All throughout high school, Homecoming was a big deal. I recognize that I'm speaking with the privilege of having gone to a school that celebrated the whole week, but it was arguably my favorite time of the school year. So when I came to college, I had high expectations for Homecoming at Columbia University. They, like my old school, didn't have the greatest football team in terms of winning. But, that's okay. There's so much more to this yearly tradition that deserves celebration!

The first awesome thing about Homecoming is that it's been a campus-wide tradition. Although they vary from school to school, the events or activities leading up to and following the big football game are the most memorable. It's a constant thing that many students can look forward to year after year, even beyond graduation (yes, I'm referencing you, alumni).

Speaking of alumni, Homecoming has a way of bringing the whole school community together. From current students to recent graduates to all the teachers, staff, and supporters of the school; everyone's excited for the special time of year. It's all about enjoying food, friends, a little bit of football, and fun. Students from all over the Columbia and Barnard campuses, and sometimes even outside people from Morningside Heights, flock to places such as Low Steps to enjoy the festivities.

Trust me, it's lit. Homecoming is the time of year where campus spirit is at it's finest. You'll see students repping their school colors and, often times, apparel with the school's name printed in bold letters on the front. The pride that we have in not only our athletes who've been working hard all season but our school in general is truly evident at this time of the year.

This is the first time in over ten years that Columbia's football team won their Homecoming Game! Of course, victory is an extra perk, but there's no doubt we would've had fun regardless. Homecoming Week was never truly about the winning, it never was.