Today, the Den will be buzzing with orange and black as TRU students gather for the first-ever Wolf Fest, an all-new celebration aimed to bring the student community together before cheering on the WolfPack basketball teams at their home openers.
Hosted and organized by the TRU Campus Culture Club, the club’s chairs aim to bring a new sense of community to campus life through a club that welcomes everyone.
The event this weekend is inspired by the electric homecoming weekends hosted by many Canadian universities. Founder Ayomide Maxwell wants to bring that same energy to the campus and sports teams at TRU.
“At other schools, it’s a full-day event, people dress in their school colours, hang out, go to the game, then celebrate afterward,” Maxwell said. “We wanted to create something like that for TRU students.”
Wolf Fest will kick off with a pre-party at the Den from 5:00 p.m. to 6:15 p.m., featuring events like WolfPack Trivia and a hype station with face paint and bandanas to get people in the orange and black spirit before the games. Then, around 6:30, everyone will head over to the Tournament Capital Center for both the men’s and women’s home opener basketball games.
“We want to get students excited before the basketball games and really get them cheering for the WolfPack,” Maxwell said.
Once the final buzzer sounds, the celebration won’t stop there. The Wolf Fest crew plans to keep the energy rolling with a 19+ after-party at The Canadian Brewhouse, where students, athletes, and alumni can come together to unwind and continue celebrating school spirit.
“The goal is to have a great time, meet new people, and celebrate being part of the WolfPack family,” Maxwell said.
Beyond the excitement of a single night, the campus culture club aims to host more spirited events at TRU to foster a more engaged and connected campus, as seen at other universities. By combining sports, social events, and school pride, the organizers hope to establish traditions that bring students together throughout the year.
“If you look at any other university across Canada or the U.S., they’ve got these huge events and student sections,” Maxwell said. “That’s what we’re trying to build: a tradition that brings everyone together to support our teams.”
The Campus Culture club was created with a simple goal: to make the campus feel more connected. Maxwell wanted to create a group whose target audience was all students, something that hasn’t been done yet. The club aims to be a place where everyone feels welcome and included, regardless of program, year, or background.
“This isn’t just for one group, it’s for everyone,” Maxwell said. “We want to build a community where students feel proud to be at TRU and want to show that pride together.”
Wolf Fest is just the beginning for the Campus Culture Club. Since its launch earlier this semester, the club has already brought students together through events like trivia nights, karaoke, and even a campus-wide manhunt game that had students running all over campus in friendly competition.
These smaller events have been key to reviving the energy inside The Den, which organizers hope will once again become a go-to spot for students to connect outside of class. The club plans to continue hosting casual, community-focused activities like these regularly, helping build a sense of school spirit one event at a time.
“We want The Den to feel like a place where students actually want to hang out again,” Maxwell said. “Whether it’s trivia, karaoke, or a big event like Wolf Fest, it’s about creating moments that bring people together.”
As Wolf Fest comes to life, Maxwell wanted to emphasize that none of the events would be possible without the club’s executive team, including Benton Hester, the logistics coordinator, Cassie McNutt, the events lead, and Maple Peel, the social media and community engagement chair.