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BU improves old tradition with lighting of the B

Originally published October 22, 2010

Bradley’s new and improved Homecoming kicked off Oct. 13 with the annual lighting of the B.

However, this year’s event was filled with more school spirit than those of the past.

Normally, Bradley celebrates this opening of Homecoming by simply lighting up the giant B on top of Bradley Hall.

The event usually has low attendance, but this year more than 300 students filled Founder’s Circle for T-shirts, free food from Famous Dave’s and school spirit.

Senior business management and administration major Kyle Malinowski and senior psychology major Nick Fahnders welcomed students by sharing a story about Bradley founder Lydia Moss Bradley and the significance of a B of flowers.

“Lydia loved flowers,” Malinowski said. “Flowers show rebirth. Just because you have graduated doesn’t mean you can’t come back.”

In addition to presenting the B of flowers, Malinowski and Fahnders invited students to light candles from a single flame, which represented the collective knowledge of Bradley students through the years.

“We are passing the light of knowledge from one student to another,” Fahnders said.

Some students said they were eager to see the event, so they waited out in the cold for more than an hour before the event started.

“I think this is cool that they’re doing this for the first time,” said sophomore electronic media major Simon Daniels. “It’s my first time coming so I’m glad I get to see it.”

After introductions of the Homecoming court, students were lead by Homecoming king candidate Kevin McClelland in singing the school song.

The evening ended with the actual lighting of the giant B.

The smaller B of flowers was carried inside by members of the Homecoming court, and once it made it up the steps and inside Bradley Hall, the lights went on and Homecoming was officially underway.

Freshman electrical engineering major Jon Carrano said he enjoyed this night’s event, but offered an improvement for next year.

“It was very well done,” he said. “But maybe next year – fireworks.”

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