A Homecoming Homage

For NC State’s Student Alumni Association, balancing time-honored traditions while looking to the future is at the heart of Red and White Week, the university’s annual homecoming celebration.

Charlie Hurley, director of student engagement for homecoming for the SAA, has been working to lay out the framework for the events and line up loyal partners.

“Honoring traditions is the main purpose of the Student Alumni Association,” Hurley said. “We host events every year, such as NC-SYNC and Homecoming Kickoff, but we consistently try to rotate other events based on the feedback from our participating organizations.”

NC-SYNC brings student organizations from across campus together for an unforgettable lip sync showdown. Performers take the stage with over-the-top costumes, high energy moves and hilarious takes on favorite music hits, all tied to this year’s theme, “Tunes from the Teens.”

Planning for homecoming starts at the end of the previous school year, with major details locked in at least eight weeks before the fall semester kicks off. The Homecoming Kickoff event remains a highlight, filling Stafford Commons with students year after year. “It really embodies what it means to honor tradition and celebrate Wolfpack spirit,” said Hurley, now a junior, recalling making friends at the event as a freshman.

Student Giving Challenge

Alongside games and giveaways, SAA uses the week to highlight opportunities for philanthropy within the community, such as the Student Giving Challenge, which allows members of the Wolfpack to directly support student needs. This year, SAA selected the Student Emergency Fund.

In particular, students respond positively when they learn of the impact their donations have through the Student Emergency Fund. “It is overwhelmingly positive,” Hurley said. “People love to find out that their donations to the spirit competition aren’t just being used as the university sees fit, but that it’s really going back into the community and into the hands of their friends in need.”

While Hurley coordinates logistics and partnerships, he credits a full team for pulling the week together. “Everyone I work with comes together to communicate with Greek spirit participants, and they are really what gives homecoming its life at the end of the day. By bringing all of our work together, we can provide a variety of events that engage students, teach the principles of philanthropy and bring the community together,” he said.

One such member of the SAA homecoming team is Oakleigh Shields, marketing director for the Student Alumni Association. Shields said her team supports the week by creating promotional materials and highlighting the week’s events.

She noted that Red and White Week creates a rare moment in time when students from across campus come together. “Seeing people able to connect and foster school spirit throughout the week makes all of the work that we do throughout the year worth it,” she said.

Shields described the campus atmosphere during the celebration as “an all-time high,” with ambassadors engaging students at events to help build that energy. Her marketing also emphasizes the value of giving back. “Giving does not just have to be philanthropy-based,” Shields said. “Students simply just showing up and supporting us helps.”

Shields cited the Student Emergency Fund as one of the most impactful ways students and alumni can contribute. “Making sure that our students here at NC State can be lifted to their full potential and have a great experience during their time here is an important way that the Student Emergency Fund raises support,” she said.

For both Hurley and Shields, Red and White Week is much more than simply having fun; it’s a powerful reminder that when students come together, it sparks pride, purpose and a lasting sense of Pack connection.

Red and White Week provides a chance for students, alumni, faculty and friends to celebrate what unites them. The blend of spirited competition, philanthropy and connection underscores a larger truth: tradition at NC State is not static. It is a living, breathing legacy built by every student who continues to show up, give back and carry the Wolfpack spirit forward.