From left to right, Jaden Adams psychology freshman, Taylor Clark political science freshman, Colton Ellis accounting senior, Zeel Thakker pre nursing freshman, Madisyn Butler mass communication sophomore, Oct. 23. Redwine Honors Progam won the lip sync battle. (Sam Difiore)
Lip Sync
By Sam DiFiore
Homecoming week kicked off with one of the most anticipated events: lip sync battle. Students gathered at the D.L. Ligon Coliseum to participants showcase their performances and compete to be one of the three finalists moving on.
“I performed last year as well and we made it back to the finals, so I was eager to get back on stage and try for a win,” nursing sophomore Marisol Mora said.
Mora performed with the Redwine Honors program for the second year in a row, and made it to the finals both times.
“This experience was exactly what I expected it to be. The lip sync battle never disappoints, I would do it again next year,” Mora said.
Redwine Honors placed 1st overall at the finalists competition.
Sophomores Hailey Padilha, art major, and Clementine Isaa, biochemistry major, give out candy for the children, Oct. 26.The Residece Hall Association has organized a candy land theme for the children. (Stephanie Garcia)
Trunk or Treat
By Tiffany Haggard
MSU held its annual Trunk or Treat Homecoming event Oct. 26, and it was bigger than ever. As a line of hundreds of trick-or-treaters rounded across the parking lot, campus organizations and businesses prepared to hand out thousands of pieces of candy to the families of Wichita Falls.
The event included a variety of campus organizations, competing for points for the Homecoming competition, and local businesses such as Channel 6 News and a variety of local food trucks.
Art sophomore, and member of the Residence Hall Association, Hailey Padilha, said, “This is my second ‘Trunk or Treat, but my first year we were inside, so I’ve never seen it outside before, but I’m really excited.”
Due to weather issues, the Fall 2022 “Trunk or Treat’ was moved indoors at the last minute, but there was nothing but clear skies as the community gathered for this event.
CSO and the Lions Club win first place for the boat race, Oct. 27. (Stephanie Garcia)
Boat Race
By George Svoboda
MSU held its Homecoming tradition, the Cardboard Boat Race, on Friday, Oct. 27.
Student campus organizations and Greek life had been designing and building their boats since late September when the Candyland theme was announced. Boats widely varied in size, shape and decor. While many boats were immediately sunk by the cruel Lake Sikes, the ones that survived the initial landing took off like bullets.
The event was split into two races. The first race’s participants were student campus organizations. The second race’s participants were honor societies and Greek life.
The Caribbean Student Organization took home 1st place for the first race, and the Priddy Scholars won 1st place in the second race.
“The makeshift of the boat, I went with what previous Priddy scholars did in the past.” mechanical engineering freshman Ares Jaingue said about the design of the Priddy boat.
“We added our own twist to it from the mistakes they made, so we can win,” Jaingue added.
Bob Barrow, an alumni who graduated in 1976, burns different college t-shirts to ignite the bonfire, Oct. 27. (Stephanie Garcia)
Pep Rally and Bonfire
By Cecil Witherspoon
The Friday night darkness came alive with light as two of MSU’s brightest Homecoming traditions, the torchlight parade and bonfire, sandwiched the Homecoming pep rally.
Around 9 p.m., the torchlight parade kicked off outside the Bridwell Activities Center, leading students across campus to the Fain parking lot. There, they took in the pep rally and bonfire. The pep rally featured several speakers from MSU’s sports and e-sports teams, plus the lip sync finals. Three teams competed in the finals – Redwine Honors, Caribbean Student Organization and Lions Club and MSU Cheer – with Honors ultimately taking the win with a Willy Wonka-inspired performance. Interspersed between the performances, members of MSU’s sports teams urged Mustangs to come out in support of the teams.
Computer science graduate student Chad Callendar said the event was a good opportunity for students to come together and express their school spirit.
“I mean, I feel like it’s a good way to get students together,” Calendar said, later adding, “Like it’s a tradition we can all come together and celebrate together. So I’m always excited for it every year.”
After the rally wrapped up, the Homecoming bonfire capped the night as a tower of pallets ignited while students basked in the warmth of the blaze on the cool evening. Music still played loudly, prompting students to dance in the flame-lit parking lot. As the flames and evening died down together, students filtered out, ready for the Homecoming game the next day.
The alumni get together for Homecoming Tailgate, Oct. 28. (Stephanie Garcia)
Tailgate-Stephanie
MSU hosted the Homecoming Tailgate before Oct. 28’s football game at Memorial Stadium.
Student organizations, Greek life and alumni came together to celebrate homecoming. As students mingled with each other and alumni, there was a variety of food served, such as hot dogs and sandwiches.
Floyd Moore, Alumni Board member and former MSU football player said, “We decided to start tailgating, and we always would come for homecoming and tried to get our ex-players to come back.”
The Tailgate brings in the opportunity for current and former MSU students to come together and celebrate their university.
“It’s just family, this is just all your family where you just hang out, every couple weeks you get to hang out and visit and catch up on what’s been going on,” Moore said.
MSU won the homecoming game against Western New Mexico with a score of 56-7 at Memorial Stadium, Oct. 28. (Cecil Witherspoon)
Football
MSU football defeated Western New Mexico University 56-7 on Oct. 28, clinching a homecoming win.
MSU won the toss and defended the north goal, deferring to receive to start the second half. Ritse Vaes, criminal justice junior, started the game with a 65-yard touchback.
With the ball back, the WNMU Mustangs produced another three plays before the MSU Mustangs forced them to punt the ball once again.
After a 17-yard pass from James Cooper, sports management freshman, to Justin White, kinesiology sophomore. After the completed pass, Jalen March, education sophomore, was a dominant player during this possession for the Midwestern State Mustangs. Rushing 49 yards, he got the MSU Mustangs to the 5-yard line, where Vaes successfully kicked a field goal, putting MSU up 3-0 in the 1st quarter.
With the MSU Mustangs up 6-0, the second quarter started with an incomplete pass from the WNMU Mustangs that turned the ball over to the MSU Mustangs.
The first half of the game ended with the MSU Mustangs up 9-0, with Vaes being the sole owner of all the points.
After a half-time of homecoming festivities, the MSU Mustangs received the kickoff to begin the second half.
On the first possession of the second half, March rushed for 74 yards, putting the Midwestern State Mustangs on the 1-yard line. Cooper then ran for 1-yard, scoring the Mustang’s first touchdown. The extra point by Vaes was good, making the score 16-0 in favor of MSU.
On the next play for WNMU, MSU caused a fumble that WNMU recovered. On the very next play, MSU got a safety, making the score 21-0 in favor of MSU.
Before the third quarter ended, MSU scored once again, on a touchdown scored by Zachary Keen, finance junior, and a field goal kicked by Vaes. The score to end the third quarter was 42-0 MSU.
The following scoring chance came when there were 4 minutes left in the game. After a successful drive by the MSU Mustangs that ended in a touchdown and an extra point, the score was now 56-7.
The game ended 56-7. Vaes was 4-4 on field goal attempts, setting and breaking a program record thrice. He is now the program leader in total kicking points. In this game, he had a total of 18 kicking points.
The MSU Mustangs will play Angelo State in San Angelo, Texas, on Saturday, Nov. 4 at 6 p.m.
Colton Ellis, accounting senior, and Zetta Cannedy, SGA President and political science senior, won King and Queen, Oct. 28. (Stephanie Garcia)
