4C
HOMECOMING SECTION
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 22, 2005
COMPETITION
Emily Enright, Manhattan senior, works for the homecoming committee at a table selling homecoming T-shirts. Students can buy T-shirts throughout the week on Wescoe Beach for $10. The Homecoming committee is encouraging students to sport their T-shirts in exchange for free items Friday.
Hallie Mann/KANSAN
University to celebrate 96th homecoming
From floats to competitions to BBQ's, the 2008 KU Homecoming shapes up to be an eventful week
BY HALLIE MANN
hmann@kansan.com
The University of Kansas homecoming celebration has been a tradition for Kansas since 1912. Even though the football team is preparing for its competition against Texas Tech University, KU students will have the opportunity to compete in a series of events against each other. Jayhawks from all types of campus groups will compete in events ranging from a campus wide hunt for The Homecoming Grail to riding floats down Jayhawk Boulevard.
David Wilcox, Manhattan junior, is the co-director on the Homecoming Steering Committee. He has worked hard to provide a range of events for all students to be involved. Events such as the Homecoming Student BBQ and the Information Fair have been added to let students get involved with homecoming without having to be in a group, according to Wilcox.
"We still want students to get involved even if they're in a group
or as an individual who doesn't have the budget to compete in the bigger events," Wilcox said. Students will also have the opportunity to win free giveaways during the week on Wescoe Beach starting Monday of Homecoming Week.
The rest of the events planned for
homecoming week are geared as a competition between the different student groups. According to the Kansas Homecoming 2008 web site, the events are broken into two categories.
additional points to the winning groups. Participation events, such as the pancake breakfast, Stuff the Bus (a collection of non-perishable items for local food banks), and Jayhawk Jog, a race through the KU campus, are awarded points based on how many people show
participation events and competitive events, both of which can earn points. During the competition events like 3 on-3 basketball, float decorating, and Jayhawk Jingle, which will be during the Homecoming BBQ, points are awarded to everyone who participates, as well as
DAVID WILCOX Manhattan junior
up from each organization. The overall point winners will be announced d u r i n g halftime of the football game on Saturday. Many different groups will be competing this year including of the Greek
a large portion of the Greek system.
The Greek organizations on campus have made it tradition to compete in the Homecoming events. Cassie Fago, Lincoln, Neb., junior, is a member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority and is competing in this year's events.
"(Homecoming) is fun because it's a good way to do a campus thing, not just a Greek thing." Fago said. Last year, Fago's sorority took second place and they are looking to do just as well this year, Fago said. According to Fago, Alpha Chi Omega will be competing in all of the events again this year and while attendance is not mandatory for the members, it's highly encouraged for them to participate.
"My favorite event is the float," Fago said. "We worked all week on it last year and during the parade it spit popcorn and moved and it was just so cool to see it completed." Fago said the float competition was very secretive among the Greek community and that each sorority and fraternity would build their floats in covered tents and try to spy on other groups' floats. Other campus groups such as the residence and scholarship halls participate in the Homecoming competitions also.
Chelsea Brown, Olatne sophomore, lives in Sellards Scholarship Hall and is planning to compete with her hall and Sellards'
brother hall, Pearson.
"We do it but we don't do it well," Brown said. Sellars did fair last year in the events and Brown is planning on trying to do at least one event and the parade. Deck the Halls is an event only done by scholarship and residence halls and will feature this year's theme, Hail to the Hawks. Sellars is planning on doing Deck the Halls, the mural competition, and the parade, Brown said.
Another competition during homecoming is the EXCEL Award.
"We don't have as many people participating as the Greeks do but it's a good way for us to get involved with other people on campus," she said. Outside of the point system events, actively involved upperclassmen have the chance to compete for the Excellence in Community, Education, Leadership, or an ExCEL award.
"This event is a renovated idea of the traditional Homecoming Queen and King award," said Wilcox. "It's designed to reward students based on their leadership skills and their role in the
community here at KU." Out of all the entries, five female and five male students will be chosen as finalists and will interview with the ExCEL committee. The finalists will be featured in an ad in The University Daily Kansan and mentioned at halftime while two finalists will receive a $500 award and the chance to become involved in student activities throughout the remainder of the school year. The competition is open to students who have at least 90 credit hours,a minimum 3.0 GPA, and a reference from a faculty or staff member of the University.
Homecoming is a time for celebration for KU students. The Homecoming Steering Committee has created a series of competitive and relaxed events designed for groups all over campus.
"Homecoming is like Hawk Week in the middle of the semester," Wilcox said. "It's a great way to get students involved on campus." Students have the chance to come together as fellow Jayhawks in the spirit of competition throughout Homecoming Week.
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