Homecoming, a weekend for alumni and students to reconnect, has also become a recruitment tool for the university.

High school and middle school groups will be joining college students this weekend in Homecoming celebration activities.

During this Saturday's 'Tents on the Mall' event, students will party with alumni of various organizations and learn more about the campus.

For the first time, the Hispanic Alumni will be taking part in the recruitment effort in order to bring more Hispanic students to the UA.

President Peter Likins announced last year that he wanted the UA to become a Hispanic Serving Institution. In order to become an HIS, 25 percent of the student population must be Hispanic.

The Hispanic Alumni have invited more than 143 high school students to join in the festivities.

Pueblo High School Academic All-stars will be sending 63 straight-A kids to the UA to have fun and relax in recognition of their academic progress.

Sixty students from Sunnyside High School Wildcat Society, which teaches about college applications, scholarship applications, and FAFSA forms, will also attend.

"We are excited to have them come here and to host them," said Oscar Lujan, executive director of the UA Hispanic Alumni.

The Early Outreach department brings middle school students to campus every year to participate in the festivities. For many of the students, this will be their first time on campus.

This year, the department is reaching out to nine schools that previously did not attend, said Lori Tochihara, director of Early Outreach.

About 175 middle school students, some still in sixth grade, will also attend as a part of the Mathematics Engineering and Science Achievement college preparation program.

The program aims to encourage minority, low income, and first generation college-bound students to come to the UA.

Early Outreach will have a tent this Saturday where the students will do hands-on math and science activities as a part of the program.

Later, the students will have an opportunity to be the only non-UA student group marching in the Homecoming parade, Tochihara said.

This Saturday beginning at 11 a.m. and continuing until football kick-off around 4 p.m., organizations will host their alumni members and others in a social activity with food, drink and entertainment.

"This is not like Spring Fling, it's very social in nature, where students and alumni come together and connect," said Angie Ballard, program director for Homecoming.

Organizations ranging from colleges and departments to fraternities, sororities, clubs and honoraries have reserved a total of 110 tents.

The Alumni Association's tent will be open to the general public. Students and community members are welcome to come out and join in the many festivities at no cost.

Lujan said that his organization has rented five tents with 125 chairs and 25 tables for the Hispanic Alumni Pachanga.

A band playing salsa music and other traditional Mexican songs will entertain alumni and guests. The UA mariachi group will also be playing.

"It's going to be awesome, it's really fun," Lujan said.

The Hispanic Alumni has over 11,900 members throughout the United States, all of which are encouraged to return for Homecoming.

Lujan expects about 300 alumni to visit the tents Saturday afternoon.

On Saturday, maps will be available all over the Mall. And for those who get lost easily, there are three alumni information tents.

The Alumni Association organizes "Tents on the Mall." Tents cost $160 each.