Weeks of planning events, building parade floats and game promotion start to pay off as a tiger tail appears on top of the MU Student Center, and the MizzouRec boasts yellow and black streamers. It is time for Mizzou Homecoming.
This year, the theme for Homecoming was “Tradition Stands Forever.” But for something that lasts forever, preparation starts many weeks in advance.
Leading up to the week of Homecoming, the Community Service Committee stays busy coordinating events like the Blood Drive, the Tiger Food Fight and a fundraiser for Rainbow House.
The service steering committee is led by director Bronsan Coley, but committee member Abuzar Bhatty says that coordinating events is a group effort.
“For all service events, we have three directors arrange all of them, but once you start it’s a lot of help from everyone else involved in Steering Committee,” Bhatty said. “Without all the members of Steering Committee, we would not get anything done.”
Members from each Homecoming committee spend weeks emailing organizations to set up events and then are all hands on deck to make the planned days a success.
The festivities continued on Sept. 29 as runners of all speeds and abilities took part in a 5K around MU’s campus. The groups started at Traditions Plaza, ran all the way out to the Hearnes Center and then finished by passing the columns and heading back to where they started.
“The Homecoming 5K was so much fun and I’m so glad Mizzou puts it on,” freshman Madeline Hartranft said. “It was my first ever 5K and a great experience overall. The weather was perfect, I got to see a lot of different parts of campus, and I got a good workout in.”
The Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic Association kicked off the week on Monday, Oct. 7 with a talent show in Jesse Hall to show off various skits and dances. Sororities and fraternities paired off together and performed their skits for a campus-wide audience over several nights.
On Friday, Oct. 11 the Chancellor began the day with the State of the University Address leading to a night of festivities gearing up for the big game. Greektown had Campus Decs for people to enjoy, and a Spirit Rally finished the day.
Saturday, Oct. 12 started with the Parade of Greektown floats at 9 a.m. where people watched as the various themed floats strolled by. The festivities ended with the 6 p.m. kickoff of the Missouri Tigers versus Ole Miss in the Homecoming Game.
“Mizzou Homecoming is a great time of year,” Coley said. “It gives people more of a comfort that they can find a place to belong. It’s also a lot more than that. We raise a lot of money, we raise a lot of food, coordinate lots of service hours. It’s not just a Mizzou thing; it’s a Mizzou thing that impacts the whole central Missouri area and the whole Midwest.”
_Edited by Laura Evans | levans@themaneater.com_
