TIGER TV ONLINE REPORTER
Long gone are the days of high school homecoming weeks complete with wacky dress days. But the University’s 100th homecoming celebrations surpass theme days.
Events like Splatterbeat, CANapalooza and the pep rally are campus efforts to get University students involved.
“This year’s Homecoming Committee are mostly sophomores who don’t remember Homecoming 2008,” said Jacob Brumfield, the associate director of Campus Life. “So they wanted to make Homecoming ’09 fantastic.”
Brumfield said the Homecoming Committee “wowed” him.
At the pep rally Thursday night, Tiger Band performed crowd favorites and the Golden Girls and Tiger Girls gave high energy dances.
Kelly Breaus, a biology freshman and Tiger Girl, said she was excited about her first college homecoming.
“I love LSU’s spirit,” she said. “In high school no one had spirit.”
Kaitlyn Leonard, the Homecoming Court chair person, said preparations for homecoming began in April.
“My favorite part [of homecoming] is seeing this week come to life,” she said.
Before Leonard announced the Court, she thanked Lee Michaels for agreeing to be a Homecoming sponsor.
Michaels’ sponsorship includes creating court gifts. Lee Michaels is a fine jewelry store.
Freshman Court representative is LaKendra Fusilier.
Sophomore Court representatives are Emily Landry and Nick Ferrer.
Junior Court representatives are Brooksie Bonvillian, Francis Boustany III, Phoebe Hathorn and J Hudson.
Senior representatives are Krista Allen, Ben Clark, Chantelle George, Joe Coussan, Melissa Landry and Jim Rabalais.
Rabalais, a biology and animal science senior, said he ran for Court because of his experiences at the University.
“I’ve had such great experiences at LSU and have been involved in so many aspects of it so I felt like I would be a good representative,” he said.
Rabalais is a part of Greek life, Student Government and the Honors College.
He said his favorite part of homecoming is the University’s sense of community.
“LSU is the only university that has the kind of sense of community that exists here,” Rabalais said. “I don’t know a university that compares to LSU’s community.”
Brumfield said Homecoming is about groups coming together to celebrate the University.
LSU Dining, the Student Activities Board and the Resident Hall Association among many other groups have invested time and money to make Homecoming happen, he said.
“LSU has touched so many people in the past 150 years,” Brumfield said.
The Tigers play Louisiana Tech on Saturday’s Homecoming game.
Ruth Schulingkamp, a member of the Baton Rouge community, said she hoped the Tigers can come back from their loss to Alabama.
Brumfield said he hoped the Tigers gained loyalty to their team.
“And going for it no matter how long on third down it looks,” he added.
Homecoming funds come from student fees that are allotted to Campus Life, Brumfield said.
Homecoming celebrations will continue until Saturday with a Bayou Blackout Step Show Friday night and Saturday’s parade at noon.
