Houston Daily

The C. T. Bauer College of Business Honors Program at the University of Houston has won the annual Spirit Bell Competition, a key event during the university’s Homecoming Week. The competition, which has been a tradition for a decade, is organized by the UH Staff Council and invites campus office teams to decorate their spaces in line with the year’s theme. For 2025, the theme was “Heart of Houston.”

Judging for the event was conducted by Antoinette Marvels and Shanekia Gradney, co-chairs of the Staff Council events committee, Courtney Washington, Staff Council program manager, and Kathy Frank, a UH alumnus. The teams were evaluated on originality, Cougar spirit, creativity, and overall appearance.

Britney Dzu, program manager for Bauer Honors, described the team’s approach: “The first thing we did was create a heart-shaped collage of all things Houston and Bauer Honors. A mix of our two loves.” Student staff members Tina Tran and Hirni Bhuta led the creative efforts. Other team members included Program Director Sarah Gnospelius and Program Director Colleen Davies.

The Bauer Honors office featured several elements reflecting the theme: a heart-monitor inspired timeline of UH and Bauer’s histories, window art depicting advisors Sarah and Colleen as the “heart” of Bauer Honors, homecoming mum-inspired decorations, Houston skyline artwork, and a wall where students shared their favorite things about Houston and Bauer Honors.

Dzu noted the importance of the city’s skyline to the theme: “The Houston skyline is undeniably another piece of the Heart of Houston. We can see it from campus and it's a part of who we are.”

The Bauer Honors team’s efforts earned them the Spirit Bell trophy. Their win was announced during the Homecoming game against Arizona on October 18.

Courtney Washington commented on the competition: “The creativity, enthusiasm, and team spirit truly captured the Heart of Houston and Homecoming. We’re so impressed by the energy and effort brought to the challenge. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who participated and helped make this event a success. Let’s continue to carry this spirit forward throughout the year! Go Coogs!”