By Athena Skapinakis & Ryan Barrera
Features Editor/Staff Writer
A five-hour drive to Las Vegas is no longer necessary this month because ASI is bringing Sin City to campus for Homecoming at “Sans Casino” to be held from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Feb. 23. In previous years, Homecoming was held at the DoubleTree or Marriott but this year it has been moved to campus following the last men’s home game of the basketball season.
The basketball game between CSUB and Pacifica is being held in the Icardo Center from 6 to 8 p.m. During the game, senior players will be honored, alumni from previous basketball teams will be recognized, the Homecoming court will be introduced and the winners will be announced.
Immediately after the game, the Homecoming event is being held at the old gym next door to the Icardo Center. Staying true to the Las Vegas theme, Homecoming will feature casino games such as black jack, roulette, craps and Texas hold’em (all mock gambling), tasty appetizers and music from DJ Mike.
Homecoming tickets can be obtained at the CSUB Cashier’s Office. It costs $10 for students with IDs and $15 for guests. Some students don’t understand why it now costs them money to get into Homecoming and expressed their concerns on ASI’s Facebook page. The argument of the students was that they already pay an ASI fee with their tuition and paying for Homecoming tickets made them feel like they were paying twice.
This week, CSUB students can vote for the Homecoming court in the Student Union.
This year, there are 31 students running for the Homecoming court, which will include winners from each year, freshmen through seniors. However, only the senior nominees will be elected as Homecoming King and Queen. In prior years, a nominee from any class could be elected as King and Queen. The change was introduced by Dr. Thomas Wallace, who recently passed his one-year anniversary as Vice President for Student Affairs at CSUB.
After speaking to a few of the candidates, it is clear they are running to help CSUB in interesting and creative ways.
Savannah Natividad, a junior, says she wants to help “promote campus life and boost student morale.”
Freshman Taylor Wheeler wants to bring athletes and CSUB students together to help them interact more. Dhirej Kumar, a sophomore, said he is running because he wants to represent the sophomore class. “I feel like it needs more representation,” he said.
Homecoming follows a week of events geared around school spirit. Last week, on Feb. 16, a Homecoming dinner was held for CSUB alumni.
