Charger Pride across the University of New Haven campus was high at the beginning of Homecoming Weekend. Celebrations for Homecoming started on Thursday, Oct. 12 when the Undergraduate Student Government Association (USGA) and Student Committee of Planning and Events (SCOPE) hosted the annual pep rally.
The pep rally was held in the Bixler-Gerber residential quad and featured a wide array of performances and giveaways.
Before the event started, there was a line forming around the table where Homecoming t-shirts designed by Brisa Velazquez Perez, the USGA vice president of engagement, were being given out.
There was another table hosted by Westies Nutrition, a local West Haven business that sells smoothies and energy teas, who were giving out 200 energy teas of two flavors: blue blast and pineapple.
Amanda Forst, the co-owner of Westies Nutrition, said that the company opened four years ago and soon afterward began ties with New Haven athletics. “We started doing fundraisers for all the different teams: cheerleading, softball [and] volleyball,” said Forst. “Last year, we actually got on campus because of the relationships that we built with the athletic department.”
Students can get 15% off an order at Westies using their student IDs.
The Fire Science Club, claimed their usual spot at the grills, hosting a pep rally barbecue that they are known for at university events.
Performances by student groups brought even more life to the pep rally. Both the New Haven cheer team and dance team, who gave it their all to get the audience excited for the upcoming Homecoming game on Saturday, Oct. 14.
The cheer and dance teams were not the only ones to show off their blue and gold, as the next performance showcased the Charger K-pop Dance Crew.
Other dance groups such as the Monsoon Dance Crew and Illuminate Dance Club also came out to pump up students who gathered on the quad.
Anabelle Davis, a senior criminal justice major and president of SCOPE, said that the organization helped coordinate the dance performances and activities such as pot painting.
Davis said that this year’s pep rally was spearheaded by Velazquez Perez and two members of SCOPE’s Spirit and Traditions Team: Teyah Greene, a senior psychology major and Allison Stevenson, a junior criminal justice major.
Davis also said that while SCOPE was not too involved in the pep rallies in past years, the organization “really wanted to get more heavily involved.” SCOPE loves being part of the Homecoming events “because it makes us feel really connected to, you know, why we come to this campus,” said Davis.
With Charger Pride being a large part of Homecoming, Davis touched on how much she loved the school’s spirit. Davis said, “I love being here on campus. I love talking to the other students. There’s so many intelligent, kind [and] just amazing people here and it’s so nice to be in a spot with so many different people all at once.”
The New Haven football team took to Dellacamera Stadium for their homecoming game against Saint Anselm College, in which they suffered a 13-9 loss.
