On Monday, Oct. 15, Tarleton State University homecoming was in full swing after the kick-off with Lighting of the Smokestack on the previous night. However, the Silver Bugle hunt was moved to the Barry B Thompson Student center ballrooms due to rain. The winners of Silver Bugle Hunt 2018 is People Against Not Knowing University Spirit, or PANKUS for short.

PANKUS had three teams enter the competition with only one team advancing, this team includes Haleigh Bush, Karlyn Fraser, Miranda Jennings and Payton Schmidt. This group helped lead PANKUS to win the Silver Bugle Hunt. This is not the first time they have won Silver Bugle either, PANKUS last won in 2012.

“This is my first time participating in the Silver Bugle hunt since I am a freshman. It felt so amazing to win because we were the only team to advance from PANKUS so we were all nervous. But getting to win for this great organization had all of us on cloud 9” said Karlyn Fraser.

According to the PANKUS organization page on TexanSync“PANKUS is one of the many spirit organizations on campus, is an organization, who embraces the Spirit and Traditions of Tarleton. Our love of Tarleton unifies and strengthens our membership, past and present; we are and will always remain a family.”

The Silver Bugle hunt has been a long standing tradition in Tarleton’s history. Every year the university wide scavenger hunt commences to search for the silver bugle during Tarleton State Universitys Homecoming Week. 

The tradition started originated in 1941-58. During this time a rivalry raged between Tarleton and North Central Agricultural College. This rivalry was highlighted each fall during football season. The winner of the Tarleton verus North Central game was presented with a silver bugle.

Sadly in 1958 NTAC won the football game, but they lost the silver bugle. Tarleton started Silver Bugel hunt as a homecoming tradition to remember this event and the once rivalry.