This year’s celebration, to begin Oct. 5, will be shorter than last year’s and will not feature parade
Homecoming 2008: The Adventure Unfolds hopes to draw more student participation through an Indiana Jones theme and larger events, Homecoming Coordinator Kym Spooner said.
Last year, events hosted during the day had low turnout because students were in classes, she said.
A major change to the schedule this year is the loss of the Homecoming Parade.
Spooner said low turnout in past years caused the committee to decide the parade wasn’t necessary.
“Only about seven organizations had floats,” she said. “It interrupts traffic and it’s a lot of work for an event that not many people go to.”
The committee also shortened the week.
“It’s only half a week,” Spooner said. “We cut it down thinking that if there were just big events for a few days, people would keep it in their minds more.”
Homecoming Week begins Wednesday and ends Oct. 5. Indiana Jones movies will be shown in Lydia’s Lounge and on Olin Quad throughout the week.
Homecoming King and Queen voting will take place throughout the week. Students can buy a vote for a quarter in the Michel Student Center atrium, with no limit on the amount of votes that can be bought. Proceeds will go to the American Red Cross, and the winners will be announced at the homecoming soccer game 7:30 p.m. Oct. 4 at Shea Stadium against Howard University.
“The best part of homecoming is the queen and king,” Spooner said. “I like all the voting and then during the homecoming game the crowning of them.”
To increase student attendance, the homecoming committee has been working on king and queen voting procedures, decorations and marketing ideas, Spooner said.
Student groups can decorate wooden skulls to be displayed in the student center. The skulls will be judged Wednesday and the best one will win a gift basket from the homecoming committee.
Alpha Epsilon Pi Foamcoming Dance, starting at 7 p.m. Wednesday on Olin Quad, is open to all students showing a student ID, AEPi member Wayne Brin said.
On Thursday, a Homecoming Barbeque and Battle of the Bands will take place on Olin Quad, Spooner said. The Battle of the Bands winner will be given the opportunity to play at a tailgating party and pep rally Oct. 4 at Shea Stadium.
Sophomore accounting major Allison Hurst said she misses a homecoming dance.
“I would like a dance to be here. There would be an excuse to dress up,” she said.
Meeting new people and making them feel welcome to Bradley is the best part of homecoming week, said sophomore music major Kanoa Doblin.
“Bradley is their home for the next four years, so we’re showing how to make the most of it,” he said.
