Homecoming is a special week when alumni relive their college days and the whole campus unites.
Although homecomings are centered around Saturday’s football game, the preceding week is filled with activities for students to enjoy.
Although some activities are standard for every school, many activities vary by school and each school has its own unique traditions.
At the University of Alabama, the student body celebrates the week before with several different activities. Erin Duncan, a junior at Alabama and a vice-chair of the homecoming committee, said they kick off the week with the “Roll Tide Run,” an activity similar to the LSU homecoming race.
Duncan said there are several activities daily that students enjoy participating in, such as “Paint the Town Red,” which is an event where businesses around campus let students paint their shop windows in the spirit of the week.
“It gets the whole town in spirit,” Duncan said.
She said the week consists of a bowling tournament, a basketball tournament, and a choreography competition, among other things.
One of the main traditions at Alabama is the bonfire before the concert on Friday, Duncan said. The bonfire burns all night.
“It’s a neat thing,” she said. This year at the concert, the Gin Blossoms opened for India.Arie.
Tarin Nix, a sophomore at Alabama who attended LSU last year, said she prefers LSU’s homecoming.
“After attending both LSU’s and Bama’s homecoming festivities, there is no doubt in my mind that LSU is far more spirited,” she said. She said the homecoming parade at LSU is more elaborate, and that LSU students “know how to get the party started.”
Auburn University has a few traditions, but according to Auburn students, homecoming is not as big of a deal there.
Anna Stamps, a junior at Auburn, said “we have a parade, but for big games.”
She said one tradition they have that is especially big at homecoming is rolling Toomer’s Corner, a tree in the main part of Auburn’s campus. After football victories, students and alumni gather at Toomer’s Corner and cover it with toilet paper to celebrate the win.
Emery Carrington, a junior at the University of Mississippi, said at Ole Miss’ homecoming there are ” a lot more people there.”
For homecoming, she said as early as 6 a.m. the Grove, a grassy area in the central part of campus, is “like a sea of tents.” Some people even have chandeliers hanging in their tents.
She said this year the school brought back an old tradition called Miss Old Mister, a spoof pageant in which guys compete.
There is a parade on the Friday of homecoming week, which Carrington said is unique at Ole Miss because they have “a really close relationship” to Oxford, the city where Ole Miss is located. The community participates in the parade and everyone marches around the town square.
At Vanderbilt University, in Nashville, Tenn., there are a few traditions in addition to the typical parade or pep rally. John Holt, a senior at Vanderbilt, said the yearly tradition is “losing our football game.”
Julianna Lee, a sophomore at Vanderbilt, said there is a special community service day during homecoming week.
“Lots of students go downtown and serve,” she said.
She said there also is an event called “Tie One on with the Chancellor.” It is an annual bow-tying competition in which the quickest participant gets a prize. Lee said the competition is in honor of Vanderbilt’s Chancellor Gee, who is never seen without a bow-tie.
The selection of Homecoming Court is a tradition that every school holds, but the campaigning process differs from university to university.
At Ole Miss, there is an elected male-female pair titled Miss Ole Miss and Colonel Reb in addition to the homecoming queen, Carrington said.
Duncan said at Alabama, the campaigning is fairly rigorous. Candidates campaign by talking to students in the quad and posting fliers until students vote on the Tuesday of homecoming week.
Stamps said the homecoming court campaign at Auburn is “a really big deal.” There are elections and campaigning, and during the week, there is a special event on the concourse, a big area in the main part of campus.
Each of the five candidates for queen must be backed by an organization, said Stamps. On the concourse, the candidate and her group do a choreographed “song and dance” while the student body looks on.
Every school has a different way of doing things homecoming week, and these differences are what makes each campus’ week special and unique.
As Duncan said, “the main focus is getting all of campus involved.”