On Sept. 27, from 8 to 11 p.m. the Weenie Roast occurred. The Weenie Roast is a time to eat barbecued sausages, play games and listen to live music with friends. It is one of the many homecoming events West Texas A&M University holds before the homecoming football game.

“[The Weenie Roast]t is a long-standing tradition, which the Residence Hall Association (RHA) has been putting on for quite some time,” said Tucker Gattis, Student Government Association (SGA) chief justice. “It goes back to [pre-coronavirus]. Student government is happy to support RHA, and we are super excited to be partners with them this year.”

The Weenie Roast includes games like Connect Four and also dancing with friends. It’s a time for students to find community and listen to some music while they enjoy sausages. It was not always like this though, many years ago, pre-2011 there was a bonfire and this was the genesis of the Weenie Roast. Due to hazards, it was converted into a barbecue.

“It’s been here longer than my advisor and she has been here since 2011,” said Starla Lawhon, senior wildlife biology major and RHA member. “Traditionally, it actually started with a bonfire. But a series of events have happened, and we’ve turned it into grilling hotdogs and listening to some music.”

The RHA and SGA combined to create the homecoming 2022 Weenie Roast, which also allows students to gain spirit points for homecoming at the event. Spirit points are an initiative formulated by the Office of Student Engagement and Leadership which builds pride and community on campus during many events, which includes homecoming.

The Weenie Roast’s long tradition showcases how the WT community is built over time and highlights the atmosphere on campus in which students can come together to celebrate events on the WT campus.