Homecoming has come and gone, so it’s time to reflect on the week gone by. Was it worth all the attention and hype? What was the point? What is Homecoming even for? Let me spell it out for you.
“H” is for hard work. Homecoming chair, Heather Boutilier and her friends from CUP did an outstanding job running the festivities this year. From Court TV to the Masquerade Ball, from the student center decorating to the pep rally, they were everywhere. Sufficed to say, Homecoming wouldn’t have gone as smoothly if it weren’t for these students, their advisors, and the good folks from Alumni Relations.
“O” is for October, or in this case, the fact that Homecoming wasn’t in it. By having Homecoming in November, CUP gained about two extra weeks of planning, which were crucial in making Homecoming successful. Plus, any fears that the cold weather would deter people from attending the events were nullified by the surprisingly warm weather.
“M” is for the Mardi Gras theme. The party atmosphere got people excited about Homecoming this year, which is something that last year’s theme, “Made for TV,” didn’t do.
“E” is for entertainment venue. Court TV on Tuesday, a showing of Moulin Rouge on Wednesday, and then the Masquerade Ball on Thursday. CUP used afterHOURS to their advantage. For the first time, students working on their floats on Saturday morning had a place to go and warm up.
“C” is for Court TV. For the first time in over ten years, voting students returned. In an attempt to give prospective voters a chance to get to know the King and Queen hopefuls, CUP unveiled Court TV, a game-show like atmosphere showcasing the talents of the court members. The event was a huge success and one of the highlights of the week.
“O” is for overcoming criticism. The Greek population, on the heels of some controversial articles in The Northeastern News three weeks ago, responded to the criticism by going out and winning the banner and float competitions, supplying us with seven court members, including our King Dan Stepchew, and providing most of the attendance at the week’s events. I couldn’t picture Homecoming this year without the Greeks.
“M” is for Mardi Gras Madness, the name given to Saturday morning’s carnival that accompanied the parade. Having something going on in Krentzman Quad during the parade drew people in and around the quad for the parade.
“I” is for “in the hunt.” In the hunt for a playoff berth for our 8 – 2 football team, that is. The Huskies destroyed the 11th ranked Villanova Wildcats on Saturday, and did so in front of a packed house with people actually tailgating in the far end zone. Now, that’s what I’m talking about.
“N” is for being number one. Everywhere you walk now on campus, you see signs highlighting our accomplishment as being the number one ranked school in the nation for co-op. To be honest, all the attention being paid to what a magazine thinks about us does make me sick, but if the hype leads to pride
