This year marks the 100th anniversary of Homecoming for MU, and the Greek community is expected to outdo itself with MU pride.
MU is hoping to celebrating this tradition bigger and better this year, not only in terms of having fun for the entire student body, but also in terms of honoring tradition.
According to the MU website for Homecoming, “Director Chester L. Brewer will serve posthumously as the 2011 Homecoming Grand Marshal. Brewer is credited with starting MU’s homecoming tradition, which commences 100 days from now on Oct. 15. Brewer will be represented at this year’s festivities by family members.”
The Homecoming website also states that Director Brewer, the person that initiated the first Homecoming in 1911, will be remembered by the school this year.
Carrie Bien, the coordinator for student programs at the Mizzou Alumni Association, said Homecoming is one of MU’s most important traditions.
“(Homecoming is a) unique tradition that is special to Mizzou that our campus celebrates,” Bien said.
This year’s theme is “A Century of Coming Home.”
“Starting in October there will be banners (on residential halls and Greek houses),” Bien said.
Students are encouraged to decorate the banners that will be put up in front of their residential halls, Bien said.
Brandon Thiel, one of this year’s Homecoming tri-director, went on to explain that the overarching theme for all organizations from Greek Life to campus organizations and residence halls is “Celebrations.”
“Homecoming is a celebration in itself, and therefore each organization has selected their own form of a celebration to be their theme for this year’s Homecoming,” Thiel said.
The big unveiling of the 100th Homecoming is less than two months away, and Thiel said the Greek Life community will work harder than ever putting in countless hours on their projects.
All fraternities and sororities are paired together into 14 groups. The pairs this year are as follows: Alpha Chi Omega and Lambda Chi Alpha/Zeta Beta Tau; Alpha Delta Pi and Alpha Gamma Rho/Beta Sigma Psi; Alpha Phi and Sigma Phi Epsilon/Sigma Nu; Chi Omega and FarmHouse/Kappa Sigma; Delta Delta Delta and Delta Upsilon; Delta Gamma and Kappa Alpha Order; Gamma Phi Beta and Pi Kappa Alpha; Kappa Alpha Theta and Delta Tau Delta; Kappa Delta and Phi Kappa Theta; Kappa Kappa Gamma and Alpha Gamma Sigma/Tau Kappa Epsilon; Phi Mu and Phi Delta Theta/Phi Kappa Psi; Pi Beta Phi and Pi Kappa Phi; Sigma Sigma Sigma and Alpha Epsilon Pi/Delta Chi; Zeta Tau Alpha and Delta Sigma Phi/Sigma Pi.
“The fraternities and sororities decide what group they would like to be in based on a three-day courting period,” Theil said. “Then the chapters rank their top choices. We then combine the rankings of each and group them together.”
Thiel also said that each grouping of fraternities and sororities have different ways of preparing for the Homecoming celebration.
“Depending on what aspect each are participating in is what they will prepare for,” he said. “In addition, many organizations also invite back their alumni and celebrate with them in their own way.”
When asked about the efforts being made to ensure a better homecoming this year than ever before, Thiel said that Greek Life hopes to improve Homecoming by working with other student organizations.
“We also strive to improve the on-campus events to reach a wider target audience. As far as surprises, you’ll have to wait and see,” he said.
Homecoming 2011, MU’s 100th Anniversary, kicks off on Oct. 1 and ends with a football game against Iowa State on October 15.
