SCC’s Homecoming Week has seen a flurry of events going on all around campus.

Homecoming week began with the Kickoff Event on Oct. 7 and will end with the Tailgate Party and Homecoming Game against Pima Community College on Oct. 10. All events were planned by the Homecoming Committee after a campus-wide vote last April to determine what the theme for this year’s homecoming theme would be.

The Kickoff Event was held on Oct. 7 from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. on the Student Center’s east patio near the Two Waters Circle. Corn hole, lawn twister and a deluxe football throw game were a few of the activities that students could take part in while they enjoyed free pizza, cotton candy and popcorn. There were also plenty of free giveaways like Artie glasses and wristbands.

The next day’s event was the third annual “Artie Idol,” held in the cafeteria inside the Student Center. This year’s “Artie Idol,” which is based on the long-running “American Idol,” set a new record for participation, as it saw 24 contestants compete in either the “Rockstar” or “Roadie” categories. Placement in the categories depended on whether the competitor had previous musical training.

After careful judging by a panel of judges, the top three finishers were awarded either $100, $50, or $25 in each category depending on whether they finished first, second or third respectively. The “Rockstar” category winners were Itzel Caire (first), David Schuberth (second) and Maia Ambrister (third). The “Roadie” category winners were Anya McDonnell (first), Blaire Buchanan (second) and Nicholas Meyer (third).

Schuberth, who won second place after performing Sam Smith’s “Stay with Me,” is a singer and songwriter who has big dreams, while managing to stay grounded in reality. He spoke of being in talks with a Nashville producer about a record deal, but knows how important an education is.

“I’m a science major,” Schuberth said. “First and foremost I want to get into a top-tier school.”

Amy Goff, Diego Leal and Greg Plaza had a blast judging the event. Leal, a first-time judge for the event, works in the Center for Civic and Global Engagement office and enjoyed having the school teams involved.

“My favorite part I think was getting the SCC Cheer team up there to do ‘Run It’ by Chris Brown,” Leal said. “Having them all up there dancing was pretty fun.”

The homecoming festivities will be capped off with Saturday’s homecoming game, which pits the Fighting Artichokes against the 18th-ranked Pima Aztecs at 7 p.m. The Tailgate Party is slated to begin at 5:30 p.m., so students are encouraged to get there early. Prior to the game there will be a reunion of the 1975 Artichokes team as well as a Hall of Fame induction.