Whether you are a first-year, an international student, a transfer student, an alumnus, a staff member, a sophomore, a junior, a senior or community member, you have to admit there is something special about the Gustavus campus. Wherever you go, you are never in want of a friendly face at Gustavus. It therefore only seems natural that many people proudly call this campus home.
This idea of home is the essence of Homecoming Week. And the essence of home at Gustvus is a place where you feel comfortable, a place to get involved and have fun with friends.
The Campus Activities Board provides that fun and camaraderie, and owing to the fact that the Nobel Conference takes place during Homecoming Week, you will have at least one free evening to let loose and enjoy the festivities. In good humor, Sophomore Music and Communication Studies Major Chris Duhaime said that there is “no reason not to show up during Nobel” if you are not at a lecture.
This year, Homecoming Week begins on Oct. 5 with the Homecoming Kickoff at 6:00 p.m. at the Market Place. Here, student organizations will compete to paint the best window. At the end of a week-long competition, a first-place prize of $1,000, second-place prize of $600 and third-place prize of $400 will be awarded to three organizations (student organizations can sign up at the Information Desk until Oct. 3).
The week will revolve around other events in which student organizations can compete. On Tuesday, there will be trivia at 7:00 p.m. at the Market Place. In Alumni Hall on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m., there will be a lip-syncing face-off by Ari Herstand. Lund Center is hosting a Dodgeball tournament for combatants on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. On Friday, you can check out the Homecoming Coronation and Variety Show in Alumni Hall at 8:30 p.m.
“[Homecoming Week] is a celebration of student life on campus during the fall. … It’s a chance for student organizations to showcase themselves. … It’s all about students making the campus theirs,” Andrea Junso, assistant director of student activities, said.
Student organizations and unattached students alike can enjoy all that Homecoming Week has to offer. For student organizations, it really is the perfect opportunity to start the year with a bang. Homecoming not only provides an optimal setting to show other students what the organizations are about, but it also grants them the chance to win monetary support through the Homecoming competition.
For students, it is another chance to get involved in school spirit. As Junso said, it is a great tool for unifying campus life and your own life.
The parade on Saturday, Oct. 10 at 11:30 a.m. is another event. Just before the football game vs. Pacific Lutheran at 1:30 p.m., the parade loops around Ring Road. Students can sign up to be involved in this event until Oct. 5 at the Information Desk.
Alumni are also welcome to come and visit. There will be stands set up for student organizations, and current students will have the chance to hear a little about the history behind their own groups at the Fifth Quarter event on Saturday.
“It’s fun to see [everyone] come home,” Assistant Director of Alumni Relations Erin Wilken said. Seeing how much Gustavus means to its alumni is one aspect many people enjoy.
“Gustie pride” was what Senior Psychology Major Erin Watt of the Campus Activities Board listed among her favorite parts of Homecoming Week. Homecoming is “a fun, energy-filled week. It gives you a balance between academics and involvement.”
Since Homecoming Week overlaps with Family Weekend, it is also an optimal opportunity for relatives to tour the campus and get a taste of what Gustavus is all about. Family members can even participate. The Fun Run on Saturday morning at 9:00 a.m. is open to everyone, and you can sign up on site.
With all the choices, almost anyone can participate in something of interest. To become more involved this Homecoming, Oct. 5-11, 2009, you can find more information about these and other events at the Information Desk in the Campus Center.
Welcome home.