This year’s Homecoming is bigger and better than past years with unique activities and events scheduled all weeklong.
This year’s theme, “Rock and Roar,” has “interspersed different decades of music” along with the activities.
“All events going on this week are open to anyone who wants to participate, but some require pre-registration,” said Staci Pepitone, assistant director at the Union Programs Department .
Most fraternities and sororities are participating in events the Homecoming Committee has planned.
The Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity will be celebrating its 25th anniversary on LSU’s campus during Homecoming week.
“Along with celebrating our anniversary, we will be participating Homecoming events,” said Darrel Celestine, Alpha Phi Alpha Chapter President.
The Baptist Collegiate Ministry also is participating in Homecoming activities as well as doing other things throughout the week.
The BCM is having an alumni dinner Saturday and also plans to tailgate with Louisiana Tech’s BCM before the game, said BCM president Chad Ramsey.
Homecoming 2003 events kicked off Sunday with the Rock and Run 5K Race. Participants paid $12 to $15 to run in the race.
Voting for the King and Queen started Monday at 9 a.m. and lasts through Friday, Pepitone said.
People can vote on the Homecoming Web site or via their PAWS account.
The Purple and Gold Games Beach Party on Monday featured games and music on the Parade Ground.
“It is like a field-day like back in grade school,” Pepitone said.
There was a lip sync contest at the Union Theater which comprised Tuesday Night Fever.
The Run-Around Scavenger Hunt held Wednesday had groups searching for 250 items and answering 100 trivia questions, Pepitone said.
The scavenger hunt is unique because it requires participants to not only find items, but in some cases they have to find other students to participate with them.
“One year they had to find random people to paint “TIGERS” across their chest and sing the fight song,” Pepitone said.
The Tiger Experience, to be held today, will feature food, games and music. The event is in front of the PMAC; there will be a Pep Rally at 6:45 p.m. followed by a performance by Better Than Ezra, Pepitone said.
“We normally don’t do Friday Fright Fest, but we couldn’t let Halloween go by without doing anything,” Pepitone said.
The event, scheduled for Friday at 11:30 a.m., will have food, contests and Halloween games.
There will be a pumpkin decorating contest sponsored by the LSU Union, a scream contest and a costume contest, said Jeremy Joiner, overall chairman of the Homecoming Committee.
There will be a canned food drive, “Battle of the Cans,” benefiting the Baton Rouge Area Food Bank Friday from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. The food drive is open to everyone.
“It started two years ago and we collected 10,000 items the first year and 15,000 items this past year. We are hoping to get even more this year,” Pepitone said.
Homecoming decorations will be up by 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Pepitone said.
The parade will start at the Systems Building and will stop at the end of the Parade Ground.
“There will be more floats, and I think it will be bigger and better than previous years,” Pepitone said.
The parade will incorporate many more groups from across campus, Joiner said.
Some athletic teams have floats and there are some high school bands scheduled to participate.