Zach Gilbert
NEWS EDITOR
After restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic forced UNO’s Homecoming celebration – typically scheduled during the fall semester – to be postponed, festivities will finally commence this week.
Aside from the new date, there will be a few other changes to this year’s celebration as well. For starters, most activities will be drive-thru/walk-up or virtual events. In addition, the traditional “point structure” will not be utilized, meaning that there will be no royalty for Homecoming 2021 either. Regardless, UNO assures that there will be much to enjoy anyway, and they hope everyone will take part in this year’s theme of “why you love being a maverick.”
Below, you can find a brief schedule of the events that will take place from Feb. 1 to Feb. 5, arranged by date.
Monday, February 1
- Show Your #MavSpirit
- If you take a picture of yourself in “Mav Gear” and send it to unospirit@unomaha.edu, your photo may be shared on UNO’s social media channels. Of the students whose pictures are posted, 50 will be chosen to receive a $20 gift certificate to a restaurant in Omaha. If you need some Mav Gear to participate, the UNO Bookstore will be offering a 20% discount on merch for one day only, for anyone with a MavCARD.
- Visit the Village
- In this drive-thru/walk-up event at the Baxter Arena Parking Lot, anyone can visit from 4 to 6 p.m. and retrieve a voucher that they can exchange for dinner and dessert in Aksarben Village. UNO branded license plate covers will also be handed out at the same time.
Tuesday, February 2
- Mavericks Helping Mavericks
- From 12 to 2 p.m., if you drive through the Milo Bail Parking Lot and donate items to the Maverick Food Pantry, you will receive a free pack of UNO playing cards. Recommended items include: canned chicken, peanut butter, beans, fruits, veggies, grains and soups.
- Toppers Tuesday
- From 8 to 10 p.m., Toppers Pizza on 7010 Dodge St. will be offering free late-night pizza to anyone who shows their MavCARD when making an order. Meals can also be retrieved via drive-thru or walk-up.
Wednesday, February 3
- Organization Shout-Out Day
- To participate in this event, any UNO organizations such as fraternities, sororities, residence halls, offices and departments can upload a video or photo to Instagram and tag @unoofficeofstudentlife to be entered for a competition to receive #MavSpirit prizes. Prizes will be given out every hour, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- UNO Fan Frenzy
- In this drive-thru event at the Baxter Arena Parking Lot, anyone can visit from 4 to 6 p.m. and retrieve #MavSpirit gear such as cowbells, hockey horns, magnets, face stickers and cups. In addition, if you donate $10 to UNO Dance Marathon, you can earn a UNO branded sweatshirt or hat.
Thursday, February 4
- Shirt Swap and Sandwich Giveaway
- In this drive-thru/walk-up event at the Baxter Arena Parking Lot, anyone can visit from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and bring an old t-shirt of another university/team/sport to exchange for a brand-new UNO Maverick t-shirt. UNO will donate all swapped t-shirts to the Sienna Francis House. Finally, the first 300 students to participate will get a free Pickleman’s Gourmet Cafe gift card.
- Sandwich and Shirt Swap
- From 2 to 4 p.m. if you bring an old t-shirt of another university/team/sport to the Maverick Village Clubhouse, you can exchange it for a brand-new UNO Maverick t-shirt. UNO will donate all swapped t-shirts to the Sienna Francis House, and the first 200 students to participate will get a free Pickleman’s Gourmet Cafe gift card.
- Big Game Challenge
- All day, UNO will be accepting “stories” from their students at unospirit@unomaha.edu. In particular, UNO wants to hear: What do you love about UNO? Who has made a difference in your life? What is your favorite place on campus? Where do you hangout for fun? What activities are you involved in at UNO? You can format your story as a video, a flier, a poem or any other style that suits you. Some stories will be shared on UNO’s social media, and four students will win the ultimate Big Game Challenge: $250 worth of pizza, wings, snacks and more.
Friday, February 5
- National Bubble Gum Day
- In this drive-thru event at the Milo Bail Parking Lot, anyone can visit from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., show their MavCARD, and get a “grab bag” filled with “bubble gum fun” such as Hubba Bubba, Big League Chew, bubble gum flavored soda and more. Some goodie bags may even include a $5-10 gift card to Smej’s Candy. If you would like to be entered to win a full-size bubble machine, you can also take a photo or video of yourself blowing a bubble and post it to Facebook, tagging @UNOStudentLife. The first 100 students to participate will earn a free lunch card to Oklahoma Joe’s BBQ.
