by Jeremy Hunt and Caleb Fort
Daily Lobo
Student Heather King said she's not planning on participating in any homecoming events.
"I'm not really sure what the point of homecoming is," she said. "There's a football game and a dance. It seems like something for high school."
Tanya Skinner, co-chair of the spirit committee, said students should care about homecoming.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
"Tradition is what makes your university," she said. "Homecoming is tradition. It's your alumni coming back, and it's you also showing your support in your school, not just about athletics."
Student Becky Vogsland, a representative for the UNM's Queer Straight Alliance, said she is running for queen because she wanted to show how diverse UNM is.
"It's kind of hard because it feels so high school, but in the long run, it's about enjoying your college experience," she said.
Jackie Walker said she is running for queen because she wanted to get the most out of her college experience. Walker said homecoming becomes a popularity contest when students don't participate and vote.
"People aren't liking it because they're not getting involved," she said.
There are seven candidates for homecoming king and 13 candidates for queen.
This year's homecoming will take place from Monday to Saturday. More than 40 events will take place as part of the celebrations, including a class of 1956 reunion and a campus-decorating contest.
The UNM Alumni Association's budget for homecoming is about $60,000, said Sue MacEachen, senior alumni relations officer. The association's money comes from donations and investments, she said.
The ASUNM Lobo Spirit Committee has a budget of about $4,000 for homecoming, Skinner said.
The money comes from the Alumni Association and student fees.
Student Joanna Essenmacher said she doesn't mind part of her student fees going to homecoming.
"I don't get involved with it myself, but I think it's important because it gets the students together," she said. "It's such a big commuter college that you need something to bring the students together."
Student Lawrence Gilligan, a candidate for homecoming king, agreed.
"It's too much of a commuter school," he said. "When its homecoming, it gets more
students involved."
Skinner said homecoming is a way for people to get involved at the University.
"Not everyone likes it, but there's a pretty big amount of people that actually do enjoy homecoming," she said.
MacEachen said homecoming is worth the cost.
"Sometimes it's hard to fathom that you spend $60,000 on a big party, but the benefits are well worth it," she said. "It builds pride in the school and a sense of connection and pride to the degrees the students earn."
Student Michelle Sandlin said homecoming appeals to a variety of students.
"It's a great opportunity for students to get involved with the school," she said. "Not everyone is part of a student group, but homecoming is something that everyone can participate in."
King said too much money is spent on homecoming.
"They should spend the money on more scholarships to encourage people to come here," she said. "Or they could spend it on a fire system for the library."
Homecoming can have financial benefits, MacEachen said.
"You want to make alumni feel good about being part of the University," she said. "If they feel good about it, they'll be more likely to give when they're asked."
