Homecoming all about school pride

As another year draws to a close and the University of Arizona once again begins the secretive process of electing a new Homecoming king and queen, the ability afforded by students to reflect on our more elusive and less concrete traditions once again returns in full. Beyond a football game and some pageantry, what is Homecoming? To deny it anything beyond its fireworks and tailgating would be to do a time-honored tradition a great disservice. I’m not a sentimental person, and to be entirely honest I’ve never attended a single Homecoming event in my entire career, not just as a student, but as a resident of Tucson. But my appreciation for Homecoming does not come from its parties, but instead from the feeling of school spirit and pride it creates, as it is what makes Arizona special and worth remembering, which makes my college experience more uniquely Arizonan and offers me the ability to attend a school full of students who are excited and actually eager to consider themselves Wildcats. Even if I could not care less about the events around campus, the fact that they exist and are so popular makes even my disinterested participation in university life that much more interesting and fulfilling.   

By Alec Scott

Note to freshmen: don’t expect high school homecoming 

What high schools call “homecoming” is really more like a less formal fall prom, with a bit of celebrating senior football players and cheerleaders. Universities keep the original intent; Homecoming is a time to celebrate the return of alumni.

Unlike high school, there is no one big central event that defines Homecoming week. Events span from Monday until the game on Saturday, and although many are geared toward alumni, undergraduates can take advantage of many of them too, including the faculty fellows trick-or-treating, the UA bonfire in front of Old Main and tailgate before Saturday’s game. Overall, it’s a great week to de-stress after midterms and feel excited to be part of UA.

Not to mention, you can look forward to coming back after graduating!

So, I hope none of you have to be among the confused freshmen who wander campus looking for a dance or something. As a veteran of the confused, I can assure you that just because Homecoming Week may not be what you originally expected, doesn’t mean it won’t be great.

By Toni Marcheva

Honoring students before us

Homecoming for the University of Arizona has been a tradition held here since the early ‘20s. These festivities have included large scale parades with beautiful floats circling through the UA mall and hundreds of activities, which include various games, drinks and yes — food. Homecoming also includes a football game that is centered around the whole event. 

Homecoming offers a lot for the alumni who come back to campus to reminisce on old memories such as A Mountain with its re-lighting, and to see how the campus structure and life has changed since their time as a student. I recall once walking on campus with my grandfather who is a fellow alumnus himself, and we enjoyed bonding and discovering the new buildings on campus. 

For students who have Wildcat alumni in their lives, having them come and visit is a great opportunity for bonding. It’s also a way for the alumni to possibly reconnect with friends from decades ago. As a current student, the idea of Homecoming should be for the sole recognition of the alumni. They can give advice to former students. The interaction between past and present can be a very valuable reason to hold Homecoming. 

By Miles Schuk Ehler

My vision of homecoming royalty is filled with zombies

Here at the Daily Wildcat, we like to imagine how the homecoming king and queen are elected and, once crowned, how they’ll use their royalty. This is how I assume these prestigious couples come into power. They endure a series of obstacles filled with zombie-killing and beer pong. The remaining contestants then have to walk down a tightrope over a forest of cacti while preposterously drunk. The male and female who don’t fall and die from thorns stabbing into them become the new king and queen. With broken arms and missing eyes, the new royalty limp down a red carpet laid out on the mall. Alumni greet them at the end of the carpet and ask the new homecoming king and queen to please get down on one knee. An alumnus pulls out a sword from his belt and taps it on both their shoulders confirming their roles as the new royals. He then presents them with a $5 gift card to Applebee’s and a packet of szechuan sauce to share. They are offered VIP lawn chair seating while watching the homecoming parade. That’s the extent of how far their power goes, but it’s worth it, because szechuan sauce.

By Sammy Minks