UHV invites community, alumni to join in Homecoming week festivities
Good times are on the horizon March 20 to 25 during the University of Houston-Victoria’s Homecoming.
After an 18-year absence, UHV brought back Homecoming in 2016. The plan is to make it an annual event, so Homecoming is returning in 2017 with even more activities. Community members are invited to attend several free events, including a carnival, concerts and class ring unveiling.
“We’d like the entire community to take part in our homecoming celebration,” UHV President Vic Morgan said. “While a big part of Homecoming is welcoming back our graduates, it’s also a gathering for everyone associated with the university. Our committee has worked hard to plan many fun events and performances.”
Let the Good Times ROAR is this year’s Homecoming theme. Megan Huerta, a UHV graduate student and chair of the 2017 Homecoming Committee, said students are really excited about showcasing the Roaring ’20s.
“Students are planning on dressing up and attending numerous events throughout the week,” Huerta said. “They are embracing the 1920s style featured in ‘The Great Gatsby.’”
Homecoming begins at noon March 20 with a class ring unveiling ceremony at Pyramid Row between UHV University Center and University West.
For the past few years, the UHV Student Government Association has worked with Balfour’s marketing and design teams to come up with an official class ring. SGA members sent the ring company several photos of campus and Victoria.
“We wanted to incorporate Victoria as well as UHV,” Huerta said. “We have symbols on there from both since a lot of Victoria residents are proud UHV alumni.”
Huerta said the most difficult aspect was narrowing down the choices for what would appear on the ring.
“We did our best to symbolize the most important aspects,” Huerta said. “We even had students vote on one side of the ring, so they had direct input. I think students and alumni are excited about having a ring as a unified symbol of our university.”
At the ceremony, Huerta will explain the symbols on the ring, and Morgan will talk about the importance of having a class ring. Orders for rings will be taken at the ceremony and other events throughout the week.
A Roarin’ Kickoff concert with Shane & Emily will take place from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. March 20 at Pyramid Row. The pop, acoustic and folk duo incorporates many different elements of diverse genres into original music.
“Shane & Emily have a calming vibe, so it should be a laid back atmosphere,” Huerta said. “They are a wonderful duo, and I can’t wait to see them perform live.”
UHV’s baseball and softball teams will have a total of 10 home games during homecoming week. Jaguars softball will host a doubleheader against Texas Southern at 4 p.m. March 21 and host Langston University March 24 and 25 at the Victoria Youth Sports Complex. Doubleheader action begins at 4 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. Saturday.
UHV baseball will battle Texas College in a pair of doubleheaders March 24 and 25 at Riverside Stadium. Action starts at 1 p.m. Friday and 12:30 p.m. Saturday. The Homecoming king and queen will be announced in between Saturday’s games.
Admission to each doubleheader costs $5. Children ages 6 and younger can attend free with a paid adult. UHV alumni can attend the March 25 baseball games for free with advance registration at www.uhvconnect.org/events.
To kick off the day March 25, UHV student organizations will hold a carnival from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The carnival will feature games by each of the organizations. There also will be a dunking booth and inflatables. The Well Reds, an alternative pop rock quartet, will perform. The Atlanta-based group is known for their infectious melodies and polished live performances.
“The Well Reds are upbeat, so they will bring energy to the carnival,” Huerta said.
The 2017 UHV Alumni Banquet will begin at 6:30 p.m. March 24 in the UHV University North Multi-Purpose Room, 3007 N. Ben Wilson St. UHV alumni, and their friends and families are invited to attend.
Festivities include a beer and wine reception, catered dinner with door prizes, university updates and a photo booth. Gary Moses, a public relations professional at Citizens Medical Center, will be presented with the 2017 UHV Distinguished Alumnus Award, and Adrian Cannady, vice president of marketing for the Victoria Economic Development Corp., will receive the Young Alumnus of the Year award. A comedy show featuring JR Brow will be held right after the banquet next door in the University North Walker Auditorium.
The cost for the evening is $10 a person. Tickets may be purchased at www.uhvconnect.org/events.
Homecoming week also will feature several events for students, including a kickball game against faculty and staff, a talent show, a dance and a rock the mic event. Retired faculty and staff are invited back to UHV for a lunch, and the whole university will show off its Jaguar pride in a Spirit Cup office decorating contest.
UHV will use the hashtag #ROARINHC17 on social media during Homecoming 2017. For a full schedule of events, go to www.uhv.edu/homecoming.
The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 80 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.
