For many, the week of homecoming here at WCU is loved by many for the tailgate at the football game, various student-pep activities and heartfelt reunions with alumni. This past homecoming followed the theme, “Roaring with Pride”, but that wasn’t the only thing that roared! The weather brought rain and thunder to Cullowhee and surrounding areas, cancelling many of the original plans for student activities.
The week was originally supposed to start with a free tie-dye t-shirt giveaway on the U.C. lawn, but due to the rainy weather, it was rescheduled to later in the week.
A big event that many students look forward to each year is the carnival. It was planned for Tuesday, Oct. 5 and Wednesday, Oct. 6, but with the rain, there was no way to participate in the carnival safely.
Friday, Oct. 8 was the set date for the beloved WCU Homecoming Parade that is held on Main Street in downtown Sylva. The parade was canceled Friday morning due to rainy weather leaving many community members and travelers heartbroken.
Throughout the week, students were continuously disappointed in the cancellations after missing out on the activities last year due to COVID-19.
However clear skies on the morning of Saturday, Oct. 9 brought smiles to faces all around campus, as the reunion tailgate and football game commenced.
After several weeks of voting and nail-biting anticipation, WCU crowned its new homecoming king and queen during halftime. Congratulations are in order for Colton Graham and Sydney Spivey!
“This was so important to me because I wanted to be a student representative for every single person on this campus,” Spivey remarked.
The Pride of the Mountains marching band wowed the crowd, once again, with their shortened halftime show and final performance later in the night.
Sadly, the football game ended with the Mercer Bears winning 34-24.
While the weather proved to be as unpredictable as ever, student pride was not lacking. Campus activities are working towards rescheduling the carnival and continuing to host student events throughout the rest of the semester.
