Islander Spirit Ignited during Homecoming Week
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Celebrating decades of academic prestige, student success, and Islander tradition, the Island University hosted Homecoming Week 2022, Feb. 13-19. Together with the Coastal Bend community, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi students, faculty, staff, and alumni were invited to show off their Islander Spirit.
The week kicked off with the Islander Clean event where more than 60 Islanders beautified campus by picking up litter in preparation for the week’s festivities.
“Being able to volunteer gives me this good feeling that I can not get anywhere else, and it is nice to be able to give back to my community,” Sadi Clemons '25, psychology major, said.
On Monday’s “Paint the Island Blue” event, the campus community gave the Island University a blue and green Homecoming makeover while student groups decorated an “I” to represent their organization.
“It's exciting to see how my actions affect the people in my community,” Homecoming Court nominee and mechanical engineering major Victor Adames '23 said. “It’s amazing to be part of such a cool inclusive campus.”
The Homecoming celebration continued with a city-wide Bluesday Tuesday proclamation by the Mayor of Corpus Christi, Paulette Guajardo ’00. Later that evening, Islander faculty and staff squeaked out a last-second win against the students in the much-loved faculty/staff vs. student basketball game.
At Wednesday’s Anchors Aweigh event, Islanders helped paint the large anchor near the University Center white, a tradition that dates to 1947 and the days of the Tarpons at the University of Corpus Christi. Islanderino ended Wednesday’s festivities by allowing students to dress up in their fanciest Hollywood outfits and play casino-themed games.
The Men and Women’s Islanders basketball teams played Southern Louisiana at the American Bank Center on Thursday. The Women beat the Lady Lions with a score of 57-50 to put the Islanders in first place in the Southland Conference. The Men’s team ended the night with an 83-74 loss.
Friday Fiesta set the mood for the weekend with games like cup stacking, giant chess, and balloon darts in the Dugan Gym. As Friday’s sun set, a sea of students dressed in blue and green gathered for the beloved Lighting of the I. The night ended with the Alumni Association’s Homecoming Banquet where alumni gathered to honor several Islanders who have done exceptional things beyond graduation. Receiving the Young Alumnus Award was Dr. Don Trahan Jr. '08, '10, who has become an educator and a major consultant in diversity, equity, and inclusion worldwide.
“It feels amazing to be honored at a place that changed my life and played such a critical role in what I’m able to do today,” Trahan said. “I’m very honored to be back at the Island University.”
On Saturday, the Islander Block Party kept the spirit going with food, drink, music, games, and family-friendly activities. The event also included a special tailgate party for Islander alumni. For class of 1997 alumnus Jeff Dupont, returning to the Island Campus and joining current Islanders was more than a trip down memory lane – it reinvigorated his Islander spirit.
“When I came to school here, there were about 4,000 students, so it is incredible how much the campus life has changed,” Dupont said. “Being here and seeing these students is energizing and it feels a lot more vibrant.”
Also on Saturday, Men’s and Women’s Basketball pulled off big wins against the Northwestern State Demons. Sociology major, Island Ambassador, and McNair Scholar Meagan Pendleton '22 was announced as the 2022 Homecoming Islander during halftime at the Men’s game.
“Being named to Homecoming Court has really brought my Islander experience full circle,” Pendleton said. “It is great to be a part of the Islander community that is so supportive of everything that you want to do.”
