Texan Alley Tailgate: Where students, families and alumni feel at home

BY BROOKLYN MCKINNEY / Multimedia Journalist

Tarleton State University school spirit started at the Texan Alley Tailgate for the Homecoming game against Utah Tech on Saturday, Oct. 12. Tailgate started at 2 p.m. and went on past kickoff.

Texans, friends, family and alumni got together to eat good food, crack open cold drinks under the hot sun and blast music while looking picture-perfect in purple and white.
Bart Crow performed at 4:30 p.m. to amp up the tailgate festivities.

Tarleton student Annabeth Johnson was excited to see him perform on campus.

“I’ve seen Bart Crow in concert before but this time it was more special because it was in a place that I’m proud to be involved in,” Johnson said. “He put on a great performance in celebration of Tarleton homecoming.”

For some, college football isn’t just a sport but a way of life. Several of Tarleton’s traditions such as Yell Contest or Launching of the Ducks are marked by Homecoming week, and last week’s tailgate was no exception.

Organizations such as the Plowboys and the Tarleton Alumni Association pitched their tents to offer Texan fans free food and drinks. 

Melanie Lawrence is a member of the Tarleton Parents Association (TPA) and an alumna of Tarleton State University. The TPA uses the tailgates as an opportunity to network.
“For TPA I think the main thing is really just meeting people,” Lawrence said. “They’re giving out hot dogs and fries and water, so the fees that parents pay help us feed the kids.”

Overall, tailgates are a huge part of college culture and a fun way to foster community before the big game.

Brady Talwater is the Risk Management Officer for the Delta Chi fraternity at Tarleton and appreciates when Tarleton has home games so he can use the tailgate to relax.
“It’s the one time a week I actually get to hang out with my buddies and not have to worry about my work,” Talwater said.

Another Tarleton alum, Cody Mann welcomes this opportunity to catch up with old friends.

“This is where we all come back to. We’re spread out everywhere but we know that we can come back here and see all our old friends, see alumni that we’ve met and known for years, which we don’t always get to see them because you know, someone’s in San Antonio and you’re in Dallas,” Mann said.

During the homecoming week festivities, students and alumni came out to the Tarleton Texan tailgate to hang out with friends, make new ones or catch up with old ones. And if they didn’t, then they were missing out on one of Tarleton’s best traditions.