Spur on your school spirit during homecoming

By Rice Thresher Staff     11/5/13 6:00pm

Homecoming is just around the corner. Starting next Monday, the week will be flooded with opportunities to show Rice spirit, mingle with alumni and dance until you drop in the Homecoming Tent. After the Centennial Celebration, Rice Program Council appears to be trying to keep up the same level of excitement and participation this year. The Thresher would like to encourage students to help support the homecoming events throughout the week.

At most schools, homecoming is a celebration centralized around football. For the second year in a row, our football team is bowl-eligible and is in the perfect position to be a central part of our celebration. This year, students should make an effort to head out to the stadium and spur the team on to victory. We understand that the timing of the game is unfortunate - running so close to Esperanza will be a problem for those planning to primp before the event. No matter how long you can stay, come down to cheer on the team. Students often complain about the Rice community's apathy toward sports, but the issue lies within the student body itself. This problem could easily be fixed if students simply showed up and showed enthusiastic support for their team. With the Owls on their way to a conference championship, there should be no reason to skip out on the homecoming game.

Yet another part of a quintessential homecoming celebration is the dance. After last year's Centennial-themed Esperanza, RPC has planned this party to ride the coattails of last year's success, but this will only happen if people approach the event with the same anticipation as last year. Tickets have already sold out, but we urge people to embrace the night for whatever it is this year and enjoy what is going to be the beginning of another great century at Rice. Esperanza will be on campus again in the Homecoming Tent, which means transportation should not be an issue for the majority of the student body. Facebook has been flooded with adorable proposals, so put on your party shoes and dance the night away. 

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In addition to the fun, homecoming week is also a great time for networking. Young alumni will be in town, and there is no better way to get information about graduate school and different industries as well as a feel for which companies are looking for interns or new employees. There are few better resources than the network of Rice alumni for helping you plan a future - whether in academia or industry. Make sure to rub some elbows and ask around while they are in town.

For some students, this homecoming will be the beginning of the end. The seniors will receive their Rice rings during Homecoming as part of a new event this year. The Rice Ring Celebration will be one of the first events seniors will have with the young alumni and will kick off the transition from student to alum. The Student Association has been working to improve Rice's ring tradition over the past few years, and this new event will help commemorate students' time at Rice.

We ask students to step it up this homecoming and be active participants in the event-filled week that has been planned. Moreover, this week should not be the end of Rice spirit; our enthusiasm for Rice should continue throughout the school year. Students should keep going to sporting events, getting involved in student activities and taking pride in Rice, even after the Homecoming Cup has been awarded. We will get out of our school what we put into it, so wear your blue and gray with pride.

Unsigned editorials represent the majority opinion of the Thresher editorial staff. All other opinion pieces represent solely the opinion of the piece's author.

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