It’s a wrap for the Colorado State University-Pueblo 2014 homecoming festivities which concluded with alumni and fans gathering at the Neta and Eddie DeRose ThunderBowl to enjoy the biggest football game of the season.
The fun of the pep rally, themed dress-up days and the big game set the stage for the anticipated moment of honor: the crowning of the homecoming king and queen. It’s a huge honor to be named the king or queen of the university, but the process to run is also quite a thrill.
The first step to participate is the application.
“Once the application is submitted, many other components are put to work. The other basics are 50 percent is academics, 25 percent relies on student votes, and 35 percent is contestant involvement on campus and with the student body. And last but not least is the interview process,” said Alexis King, coordinator for the 2014 homecoming court.
During the pep rally , candidate for king Enrique Rodriguez spoke about why he was running and what it would mean to him if he won.
“Well, it’s my last year and I’m really excited, and I gotta show my pride somehow before I go. Go big or go home,” he said. “To become homecoming king, I’m starting a legacy. Hopefully my freshmen, that I am a leader for, will follow my footsteps.”
Alisa Proffer said that it took a lot of courage.
“As a nursing student, you don’t really have time for anything, and I wanted to bring some spirit back into school. It (winning) would be amazing because I feel like, if you work hard for something, anything is possible,” she said.
These two students went on to prove what it takes to leave a legacy of spirit. Alisa Proffer and Enrique Rodriguez were named the 2014 homecoming queen and king.
The crowning took place during half time of CSU-Pueblo’s football game against Chadron State.
“I feel like I’m representing that, no matter how busy you are, you can always put time into something you really want, and you can win it,” Proffer said.
“After being crowned, we are both people that nobody knows. We aren’t part of athletic programs. We can shine in our own ways,” Rodriguez said.
CSU-Pueblo President Lesley Di Mare attended the game and was excited to see the crowds of current and former students making homecoming such a success.
“I think it’s just wonderful. The fact that we have everyone coming home to Pueblo really makes it a homecoming. We love seeing our alums from everywhere and urge them to come next year,” Di Mare said.
