Dear Reader,
It’s the most wonderful time of the year for the Tigers, young and old, freshman and alumni — Homecoming season!
With the change of the weather comes a change in school spirit as our surroundings become littered with black and gold trimmings. Everyone should experience MU Homecoming, but with the copious amount of activities occurring, it can be overwhelming trying to decide what to attend. There are several ways to make the most of the festivities, which are not limited to just the week of Homecoming itself.
If you are wanting to attend more events this year, or don’t know where to start, I highly encourage giving some of the following events a try this year.
Some events occur prior to Homecoming week, including canned foods and blood drives. The MU Homecoming Blood Drive will take place in the Hearnes Center from Oct. 10-13, but if you can’t make it to the blood drive, other local drives will be taking place through Homecoming.
On Sunday, Oct. 16, the start of the actual week’s festivities is marked by the Dome Lighting Ceremony at 7 p.m. followed by a concert by a local band, The Brink. This is a great time to get into the MU Tiger spirit and relax before Monday classes.
Throughout the week, my first suggestion is to go for a walk. By that I mean to simply wander around campus, both Greek Town and downtown. Sometime after classes, grab a friend or get a group of people together to stroll around in the fall weather and look at the buntings, banners and flags that decorate the campus. Greek Town and student organizations put up decorations and perform skits on Friday, Oct. 21. Greek Life members spend a lot of time preparing for this event, so make sure to visit. This year’s theme for the houses is animated shows, which influenced their decorations.
If you want to be a part of making downtown festive, Decorate the District allows you to channel creativity into decorating the community for Homecoming week. Students and organizations paint murals at stores and on windows.
From Oct. 17-19, you can enjoy entertainment in the evenings through the Homecoming Talent shows in Jesse Auditorium. At these shows, you will see students perform skits, songs and choreographed dances.
Now, it’s Oct. 22 and game day has arrived. Where will you be? That’s a trick question. The correct answer is the Homecoming Parade. If you choose to not take part in any other events during the week, my only recommendation is that you attend the Homecoming Parade. Beginning early in the morning before the football game, the parade runs for several hours, starting at Greek Town, traversing all the way through downtown Columbia. You can find a spot to stand anywhere along its path and watch floats, MU organizations, bands, local businesses and the Homecoming royalty stroll by. Make sure to wear something with pockets or bring a purse for the free candy and other swag that some groups throw into the crowds.
After you attend the parade, you can make your way to the stadium for the main event: the MU Homecoming football game, which will be against Vanderbilt University this year. If you are not much of a sports person, I suggest going to this game — even if it is the only one you attend all year. The stadium is packed with fans, and you get to see performances throughout the game by Marching Mizzou, the Golden Girls and cheerleaders along with several other special traditions. Make sure to stick around for halftime when the Homecoming queen and king are announced.
For a list of all the dates and times of MU’s Homecoming activities, visit the Mizzou Alumni Association’s website. No matter how you choose to spend the week, make sure you’re having fun and staying safe. Don’t feel like you have to go to every event, but definitely enjoy it while the time is here. After all, Homecoming season only comes around once a year.
So long and take it easy,
Abigail Henshaw
Edited by Ever Cole, ecole@themaneater.com
Copy Chief: Emily Rutledge, erutledge@themaneater.com
