San Diego State students gathered in front of the farmers market on Nov. 7 for the annual homecoming pep rally, part of the school’s week-long homecoming festivities.
The rally included performances by SDSU’s cheer team accompanied by the school band. Members of the football team and campus clubs also attended the rally to help build excitement for the homecoming game against the Nevada Wolf Pack on Saturday.
Fourth-year public relations major and Aztec Student Union Board programming assistant Karly Nolan said the rally and other homecoming events this week have been focused on growing student involvement.
“Every program that we’ve put on this week is for the students,” she said. “Everything we’ve done is to increase student engagement and increase student pride for our football team and for SDSU. That’s what homecoming’s all about.”
Nolan and others handed out free homecoming-themed items like bags and reusable tumbler cups. She said the event was a way to increase student involvement and get students excited for Saturday’s game.
“Today is a fun way for students to show up,” she said. “People have been loving it (and) posting photos and getting a little preview of what to expect from the game with the band and cheer performances.”
Some members of the football team also attended the rally. Sophomore linebacker Caden McDonald said he was most excited about the game and the support of his fellow Aztecs.
“The game is the big thing for us,” he said. “We’re ready to come out and beat Nevada. Having all the fans and all the alumni come out and support us is exciting too.”
McDonald said the pep rally was a good way to get students involved who may not be aware of homecoming week.
“A lot of (the students) don’t really know what’s going on,” he said. “This is a chance for them to see what’s going on on campus and see what homecoming is really all about.”
McDonald also said that student involvement is so important because of the effect it has on the game.
“I think (student involvement) is huge,” he said. “At the games, the student section is a huge part of it, they make up the majority of the fans. Their involvement makes a huge impact on the game and the experience as well.”
Members of other on-campus clubs also attended the rally to show their support for SDSU and the football team.
“(The rally) is a really important chance to bring all of us together in one place to celebrate something we care about,” psychology and political science senior Kentaro Kawasaki said.
Kawasaki is the political coordinator of the Asian Pacific Student Alliance and said the club has been promoting homecoming events to its members.
“We’re doing a lot of promoting for this event at our general body meetings,” he said. “We have a lot of school pride and we embrace that as part of who we are.”
Kawasaki said he wants to keep growing school pride through events like the rally because school pride can enrich a student’s experience.
“I feel as though school pride gives you a lot of meaning as to why you’re here,” he said. “School is more than a place to get a degree. You want to give college life meaning and getting involved can be very fulfilling.”
