University of Houston faculty, staff, and their families celebrated Homecoming weekend with the traditional Faculty & Staff Tailgate event held before the Cougar’s football match against Utah.

The event, a collaboration between the Division of Administration and Finance, Staff Council, and the Faculty Senate, saw 380 attendees made up of faculty, staff, and their families celebrate at the tailgate. Attendees feasted on chicken fajita tacos, nachos, jackfruit tacos, tres leches cake, and numerous other tailgate treats.

Human Resources Director Gaston Reinoso has attended the tailgate event since 2019 and calls it the perfect opportunity for UH faculty and staff to spend time with fellow Coog community members and their families.

Staff Council President Karl Hearn, attending his fourth tailgate event, echoes these comments, adding that it's important for the university to host this event annually.

“It promotes a sense of family inclusiveness,” said Hearns. “It gives us a time to come together outside of an office setting and unite with one another and really have a great time.”

While some attendees are veterans of the faculty & staff tailgate event, for some, the celebration was a first, and for one of them, it left a profound impression.

“It’s amazing,” said Frontier Fiesta Director of Productions, and anthropology major, Olivia Dickens of the event. “I’m always going to be an employee.”

The junior appreciated that she could attend the event as staff while still being a student. Cynthia Blanchard, Homecoming Director of Production, and Finance major, accompanied Dickens and much like her friend, came away impressed with the treatment the attendees received.

“Free food is always a plus,” said Blanchard.

Fellow first-time attendee Chereece Andrews, Clinical Associate Professor, learned the Faculty & Staff tailgate event is an annual celebration and praised the university for it.

“Just the whole idea that they [UH] would even do something like this, and that it’s free, it’s nice,” said Andrews.

The Faculty & Staff Tailgate is a tradition dating back decades and for Dickens, it's an event that makes faculty and staff feel valued.