Homecoming week kicks off at Tech

With the outside temperatures almost to freezing, the Homecoming Kickoff was hosted inside the Student Union Building Ballroom at noon on Monday, Oct. 15. Despite the cold weather, it did not affect the attendance or Red Raider pride.

Mackenna Noland, Spirits and Traditions coordinator for the Student Activities Board, said the event is a way to kickoff Homecoming week, announce the events hosted through the week, and introduce the royalty candidates representing different student organizations on campus.

Averaging over 200 attendees each year, from students, faculty, staff, and alumni, Noland said people are excited to feel all the spirit from Raider Red, Saddle Tramps, Masked Rider, Pom Squad and the cheer team.

“I think it’s a really good tradition we uphold every year,” Noland said. “It brings everyone together.”

Bethany Deluna, the Homecoming Kickoff and Rowdy Raider Rally chair in SAB, said the goal of the kickoff is to bring attention to all the spirit Tech has and share that among other Red Raiders.

One of the most difficult parts of planning the event was deciding on the guest speaker, Deluna said. This year, the guest speaker was Bill Dean, the president and CEO of the Tech Alumni Association.

“He’s retiring this year from the alumni association, and everyone on campus knows who he is,” Deluna said. “He’s iconic, and he’s just a really important part of the Texas Tech community.”

During his speech, Dean shared his excitement for the week ahead for Homecoming, but he told students to make sure they are respectful at the game on Saturday against the University of Kansas. He told students yell loudly and share their love for Tech.

Lauren Contreras, freshman business management major from Fort Worth, said homecoming truly shows how much pride and spirit Tech has.

“I attended because it’s my first year here at Tech, and I wanted to be part of everything that’s going on in Homecoming,” Contreras said.

For homecoming royalty, student organizations can nominate a King and/or Queen. According to the Student Activities Board website, the King and Queen are decided based on resumes, interviews, and student body voting.

Angela Contreras is the Army ROTC Queen Homecoming nominee. Contreras said ROTC decided on whom they believed would best fit and best represent their organization.

“It really means a lot. I have a lot of pride and school spirit,” she said. “All my closest friends know that I like to go to the games, get rowdy, have fun and support my team. It means a lot that I can represent my organization and put on a good face for them.”

Contreras said her favorite part of Homecoming is seeing all the alumni with their families come visit Tech and support the school in all it thrives in. She said it is what she envisions in her future too with all the love she has for Tech.

During halftime, the Homecoming King and Queen will be announced at the football game on Oct. 20 against the University of Kansas.

A list of the full Homecoming schedule is available online at http://www.depts.ttu.edu/sub/Homecoming/schedule.php.

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