Here come the royals - The Rider Newspaper

Starting this Friday, Student Activities will host its annual Homecoming Week through Feb. 22 on both campuses, which includes activities such as window painting, a competition for royal candidates, parties with free food, pregame rallys and athletic games.

Homecoming Week is organized by a committee that consists of members from Athletics, the Student Union, UREC, Student Involvement and the Campus Programming Board.

“We started planning [Homecoming Week] about two weeks after Madness [last November],” said Janet Peña, a program adviser for Student Activities.

The celebration will kick off with window painting and decorating this Friday on both campuses.

“And then on Monday is the kickoff of Homecoming. So, people can get to vote on it. They have a photo competition on [the royal candidates],” Peña said.

One of the main events of the celebration is the nomination of and competition for UTRGV Royals.

“To be a UTRGV Royal, you just have to submit an application through our V Link and the requirements are to have at least a 2.8 GPA, [and] attend most of the sessions to get an interview,” Peña said. “Once they submit their application, it’s going to be reviewed by a Homecoming committee. They decide the final candidates and they get to start campaigning. They need at least 12 hours of undergrad. If they’re grad school, at least the minimum hours. Also … submit three recommendation letters from professors or advisers or organizations that they’re involved that show that they embody a UTRGV student and they can’t be a Homecoming Royal from previous years.”

Deadline to apply for Homecoming Royal is Wednesday.

“They’ll have a great experience,” Peña said. “It’s getting that college experience with other college students and getting to meet each other also.”

Daniel Ruiz, president of the Campus Programming Board, said this celebration will make students be more involved with their alma mater.

“When it comes to Homecoming, it’s just making sure students have that ownership of the university, feel the pride of their alma mater and showcase that pride,” Ruiz said.

As of press time, no official calendar of events had been posted.

All events are free.

For more information and special accommodations, call Student Involvement at 665-2660.