The annual Homecoming pep rally was hosted by Shippensburg University along with the Activities Programming Board on Oct. 24 in the CUB Amphitheater. 

The pep rally brought entertainment, dancing, music, jokes and information about sports. Along with the pep rally, there were also food trucks with varying food and performances.

Walking onto Cumberland Drive, students checked in with APB at its table and got one free ticket for an item from a food truck. The food trucks consisted of Redneck Dogs, Tacos Monarca, Taco Trap House, SU Catering, along with Lotus Bowls and Juicery. The food consisted of hot dogs, fries, tacos, fried rice, acai bowls and more. 

There were 50 tickets for each food truck, and tickets ran out very quickly. Attendees were also able to purchase their own food from the trucks. 

WSYC DJed the event, playing upbeat music to kick off homecoming, inviting students, staff and alumni to come and celebrate. 

Before the pep rally began, students played cornhole in the amphitheater while the band played music. 

The sports teams gathered to discuss and prepare to do their announcements and celebrate homecoming. Pompoms were passed out to bring out the fun and support for the teams. 

As the pep rally started, the SU band played its opening music, getting people excited and on their feet, while the cheerleaders did their opening cheer. 

The SU ambassadors, along with others, held up signs and flags in support of the university. 

SU mascots Big Red and Shippo danced around and brought the entertainment. Around the amphitheater, all the sports teams and dance teams joined the fun. 

As the announcer went through the event, various sports teams came up to show their support and give their announcements on their current and upcoming events. 

Women’s field hockey announced that they are 13-2 and ranked #2 in the country. Football announced its homecoming games. Men’s soccer, along with men’s basketball, announced their upcoming games and showed their school spirit for SU. 

Within those announcements, there were performances from the Heritage Dance Company, Immersion Dance Troupe and Elite Modeling Troupe. They gave the crowd some entertainment in between the announcements. They used popular songs and kept up the energy throughout their performances.

Toward the end of the event, the homecoming court was announced. The energy was palpable, and the excitement of all the candidates involved could be felt. 

The candidates were Takara Neely, Cassidy Vangas, Fadekemi Adetunji, Nathan Garber, Kelli Link, Jayden Pohlman, Theo Campomanes and Riley Kendall. 

To end the event, Big Red and Shippo came out again to show their support and dance around with students, staff and alumni to bring the fun. 

President Charles Patterson and First Lady Colleen Patterson were there, showing their support for everyone at the school and how much they truly care about the community they have helped to build. 

“You guys are the reason we are here; you guys make us feel at home.” Patterson said, emphasizing the point that SU is so many people’s homes, and that homecoming brings out the feeling of togetherness of so many people who are here at SU either now or in the past. 

Homecoming is a way to bring many people together. From the pep rally, to the parade, tailgate and the football games, SU has become a home for everyone. 

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