‘It’s all about showing that Coug spirit:’ Homecoming week recap

The University celebrated this year’s homecoming with various student-led activities from friendly competitions to community parties. The 2025 homecoming celebration had something for everyone to enjoy.

Homecoming kickoff

The event, organized by the Residence Halls Association in collaboration with the Homecoming Board, brought music, pizza and giveaways to kick off the week’s festivities.

As the band played, members of the Homecoming court were also announced, drawing cheers from the crowd.

“It’s very lively,” said media production senior Danielle Falou. “There are a lot of people here, and everybody seems to be having a fun time.”

Falou said she enjoyed seeing the large turnout and the variety of activities available to students. For her, it was one of the first times she experienced campus life in full.

“It’s really cool,” she said. “There’s so much to do, and everyone seems excited to be part of it.”

The celebration continued with students gathering around game booths, music and food tables as the evening went on.

“It’s really great to see everybody have a good time,” said psychology senior Jaleesa Gonzales. “My expectations for this Homecoming are high because I’ve never been to one at UH before.”

Strut your stuff  

The Homecoming Board hosted the competition showcase “Strut Your Stuff,” where UH organizations displayed what they admire most about the University through artistic expression.

This year Chi Omega X, Tau Kappa Epsilon, Black Student Union and the Honors Club Theater participated in the event and were required to display in their performance a representation of the theme “The Heart of Houston.”

Chi Omega and Tau Kappa Epsilon performed first, presenting a funky Western-inspired routine. Chi Omega represented UH while Tau Kappa Epsilon portrayed the University of Texas.

Their version of a gun show was a dance-off between the two sides, which eventually led to Chi Omega winning and Tau Kappa Epsilon joining the UH team.

The teams drew inspiration for their performance from the Western John Travolta film “Urban Cowboy”, said junior Tau Kappa Epsilon member and event performer Ryan Garcia.

“Originally, the performance we did tonight was what I wanted to do for Fiesta, but I thought the movie was too niche,” Garcia said. “So when we had to come up with a ‘Heart of Houston’ theme, I thought, ‘You know, let me reuse that old script and tweak it.’”

Following the duo, the Black Student Union performed a comedy skit about this year’s Homecoming performer, who had not yet been announced.

The group humorously speculated that it would be Beyoncé. In addition, they performed a country dance to Beyoncé’s song “Texas Hold ’Em” from her album “Cowboy Carter.”

The final performers of the night were from the Honors Club Theater.

Their act stood out among the rest as they chose not to perform a song-and-dance routine. Instead, they presented a five-person skit about creating a mural that represented the theme.

The characters included a stressed art student, an influencer, a French exchange student, a jock and a country girl.

The three judges shared a similar sentiment, awarding first place to the Honors Club Theater, second to Chi Omega and Tau Kappa Epsilon, and third to the Black Student Union.

After the awards ceremony, a trivia segment with the Homecoming court closed out the event.

Bed Races 

 Students gathered at the Student Center Plaza Oct.15 for the annual Bed Races, one of the week’s most anticipated traditions. 

Students from residence halls and campus organizations decorated rolling beds and competed to showcase creativity and school pride.

“It’s all about showing that Coug spirit,” said nutrition sophomore Jemima Osime. “We came together and used our creativity to make a theme that showed school spirit, team bonding and creativity.”

The event featured several stations where students could collect souvenirs, including a booth for custom airbrushed T-shirts, personalized Cougar license plates and a photo booth to create flipbooks.  

“It’s my first time attending Homecoming events, and I’m really excited for the different booths,” said nursing sophomore Camila Sanchez. “It’s really nice to have good Homecoming events. You can get custom spray-painted shirts and license plates, and you can watch the bed races. It’s all really exciting.”

Canstruction 

Oct. 16 students showcased creativity and community spirit through Canstruction, a charitable competition where teams built Texas and Houston-themed structures using canned goods that were later donated.

The Honors College Club Theater constructed a design inspired by Houston’s Energy Building downtown.

 “It has a very staircase-like structure, a little bit of Gothic architecture,” said biology junior Chelsea Diaz. “Because Houston is one of the energy capitals, we wanted to pay homage to the city itself by making a tall, beautiful building decorated with murals inspired by Houston art.”

Diaz added that the project reflected UH’s commitment to community impact. 

Meanwhile, the Black Student Union built a structure outlining the state of Texas, highlighting Houston as their focus. 

Biology senior Sydney Hicks emphasized that CANstruction brings people together for a good cause, with friendly competition that motivates participants to donate to the food bank. 

“I mean, people go all out for these structures and the amount of cans you have goes right to the food bank. I think it’s a really special event that homecoming has put on year after year,” said Hicks. 

Homecoming concert 

Detroit rapper Babyface Ray drew a packed crowd to Cullen Performance Hall for this year’s Homecoming show on Oct. 16 hosted by the Student Program Board.

The rapper kicked off the show with his 2021 single “What The Business Is.”

“I seen the little posts. They was trying to act like they ain’t want Babyface Ray,” he said before getting into “Count Money” featuring Bossman Dlow.

Yet there was still plenty of excitement among students for Babyface Ray’s performance.

“The music during the post was kind of good so I just want to get more songs for my playlist,” said information management freshman George Olear.

Students like education freshman Regina Anderson said Ray’s hits like “Palm Angels, Palms Itching” were good enough to make them come out.

“I’m from the Midwest so I had to come out,” said sports management junior Joshua Jones. “I really want him to perform some of the new stuff because I already heard all of the old stuff. I’m really excited for him to play ‘Standing on Business’ so I am hoping he plays that song.”

Throughout the night Ray kept the crowd entertained with tracks such as “Sincerely Face,” “If You Know You Know,” “Meg Thee Stallion” and “Paperwork Party.”

Later Babyface Ray engaged with the audience by taking requests from dedicated fans. He accepted phones from concertgoers and performed while rapping into their cameras, further energizing the crowd.

He closed out the night with fan favorite “Ron Artest,” prompting students to rush the stage for a close encounter.

“I liked it,” said accounting junior Hannah Johnson. “I don’t know what I was expecting but it was better than what it was last year.”

Students said they enjoyed the show with many choosing their favorite songs of the night.

“I liked the energy,” said human nutrition junior Kaleigh Carter. “Once everybody got comfortable it was fun. My favorite song was ‘Ron Artest.’”

Block Party

To wrap up this year’s Homecoming Week, the Homecoming Board hosted the Cougar Block Party at TDECU Stadium, ending the celebration on a high note.

With music blasting from the DJ booth, the event had multiple activities for attendees and a lively setup that kept students entertained throughout the afternoon.

Two stands offered brightly colored shaved ice and free Monster Energy drinks, giving guests a refreshing way to cool off and stay energized.

Several interactive stations were scattered throughout the venue. A balloon artist twisted creative designs for guests, while the DJ kept the energy high with music that brought people to the dance floor. For those wanting a keepsake, caricature and airbrush booths offered personalized art.

Rows of long tables filled the area, cultivating a comfortable space for students to relax, chat and enjoy their treats. Mark Sawalha, a sophomore attendee, said it was his favorite Homecoming event of the week.

“I loved the little caricature booth they had for the event,” Sawalha said. “It was so funny.”

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