Cougars to Rally, Raise the Roof and Show Their Pride at Homecoming Festivities

Cougars across the city and state will strut their stuff and show their pride at this year's homecoming, which runs Oct.15-22. Thousands of University of Houston students, alumni, faculty and staff will not only celebrate the university’s successes and rich history, they also will have an opportunity to help Houston’s homeless and children in developing countries.

Throughout the week, faculty, staff and students are encouraged to wear Cougar red and to participate in what promises to be another exciting homecoming. The 2011 theme is 1927 Red #HC11 and the subtheme is the University of Houston: A True American Classic.

To immerse the entire campus in the spirit of homecoming, the UH Alumni Association and Staff Council are sponsoring a contest to determine what office has the most Cougar pride during homecoming week. To enter the competition, submit an application form by noon, Monday, Oct. 17 to Caroline Brown at chbrown@central.uh.edu or fax to 713-743-9560. Judging takes place Thursday, Oct. 20.

The first homecoming event, Cooglympics, kicks off at 1 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 15. At this event, student teams compete in basketball, flag football, soccer and volleyball at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center. The teams that accrue the most points will face off in a tug-of-war contest.

On Monday, Oct. 17, the festivities begin at noon with the opening ceremonies/kick-off pep rally at the University Center. The next day, the annual tradition of Go Coogs Day continues. The campus community will be treated to live music at this free event, which takes place at 4 p.m. in Lynn Eusan Park. Participants will join together to form a human cougar paw for a photo. The event then moves to the Cullen Family Plaza, where one of the great UH traditions, rubbing the Cougar paw for good luck, will take place.

Monday also marks the launch of a new rivalry that will pit student organizations against each other for UH’s 2011 UNICEF Coin War. The contest’s objective is to raise funds for children in developing nations through the UNICEF: Trick or Treat Campaign. Established as one of the longest-running youth initiatives in the United States, Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF has raised more than $164 million. The contest ends Friday, Oct. 21.

Students also will gear up for battle for the Homecoming Canned Food Contest, the UH Cougar Chant Competition and a talent show. On Monday at 1 p.m., student organizations will start to create artistic sculptures made of food cans. Judging takes place at 8 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 20. All food cans collected will go to the UH Athletics Canned Food Drive for the Star of Hope Foundation. Food cans also will be collected during the homecoming parade on Saturday, Oct. 22.

Wednesday, Oct. 19, twelve student-led groups will perform in the annual Strut Your Stuff talent contest. This event starts at 7 p.m. at the University Center, the Houston Room. The next day, competitors will show their school spirit by creating a unique chant that all students, faculty, staff and alumni can remember for years to come and can be used to cheer on all of UH’s athletic teams. This chant competition starts at 6 p.m. at Cougar Village, where the Residence Hall Association will host the Powder Puff football game.

The fun continues Saturday when UH pride will be on full display. The festivities start at 11 a.m. with the annual homecoming parade followed by several tailgate parties. The much-anticipated match-up between UH’s undefeated football team and Marshall University’s Thundering Herd takes place at 3:30 p.m. at Robertson Stadium, as the Cougars seek their seventh victory. The homecoming king and queen will be presented during the halftime show. The day concludes with a spectacular fireworks presentation after the game.

For the full schedule of events, visit http://www.uh.edu/homecoming/events/index.php.

Staff reports