Frontiersmen (University of Houston)

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The Frontiersmen running across the field after a Cougars touchdown at Robertson Stadium UH Frontiersmen.jpg
The Frontiersmen running across the field after a Cougars touchdown at Robertson Stadium

The Frontiersmen is a group of students from the University of Houston that are involved in many university events including athletic games. The Frontiersmen began as a tradition at the university in 1948.

University of Houston state research university in Houston, Texas, United States

The University of Houston (UH) is a state research university and the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, UH is the third-largest university in Texas with nearly 44,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of Houston–University Park from 1983 to 1991. The Carnegie Foundation classifies UH as a doctoral degree-granting institution with "highest research activity." The U.S. News & World Report ranks the university No. 171 in its National University Rankings, and No. 91 among top public universities.

History

The Frontiersmen was established in 1948 as an effort to promote school spirit and support the university in athletic events, Frontier Fiesta, and academic success. After years of the Frontiersmen tradition at UH, the Frontiersmen eventually lay dormant for quite some time. In 1990, in an effort to represent the Houston Cougars football team better, an oil field siren was implemented at games and was sounded after each score. Manually manning the crank of the siren were members of the Sigma Chi fraternity. This became known as The Blaze. [1]

Frontier Fiesta

Frontier Fiesta is a three-day event at the University of Houston that takes place on campus every spring semester, usually in the last weekend of March to the first weekend in April. At this event student groups perform variety shows, host carnival booths and put on multicultural performances, cookers participate in a large cook-off competition, and the night offers free concerts by big name performers. Money raised from Frontier Fiesta goes to ten scholarships offered to incoming freshmen. At its peak from 1946 through 1959, the Frontier Fiesta received national attention by drawing huge crowds of up to 200,000 people and was profiled in Life magazine.

Houston Cougars intercollegiate sports teams of the University of Houston

The Houston Cougars are the athletic teams representing the University of Houston. Informally, the Houston Cougars have also been referred to as the Coogs, UH, or simply Houston. Houston's nickname was created by early physical education instructor of the university and former head football coach of the Washington State Cougars John R. Bender, as he had grown fond of the name during his time there. The teams compete in the NCAA's Division I and the Football Bowl Subdivision as members of the American Athletic Conference.

Sigma Chi

Sigma Chi (ΣΧ) is one of the largest social fraternities in North America. The fraternity has 244 active chapters across the United States and Canada and has initiated more than 300,000 members. The fraternity was founded on June 28, 1855, at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, by members who split from the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity.

In 1992, after Frontier Fiesta was reestablished, three members of Sigma Chi started the Frontiersmen tradition again. After inviting five other men to join them, the Frontiersmen was officially in order. The next year, the Frontiersmen added Wranglers and dusters as their trademark attire. [1]

Duster (clothing) light, loose-fitting long coat

A duster is a light, loose-fitting long coat.

Football traditions

Since the Fall of 1994, the Frontiersmen have run the University of Houston flag across the field after each score. In 1996, the Flag of Texas was added to represent Texas better since UH was the only school from the state in Conference USA. Although other Texas schools have joined the conference since then, the tradition has remained. [1]

Flag of Texas flag of Texas

The flag of Texas is the official flag of the U.S. state of Texas. It is well known for its prominent single white star which gives the flag its commonly-used name: "Lone Star Flag". This lone star, in turn, gives rise to the state's nickname: "The Lone Star State." The flag, flown at homes and businesses statewide, is highly popular among Texans and is treated with a great degree of reverence and esteem within Texas.

Texas State of the United States of America

Texas is the second largest state in the United States by both area and population. Geographically located in the South Central region of the country, Texas shares borders with the U.S. states of Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the west, and the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas to the southwest, while the Gulf of Mexico is to the southeast.

Conference USA US college sports conference

Conference USA is a collegiate athletic conference whose current member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports. C-USA's offices are located in Dallas, Texas.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Frontiersmen Official Website. UH Frontiersmen. Retrieved 20 September 2007.
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