SPIRIT days, pep rallies, dances and competitions. The rich homecoming traditions of high school instill a strong sense of school pride and encourage students to feel connected to their school even after they graduate. As a fourth year, I have noticed Virginia Homecomings pass by three times at the University, each time marked by students' apathetic involvement in any kind of celebrations. Yet Homecomings is something from which the entire student body can benefit, as it increases the student-alumni connection and builds school pride.
Most students are not aware that Homecomings at the University has the letter "s" on the end. Wayne Cozart, vice president of alumni engagement, explained the reason for the "s": "It is tradition and tradition alone," similar to Easters, Openings, Final Exercises or Midsummers. Homecomings originated as an opportunity for alumni to come back to their University each year and celebrate being a Cavalier, but for it to truly be successful, students need to have a stake while they are at the University. In 2011, Homecomings is making a comeback to the student body for the first time since 2006, and this time it will be here to stay.
Research and interviews conducted by members of Student Council and the athletic department have shown that successful collegiate homecoming celebrations across the country often have two events in common: a large-scale concert and a parade through city and university streets.
Students at the University of Florida organize a huge concert and rally each year called the "Gator Growl," drawing more than 50,000 people and featuring performers such as the Goo Goo Dolls and Dave Chappelle. Baylor University students and alumni line the streets of Waco in support of the various student and community organizations as part of its annual homecoming parade.
Furthermore, Georgia Tech hosts its famous "Ramblin' Wreck" parade each year for homecoming, and Oklahoma State brings in big-name bands for its homecoming shows. Events of this magnitude certainly take years of preparation and often include decades of tradition, but given the interest in Homecomings this year, I see no reason why the University would not be able to host its own Homecomings events that will draw huge crowds by the time the current first-year class graduates.
The University Programs Council and Student Council are taking the first step this year by hosting events throughout the week, culminating in a cookout and concert with Sons of Bill on Friday evening in the Amphitheater. There also will be a cookout for the student body with catered barbecue on the Lawn three hours before Saturday's football game against Georgia Tech. Businesses on the Corner are doing their part by putting decorations all around their restaurants and shops and offering food and drink specials to people in Virginia attire.
Even University departments such as Facilities Management and Residence Life are working with student groups to create new traditions students will see when walking around Grounds, such as orange and blue ribbons around trees and Homecomings banners in front of the dorms that create them. These partnerships, coupled with support from nearly a dozen University-affiliated organizations, including the Alumni Association, Parent's Committee and College Council, mean there is plenty of interest to turn Homecomings into a tradition people associate with the University.
Unlike many high school homecoming events, however, Virginia Homecomings is an overwhelmingly student-initiated event. Without the efforts of hundreds of students and participating organizations, Homecomings will never grow to have the same impact as it has at other universities.
While Homecomings tradition is returning to the student body in 2011, current University students, particularly underclassmen, must do their part in continuing to push for the tradition to remain and grow in the years to come.
I hope the student body will join the hundreds of students who played a part in creating Homecomings Week 2011 by supporting the return of the tradition and attending the various events throughout the week. Without future student involvement in Homecomings, the week will lose much of its flair, and Homecomings will continue to be largely meaningless to students. It is our job to build a tradition that embodies the University as a whole, not just its alumni. We, the students, need to lead the charge in shaping a tradition that will make us proud to say that we attend the University.
Ben Powell is the chair of the Student Council Athletic Affairs Committee.
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