social justice.

Register for the Breakfast

CMU Whodunnit?? A Murder Mystery Dinner

Friday, January 27 | 5:00 - 7:30pm 

Location: UC Rangos 2&3

Advance RSVP Required: Carnegie Mellon Tickets link (Free of Charge)

Dinner, a show, and … a murder?! Bring your top-notch detective skills to this interactive dinner theatre performance. Watch the story unfold as you question your fellow dinner guests, seek out motives, and piece together the clues to find the killer! No previous sleuthing experience required. 

Ongoing Events/Initiatives

Group X-ercise Classes

Tuesday, January 17 - Ongoing

Group X classes return on January 17th! Register today for one of Carnegie Mellon’s free exercise classes. Featuring a wide variety of fitness, strength, dance, cardio, weight training, cycling classes and more, there’s options for all abilities and skill levels. 

Register today: https://athletics.cmu.edu/recreation/groupxregistration