Less than a week from now campus will be “painted” in red in celebration of the Bradley Homecoming.
However, celebration has never been a word associated with Bradley’s homecoming festivities. At Bradley, there is no celebration of traditions and little excitement associated with homecoming, unlike other universities.
It’s not that the student coordinators of the Activities Council of Bradley University don’t work hard each year to organize fun events and it’s not that their ideas are dull. It’s simply because we have an apathetic study body, something Bradley has had for years.
There is something about having a soccer game as the homecoming game as opposed to football. The amount of our athletic teams that compete off-campus makes it less accessible for students to build Bradley pride, as well.
However, in the near future we may see things turn around. ACBU is working hard to bring tradition back into Homecoming week and they just might be on to something.
Two years ago, ACBU coordinators revamped the once traditional “Lighting of the B” ceremony to a fun, interactive party to kick-start Homecoming week.
This year’s “Lighting of the B” ceremony will include music and dancing, like last year, and will also incorporate a laser light show, which could be a cool addition. With strong numbers at last year’s ceremony, we are confident that this event will continue to grow.
And that’s just a start. Other activities during the week, such as the Meinen Field bonfire have shown some degree of interest from students over the past two years. New activities such as “Paint it Red!” and “Lydia Needs a Makeover” are just two examples of activities that might encourage students to become more involved in Homecoming Week activities, and could potentially spark real school spirit.
In addition, with new directors in the Student Activities Office, Bradley may see some new ideas surface during next year’s Homecoming festivities.
New Director of Student Activities Tom Coy told the Scout during an interview that he has been observing, and has taken the backseat during Homecoming planning. After watching next week’s activities, it will be interesting to see what ideas he develops, after coming from a larger university that had sustained Homecoming traditions.
Although there is potential for ACBU to turn around Homecoming, their effort can only do so much. The events and activities the ACBU student coordinators plan are for the study body, but often times these events are not widely attended.
Students complain that Bradley doesn’t have a fun campus-wide week like other universities, but if they don’t participate in events now, things may never change.
Moving forward, Bradley’s Homecoming has potential to become something it never has before. Next week students should take the opportunity to show their Bradley Braves pride and dress the campus in red.
