Out of this world! Space is this year’s theme for UNT homecoming, because our Mean Green spirit is out of this world. Royalty has been nominated, student organizations, fraternities and sororities and residential life are kicking their school spirit into high gear. UNT has plenty of fun events planned during the week leading up to the football game against UTEP.
Homecoming is a special tradition in college and high school sports. Alumni come from far and wide to sing their alma mater once again. Many Alumni from UNT sports are invited to come back and be honored during the game.
UNT has loads of traditions they recognize each year. Like many other schools, UNT builds a bonfire and has a pep-rally the night before game day. This tradition has been held for more than 50 years. This bonfire takes an entire week to build. The spirit group, Talons, camps out in the field near Apogee all week to build and prevent rivals from vandalizing it. All of the palettes used are donated from local businesses. T-shirts from other institutions are set ablaze, along with decorative boards that recognize alumni, local businesses, organizations and “Beat UTEP” signs. There is a spirit march held from Frat to the site of the bonfire, led by the Talons. The cannon is set off to initiate when to light the fire. “Yell Like Hell” is also specific to UNT. This is a special event for spirit teams to prove their school pride with dances and skits. Student organizations, fraternities, sororities, residential life and friend groups compete for the title of most spirited. Each group paints a 7-foot-tall spirit board, showcasing the essence of their organization combined with the space theme of homecoming. The boards are put out the Sunday before homecoming starts, so they are on display all week at the library mall.
To start the week off, there is a homecoming picnic at the library mall. Come for the free food, and stay for the games and giveaways. Get into the spirit of homecoming with the pep band, cheerleaders, North Texas Dancers and Scrappy. Student organizations and campus departments will have tables with the homecoming theme incorporated into them. The best student organization with best theme will win $100. For those who are all the way over at Discovery Park, do not worry, there is a picnic for you too.
“Capture Your UNT Spirit Photos” at Discovery Park. Wear your spirit gear, grab your besties and show your Mean Green pride. Spirit teams are encouraged to participate in the Scrappy Games. A series of challenges are held in the Apogee stadium, anyone is welcome to watch. If you want to represent your team in the games, registration starts at 6 p.m. and the games start at 7 p.m.
“Homecoming Sweet Victory Candy Bar at Discovery Park.” Victory has never tasted so sweet. Satisfy your sweet tooth with free candy from Discovery Park. “Homecoming Spirit Bash” get pumped up for the Mean Green at the Union north lawn. There will be music, activities and entertainment.
It’s Halloween! Get into the spooky spirit at Discovery Park with a pumpkin contest. “Yell Like Hell,” is hosted the Progressive Black Student Organization and Student Activities. It is a competitive event for student organizations to show off their school spirit. This event is free admission for the public and students who want to “Yell Like Hell.”
Everyone likes to watch big fires. Cozy up and come watch the “Homecoming Bonfire,” built by the Talons, and enjoy performances from the top 3 winners of “Yell Like Hell.” This is the final pep rally before the fight for victory.
Game day! Cheer for the green and white and join in on the homecoming traditions. Starting at 9:30 a.m. there will be a parade that goes through downtown Denton to involve the community in the Mean Green family. Kickoff is at 2:30 p.m. and tailgate starts 3 hours before. Don’t miss out on free food, drinks and giveaways. Homecoming king and queen are crowned at halftime and win $1,000 to go towards a campus-impact project.
There are also multiple service opportunities for community service during homecoming. Starting with “Rise Against Hunger” on Monday, Oct. 28. There are multiple 45-minute shifts starting at 3:45 p.m., ending at 6 p.m. This project is packing donation boxes for those in need. Thursday, Oct. 31, there is “Cook’s Children Crafts Kit Making.” Again there are 45-minute shifts, starting at 10:45 a.m. and ending at 1 p.m. These service events help organizations earn points. Student organizations, and others participating in the homecoming competition, do a canned food drive. Each can is a point towards the team’s homecoming points. The team that has the most points by the end of homecoming week, win homecoming.
Although the exact origin of homecoming is a bit speculated from Baylor to Missouri, Texas takes homecoming to the next level, as it does with many things. If you are not from Texas, or the south, you have probably never heard of or seen a mum. Though they are mainly seen at high school homecomings, they occasionally make their way in to the college spirit outfits. A mum is a large, very large, floral pendant that is decorated with streamers coming down. The decorations are specific to the person wearing it, usually symbolizing what clubs or sports they are involved in. Mums get bigger from freshman to senior year. The majority of homecomings include a court, parade, a tailgate that invites fraternity and sorority alumni to join, picnics, dress-up days, pep-rallies and a dance. Universities and colleges participate in all the other events and may even add their own traditions.
If you or your organization wants to participate, make sure to follow @UNTHOMECOMING on twitter to find out how to sign up and attend information sessions.
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