Homecoming is a classic fall event, for high schools as well as colleges. Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU) is having their Homecoming week festivities the week of October 21st – October 26th, with the football game closing out the week on Saturday afternoon.
Dr. Wendy Yoder, the Dean of Students at SWOSU, was asked what Homecoming embodied in her mind. “Homecoming is about tradition, and tradition encourages student engagement. Even the bonfire, just go experience it, even once, to say you did, is an opportunity to grow the tradition. Take a friend. Grab your neighbor from the Residence Hall. I think it is important that everyone participates in Homecoming at least once because we’re not an online school. We do have on campus living, and we do have on campus dining. SWOSU is, definitely, its own little town, almost.”
Dr. Yoder also said Homecoming is also so important because of the community. “Homecoming is really a chance for us to connect more and branch out into the community of Weatherford. Some of the businesses in town will raffle off scholarships for our students sometimes during Homecoming Week. The parade, especially, helps our students as well. Most of the time students are on their phones, we know this, but going to the parade helps them to see all of the stores and businesses in Weatherford, it helps them to get to know what is in the town that they are living in. Homecoming goes past just reaching the students through the community. When families are coming into town for the game, it gives Weatherford stores and business owners the potential for outside business, and throwing Homecoming, we get to help with that. Even filling stands for the football game, that starts with the parade drawing people out by being intriguing.”
Columbia Castro, a senior, said it was hard for her to pick a favorite part about homecoming because she has experienced a different side of it every year she has participated. Obviously, when she was a freshman, it was all exciting and new to her. When she was a sophomore, she looked at SWOSU Homecoming through the lenses of her SGA glasses as a PR Cabinet. Last year, as a junior, she ran for Homecoming Court and was in the top three candidates. Then this year, her senior, and final year, she’s actually taking somewhat more of a backseat and experiencing Homecoming by working in the Dean of Students office. However, she is a little biased towards her candidacy year because she met her now boyfriend, Brock Freeman, while on Homecoming Court last year. She is excited to experience it with him from “the outside” this year.
Second-year marching band member, Bri Kenny, says her favorite part about Homecoming is the mass band. “It’s really cool to see and play with all the high school bands that come to play with us. It really just makes a lot of memories for them and for us as well.”
All in all, it seems the general consensus about Homecoming is tradition and making memories that will last long beyond your time within SWOSU walls. So, be sure not to miss out on making your memories and have your piece of tradition fashioned by participating in SWOSU Homecoming Week, October 21 – 26, ending with the big game against Southeastern Oklahoma State University at Milam Stadium on the Flex Chem field Saturday afternoon at 2 PM! And as always, GO DAWGS!!
