GHOE: Greatest HALFTIME on Earth!

By Raven Tyler, Special Correspondent

The N.C. A&T halftime show is the highlight of the homecoming football game for many fans.

N.C. A&T’s annual homecoming game is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7 at Aggie Stadium. The Aggie football team will be playing against the Delaware State Hornets.

There is distinct controversy over the new required length of the halftime show and how much seating is available in Aggie Stadium.

The halftime show is one of the main attractions to the homecoming football game. Many people leave the game after the halftime show to endure in other activities, such as parties, tailgating outside of the stadium, or getting prepared for the concert that is scheduled for that night.

Stars of the halftime show, The Blue and Gold Marching Machine, will begin the show by dancing and playing a modern, well-known music selection, and making series of formations.

The Marching Machine will be accompanied by their dancers, the Golden Delights, who always top off the show with their fast-paced dance moves and sparkly outfits.

The Student Government Association (SGA), as well as Miss A&T, Aniya Bradsher and Mister A&T, Quishon Jenkins, will make an entrance around the track while greeting the guests.

N.C. A&T Aggies will be playing against the Delaware State Hornets, coming all the way from Dover, DE; the Hornets’ band will also play a music selection with their majorettes performing.

Fans are encouraged to wear comfortable clothing and sunglasses or hats. The temperature is set at 73 degrees for the day of the game.

Multiple food trucks will sell food and drinks, such as, burgers, nachos, and fries to the fans during halftime and throughout the game. Aggie One cards can be used to purchase food with flex dollars. Purchasing food should be done in the first or second quarter; halftime is when most people leave to purchase their food, causing extremely long lines and making it extremely crowded.

Unfortunately, the GHOE halftime show will not be the normal 30 minutes. The NCAA recently introduced a new policy that limits the halftime show to 20 minutes, no exceptions or a 15-yard penalty will be assessed against the home team.

Fans, alumni and students are also planning to arrive to the stadium two to three hours prior to the start of the game. Aggie stadium seats 21,500 people, so it might be a tight fit to find a seat during the halftime show.

“Last year was the worst! We literally had to stand the whole time,” said  Jasmine Aguilar, a psychology student. “All I wanted to see was the band during halftime, after that, we were out!”

The annual Aggie homecoming halftime show began with the band in the 1950s. The majorettes, who are now known as the Golden Delights, incorporated flag turning and dancing which helped attract national attention in the 1970s. The dancing and flags are used to tell a story with the music of the band.

While football is what attracts fans to N.C. A&T’s homecoming, many come from afar to enjoy the halftime performance of the Blue and Gold Marching Machine and the Golden Delights.

Raven Tyler is a sophomore multimedia major at N.C. A&T State University.