By Jackson Keenan, Staff
This past weekend, we brought together current and former University of Mary Hardin-Baylor students to celebrate homecoming.
The festivities started on Friday, Oct. 11, with Stunt Night followed by the pep rally. On Saturday, Oct. 12, Alumni and students got to experience alumni breakfast, a tailgate party that included games and inflatables, and, to cap off the festivities, the Crusader Football game against rivals Hardin Simmons.
To kick off the events, UMHB held its annual stunt night, which saw the sophomores win. The Crusaders also crowned Allie Berg and Insert name as homecoming king and queen.
Homecoming continued Saturday during a litany of events, during which many alumni found their way back on campus. Many of them had kids like Alyssa Berryhill, who found a new appreciation for homecoming after graduating in 2010.
"I did not appreciate homecoming when I was an undergrad because, to me, it felt like a continuation of school. But now, as cheesy as it sounds, it feels like coming home. When I see those burning letters, it lights a fire in me. This is where I was meant to be and where I hope my kids get to go someday," Berryhill said.
Others were shocked by the campus size, such as the 2008 graduate Claire Wall. "The campus map is at least double in size from when I was here. The culture still seems the same, and we went to the pep rally last night to sing the song. The traditions and the culture are still there, and the school spirit and love for this place have continued, so I guess the heart of it's still the same. It's just newer, modern buildings and graphics and stuff like that," Wall said.
King St. was packed with alumni and kids running around, playing a multitude of games, and playing in inflatable bouncy houses. This was one of the favorite parts of the day for many alumni, like Carolyn Whitus, who graduated in 1968.
"I'd love to see the little children. We didn't live here when our children were little. But if we did, this would be something we'd look forward to every year because I love what they have down King Street and just so many activities," Whitus said.
As the football game approached, many alums and Cru football fans went to their seats to watch the Crusaders come up short against Hardin Simmons 21-44.
Although homecoming didn't end the way many alumni would have wanted it to, the event as a whole went well, and many alumni enjoyed their time back on campus.
