Section B · Page 12
The University Daily Kansan
Friday, October 1, 1999
VOLUNTEER
Homecoming
Homecoming hype confuses some international students
By Sarah Warren
Kansan correspondent
Homecoming means nothing to Galina Levin.
She gets lost in the Floats, dances and the big football game. Levin can genuinely smile, a confused look in her blue eyes, and utter, "Homecoming, what's that?"
For Levin, St. Catherines,
Canada, freshman, and the other
1,400 international students on campus, knowledge of homecoming, prior to coming to the University, is a one-episode blip on American television shows and massive amounts of annoying ads in the October issue of Seventeen.
"You hear (in high school) about homecoming in magazines, and I think it's a lot like prom," Levin said.
A formal dance isn't on KU's homecoming agenda. Instead a parade and various alumni activities comprise the bulk of homecoming. And then there's the football game. Levin's confused look returns.
"Football?" Levin asks.
Paqui Paredes, a Ph.D. candidate in the Spanish Department, and a native of Santiago, Spain, isn't surprised by Levin's confusion. She's convinced Americans can't truly define homecoming themselves.
"I've asked my American friend what it is, and I think that they don't really know," Parades said. "I don't know what it is, but we don't have it in Spain."
Rebecca Lamb, Manchester England junior, thinks other
countries tend not to have celebrations such as homecoming because school pride is an American entity.
"Here you are a Jayhawk for life, you have more of an identity with the University." Lamb said. "Homecoming is something I think Britain should do, but the idea of it is just so alien to me, although I think it would be good to have one."
An alien idea because Lamb, Levin and Paredes don't really have any type of event to compare homecoming to.
"All the activities there don't center around sports because sports in college (in Spain) don't matter," Paredes said. "It's a very American thing—I don't know of anything anywhere else like it."
But Tobi Dawodu begs to differ. Dawodu, who, like Levin is a St. Catherinees, Canada, freshman, explains
"I saw all of my friends' yearbooks, and they turned right to the homecoming section and because I hadn't heard of it before, I figured it's a lot like Association weekend." Dawbu said.
Association weekend at Ridley College, a preparatory school, has the appearance of homecoming. In early October, alumni return, sporting events rule weekend plans and a formal dance is held.
"[During] Association weekend we have a 'homecoming' football game." Dawodu said. "And all of the old people come back and associate with the kids and their old teachers."
Freshmen Jen Van Ruyven, left, and Galina Levin discuss Canadian weather conditions compared to the United States. Both are from St. Catherines, Canada. Photo by Melissa Thornton/KANSAN
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