An Unforgettable Maroon Monsoon: ASU Homecoming 2019
Arizona State University students packed the Inferno student section and celebrated on the field after a Sun Devil football upset against No. 6-ranked Oregon on Saturday, the culmination of a week of student-led celebrations for ASU Homecoming 2019.
Kiley Kastberg, a senior at ASU studying nonprofit leadership and management, oversaw Homecoming events on all four ASU campuses in her role with the Programming and Activities Board. She said Homecoming is a great way for students and the community to celebrate school pride and tradition.
“My favorite part of Homecoming is being able to put on the events that we do and having students and members of the community get involved and celebrate what it means to be a Sun Devil,” said Kastberg.
ASU’s West campus kicked off Homecoming with Sparky’s Challenge run/walk event and carnival, and the celebrations continued through the week with the Homecoming Dance at ASU’s Downtown Phoenix campus, the Homecoming Comedy Show at ASU’s Tempe campus, the Devils’ Royale casino night at ASU’s Polytechnic campus and the Lantern Walk at ASU’s Tempe campus, a 102-year-old tradition that takes place on “A” Mountain.
Sophia Briseno, a sports journalism major at ASU, was the Lantern Walk coordinator for the Programming and Activities Board, which organized many Homecoming events for students.
She said Lantern Walk is a special tradition to uphold at ASU. It started when in 1917 juniors and seniors hiked “A” Mountain and passed paper lanterns to lower-division students to represent the spirit, pride and tradition being passed to the next generation. The walk happens on the eve of the Homecoming football game every year.
The Inferno student section cheered on the Sun Devils as they upset Oregon at ASU Homecoming 2019.
“It’s such an important part of being a Sun Devil … we have students and alumni alike climb the mountain and celebrate what it is to be a Sun Devil,” Briseno said.
A record-breaking crowd of 8,522 attended the wrestling match after the Lantern Walk to watch ASU upset No. 1 Penn State, a team that hadn’t lost a dual match since 2015.
The momentum built on Saturday. Community city and state leaders were featured in the parade alongside student groups, who walked in the Homecoming Parade on floats and on foot celebrating the theme To Inferno and Beyond with homages to the popular motion picture franchise “Toy Story.” The groups displayed the diversity of student organizations on campus, from the waterskiing team to Sun Devil Motorsports to cultural organizations and the Homecoming Court.
Then more than 7,000 students packed the Inferno section creating a Maroon Monsoon as they cheered the Sun Devils on to defeat Oregon 31–28. Students rushed the field to celebrate the upset and another great Homecoming week at ASU.
Students, alumni and the larger ASU community have another exciting matchup to look forward to this weekend when the Sun Devils take the field to continue college football’s oldest rivalry in the Territorial Cup. ASU will face rivals the University of Arizona at 8 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 30, in a game that will decide whether the cup will stay in Tempe after last year’s win. See you in the Inferno, Sun Devils!