The Houston Astros have reached out to a student organization to get more Cougars involved with the team and the local community.
An Astros representative gave the Student Program Board 100 free tickets to distribute for the game at 7 p.m. Monday at Minute Maid Park. The SPB Trips and Tournaments Chair Jessica Ordoñez said she was excited about the opportunity to give students a chance to enjoy themselves with a free night downtown with their peers.
“I feel like it’s the easiest way to get to know Houston. There are a lot of people in Houston who have never gone to the Minute Maid Park — never gone to a baseball game,” Ordoñez said. “You get to go experience something new.”
For many Cougars, baseball might not be their favorite sport. However, Ordoñez stressed the goal of these student-organized trips as a way to branch out and socialize.
“It’s more for UH school spirit and learning more about Houston,” Ordoñez said. “If a student doesn’t like baseball, but you can get in it for really cheap, then why not? It’s a new experience, and you always get to meet new people.”
It has been almost two years since SPB organized an Astros trip. Health junior Simone Jordan reminisced about the fun she had on her first trip as a freshman.
“The Astros trip was my first event that I attended at UH as a student. It was my first weekend on campus, and I didn’t know anyone,” Jordan said. “One of the girls that I met on the trip — I still see her around campus two years later, and we still say ‘hi’ and see how each other are doing.”
It’s stories like Jordan’s that SPB president Anjuli Tuck hopes to continue fostering.
“This is a great way to leave your room or take a break from homework,” Tuck said. “We want students to get a chance to explore what Houston has to offer, especially the Astros.”
Registration for the trip ends at 5 p.m. the day of the game. They will be given on a “first-come, first-serve” basis. SPB will be offering transportation for students at a fee of $5, which should be paid at the Business Office in the University Center, room 274. About 33 seats are reserved for students interested in taking a bus to the game. Students will congregate on UC Circle Drive for check-ins at 5:30 and will leave around 6 p.m.
Other trips are being organized through SPB, including trips to Six Flags Fiesta Texas and the Renaissance Festival. More information can be found at their Facebook page, UH — Student Program Board, and reservations can be emailed to Ordoñez at [email protected].