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HOMECOMING
KANSAN.COM
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Homecoming boosts profits for some downtown businesses
MATTHEW GWIN
@MatthewGwinUDK
Although most students likely associate Homecoming with parades, pigskin and pumping, some downtown businesses especially profit from the event.
Sally Zogry, executive director of Downtown Lawrence, Inc., said the mass of returning alumni gives businesses a boost over the weekend.
eaten at The Mad Greek in the past, so they want to come back and try it again."
Phoenix Gallery manager Sue Shea said she "absolutely" sees upticks in business downtown during Homecoming.
"I think whenever there's an event with the University and alumni come downtown, it definitely impacts our business," Tagtalianidis said. "People may be nostalgic if they've
University events bring alumni and profits, and Homecoming is no exception, said Deb Tagtalianidis, co-owner of the Mad Greek restaurant.
"In general, it does help downtown, because over that weekend a lot of alumni do come back, and they visit downtown, and they visit their favorite stores and restaurants, and they also check out what's new," Zogry said.
"We try to have more generic 30-packs deep-stocked, and we generally have some extra kegs" Guilfoyle said. "With Homecoming, there are a lot more things going on, so people are drinking more consistently [throughout the day]."
more than usual for what she dubbed "the day-long drinking festival."
"I think a lot of alumni are in town, and they have fond memories of Mass Street. I feel like they come down to Mass Street to hang out, shop, have dinner — so yes, there is an upswing." Shea said.
"We're all artisan-made, so I feel like these are things that people will buy to take back home with them if they're looking for gifts or a unique shopping experience," Shea said.
Shea also said that many businesses, such as Phoenix Gallery, appeal to the alumni audience more than students.
they'll come back" Jolly said.
Besides traditional stores and restaurants, liquor stores also see an uptick in business the weekend of Homecoming. Cork and Barrel assistant manager Ellen Guilfoyle said the business makes sure to stock
More important than the bump businesses get from the weekend is the chance to impress a fresh crowd of customers, said The Roost co-owner Sean Jolly.
Even though local owners seem to experience greater success during this time, that does not necessarily translate to extensive changes in their daily operations.
"This year will be a huge increase because it's Homecoming, Halloween, and the Royals are playing in the World Series," Guilfoyle said.
This year in particular, though, Guilfoyle expects the weekend to be especially productive.
"For me the focus is getting new people and having an opportunity to shine and excel at what we do and how we do it. That way we can leave an impression on them and maybe
JESSICA LARSON/KANSAN French Fries from The Burger Stand.
JESSICA LARSON/KANSAN
"We make everybody [on staff] aware of the events and try to turn tables quickly to accommodate, but we don't really staff up," Tagtalianidis said.
However, not all businesses notice spikes in sales when alumni return to town. Kelly Corcoran, owner of the Love Garden Sounds record store, said he hasn't found any correlation between University events and his business.
"I don't think I've ever correlated a change with alumni week," she said. "The truth is, there's something every weekend, and I kind of lose track."
which I associate with school being in session," Corcoran added.
Corcoran said Love Garden isn't dependent on students because it is a "niche business." "I don't feel like we're a student-heavy shop. Our worst months are actually September, October and February,
He said because of the nature of his establishment — he described it as "old-school business" — Homecoming may positively impact other stores. "I'm sure it does benefit some places, but it's kind of six of one, half-a-dozen of the other," Corcoran said.
Whether a store treads water or feels a financial boom for the weekend, Shea said just being around the excitement of Homecoming is a victory in itself.
"It's great to see the alumni here," Shea said. "That's what KU is all about, the students and the alumni. I guess that's what makes Lawrence the kind of town it is."
Breaking down KU Homecoming buzzwords
Homecoming week is full of events and festivities — from a food drive, to a song and dance competition, to the annual parade and football game. With those come terms associated with Homecoming, and the Kansan has broken it down for you.
KELLY CORDINGLEY
@kellycordingley
Homecoming: Homecoming, by definition, is an "an annual event held by a college, university or high school for visiting alumni." This Homecoming marks the University's
103rd celebration of inviting alumni back to their alma mater. The theme this year is "Ghosts of Jayhawks Past," and this year's grand marshal is Catherine Carmichael, current Miss Kansas World and 2014 graduate. The Homecoming game against Oklahoma kicks off at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
Steering Committee: The Steering Committee is the organization that coordinates Homecoming week. It's responsible for planning all the events and the process begins months in advance. Check out
the Kansan's feature on the Steering Committee director, Caleb Johnson [on page 4].
Pomping: Pomping is the process of folding thousands of pieces of tissue paper to be used to decorate Homecoming floats. Most Greek houses pomp as part of the float decorating process, pushing the folded paper through chicken wire on the float. The pumping process begins at the start of Homecoming week.
Stroll-off: A new addition to the festive week is the strolloff, a dance show put on by the National Pan-Hellenic
Council. The council is an organization of historically black fraternities and sororities.
ship Center," according to the Alumni Association.
Ex.C.E.L.: The winners of the award for Excellence in Community, Education and Leadership will be presented at the Homecoming game on Saturday. The 10 nominees will be in the Homecoming parade at 6 p.m. on Friday. The two winners, one male and one female, will be awarded $500 in annual scholarship funds and "will plan the Blueprints Leadership Conference next spring in conjunction with KU's Student Involvement and Leader-
Partners: Student organizations, including Greek life, pair up each year to participate and compete in various Homecoming events. The first event this year was Stuff the Bus, a food drive benefiting Just Food, the Douglas County food bank. Each pair wins points from the events and at the end of the week, the pair with the most points wins Homecoming.
catchy, spirited songs. A panel of alumni judge the acts and crown a winner at the end of the evening. The event was held on Wednesday.
Jingles: Each year, paired-up student organizations come together to create and perform
Marching Jayhawks: The University's marching band will lead the Homecoming parade at 6 p.m. on Friday down Massachusetts Street. The band plays at every home game and some away games.
Edited by Leah Sitz
Catherine Carmichael, a former volleyball player and current staffer in the football team's front office, is this year's homecoming grand marshal.
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