UTEP’s homecoming is here and the campus is bursting with activity. From open houses, special breakfasts, a 5K run, many UTEP departments and student organizations are preparing for the event-filled week.
One of this year’s many activities is the float-making party, which is held by the Student Engagement and Leadership Center, that will take place on Oct. 2 at 6 p.m. at the University Towers parking lot at 1900 N. Oregon St .
SELC will be playing music during the event as registered student organizations work on their floats, often into the early morning hours.
“This year’s float-making party will be similar to last (year’s),” said Sam Rodriguez, coordinator of registered student organizations.
“The largest change will be the actual floats that organizations build to comply with the Texas theme and their sub themes. One new feature this year will be the opportunity for students to vote on next year’s homecoming theme at the party.”
Rodriguez also said the floats that student organizations create are part of the weeklong competition called RSOlympics, which are different activities and competitions that student organizations at UTEP participate in during homecoming week.
The float-making party is an event that offers these organizations a space to create and stage their float. While doing so, the organizations can see their competitors’ floats, which gives the event the competitive nature for the RSOlympics.
Some of the student organizations that will be participating at this year’s float-making party are Catholic Daughters of the Americas, Medical Professions Organization, National Society of Leadership & Success, Student Advertising Federation, Kappa Delta Chi, Lambda Chi Alpha, SACNAS, College Republicans, among others.
“We, Student AdFed, are planning to do an awesome float that shows all the creativity and cleverness of all the members in the organization,” said Luisana De La Garza, media advertising major and member of the Student Advertising Federation.
Rodriguez said SELC’s float-making party is a perfect opportunity for the members of the participating organizations to get to know each other.
“We decided to participate because we really believe that it is a very fun way to be engaged with UTEP and also it’s a way in which our members can get to know each other better,” De La Garza said.
SELC reserves the space and works with collaborators at the university to get things in order for the party, Rodriguez said. The student organizations spend much of their time creating and coming up with the ideas for their float.
“We’ve inverted time in the past weeks with planning and developing the cleverest idea for our float because we want all of the creativity of our members to be shown in this activity,” De La Garza said. “Student AdFed is going to stand out thanks to the ingenuity, energy and motivation of that our members have shown during the past weeks.”
The float making party has now been celebrated annually for more than nine years, allowing student organizations to socialize, compete and explore their creative and artistic side.
“We hope that the UTEP community and the community in general enjoy the float as much as we are creating it,” De La Garza said.
For more information on the float-making party, contact Rodriguez at (915) 747-5670. For information about the different fall 2015 homecoming events, visit alumni.utep.edu/homecoming.
Fernanda Leon may be reached at [email protected]
