By Alexis Newman
Every school has a homecoming, but when it becomes such a widespread tradition, it can be easy to lose sight of what homecoming really means. Although the meaning is different for everyone, two Louisiana Tech students shared their personal perspectives on homecoming.
Homecoming week for Louisiana Tech started Sunday, Oct. 17, and will last until Saturday, Oct. 23. The seven-day celebration encompasses a total of 22 events.
An important aspect of the homecoming events is acknowledging alumni, according to Tech senior and homecoming court member Emily Meaney. She expressed that when it comes to participation, she wished she could see more alumni at homecoming festivities.
“The significance of homecoming at any school, I think, is recognizing that the alumni have done a lot for the school and deserve a chance to come back and participate, kind of relive their college experience a little bit,” Meaney said.
For Meaney personally, though, she finds that participating in homecoming as a student now allows her to connect with a school to which she finds a sense of belonging. She looks forward to making the memories of her college experience now and being able to return to experience these same events in the future.
“I feel like Tech is like the first place that I feel any sense of obligation to. I want to come back, I want to serve the school later in life,” Meaney said. “So being a part of homecoming now I think is just really exciting because I know that one day, I will get to come back and participate in these events later.”
Fellow senior and homecoming court member Ethan Bartolina also feels that homecoming isn’t just about attending the events in the present but a convergence of past experiences, the present, and the future as an alumnus. Bartolina said that being a member of the court is about representing the events on campus, embodying the spirit of homecoming, and acknowledging the students who have come before him.
“I absolutely love it,” Bartolina said. “I love seeing all the people who graduated before me come back. I’m going to be really honored to be able to stand on that field and represent all that.”
As members of the court, both Meaney and Bartolina are required to attend certain events, such as the downtown pep rally on Friday and the football game on Saturday, but they enjoy going to more than just what is required of them. Each of them also said that they made long-lasting friends at homecoming events in the past, and that those events now hold special connotations to them.
Events will be happening until the game on Saturday at 6 p.m. Alumni, students and Bulldog fans alike are encouraged to come out to show support and get into the homecoming spirit.
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