Homecoming is a time for the community to come together. Alumni return to the place they received their education years prior and notice the changes, but the constant in all the changes is the sense of community amongst cougars.

The Kean community will gather to show its pride on Friday, October 23, 2015, for the Homecoming Pep Rally hosted by Student Government. The pep rally will take place in Hardwood Arena from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. All attendees are asked to wear blue and Kean University apparel.

The pep rally is sticking with the theme of homecoming, which is Carnival Rio, and it is sure to be a party. “This year's pep rally is going to be bigger and better than ever with participation from…the general student body populations. We will still have some of the same great aspects that pep rally offers but with even more to offer students,” said Aerianna Hardy, vice president of programming for Student Organization and senior psychology pre-occupational therapy major.

The celebration will consist of various activities that appeal to both current and past students. To give a taste of the night’s happenings, attendees can expect performances, video skits, and talent and physical competitions. There will be music to get the crowd pumped and many athletic teams and campus organizations will be represented. While a focus will be placed on the football game that will happen the next day, the overall purpose of the pep rally is to generate a sense of belonging campus-wide.

Julian Kennebrew, one of the hosts of the pep rally and sophomore sociology major, commented, “without giving away too much, but there are lots of surprises and giveaways taking place as well.” If individuals’ interests were piqued before, now they are. Ending with a vibrant bang, fireworks will conclude the pep rally.

Every Kean University student chose to carry out their education at this college for various reasons; it is not the reasons that matter so much, but the decision. School pride is a strong force, and come the Homecoming Pep Rally, everyone is going to show they are a Kean University cougar through and through.