Homecoming is not just another week of events.
It is THE week of events.
It is the only time during the year where football, fireworks, dance and talent competitions, royalty and a parade occur all within the same week. Students and alumni alike have the opportunity to come together and have the past meet the present and vice versa.
Students can learn about the "good ol' days" when the Quad was really the center of campus and people actually used the Student Center. Alumni can renew their sense of pride in the school as they walk through the continually updated campus and past the new construction projects.
Homecoming can bring together students and alumni through tailgating and football while fostering friendships between those two groups. It represents a week for those who have similar interests and dedication to the university to come together. These friendships can lead to students starting the week with no idea what they'll be doing after graduation and end the week with new ideas, contacts and possibly job offers.
It also represents an opportunity for organizations to strengthen themselves as former members can come back and bring wisdom and experience to the students currently in the organization.
More important than strengthening organizations is strengthening the university that both groups share. Combined, students and alumni represent a powerful fan base. The football game culminates from a week of building energy and pride and can be heard and felt as easily as every tackle on the field.
Even if the football team is 0-4 come Homecoming Week, which it likely will be, or you've never been to a game yet, you should go to this one. This is the time that even the hermits on campus should come out and band together with fellow students in a united cause.
And if you absolutely refuse to attend a game, then at least support your fellow students by attending the flag football championships or Air Jam or the parade. While Homecoming is as much about alumni as it is students, the entire week is planned and run by students with very little input from the administration.
Once you take that initial step and attend an event you might think is lame or unexciting, I imagine you will leave with a completely new view. Personally, I thought Homecoming was overhyped and events like Talent Search and Opening Day were an excuse for people just to show off.
Three years later, I'm on the steering committee and writing a column about it. It's because I took the effort to actually find out what Homecoming was all about and was blown away by how much fun everything was.
Opening Day is designed for everyone to come together in friendly competition, not to fill Irving with as much machismo as possible. Talent Search gives an opportunity to those who spend years honing their talent to have it pay off - not just through the chance to win the scholarships but to show others what they have and possibly wind up with new gigs and connections.
Some of the best events aren't even the ones organized by the steering committee - events like socials between greek organizations and random Ball State-themed house parties.
Becoming a part of the excitement of Homecoming Week and immersing yourself in Cardinal pride is essential to a well-rounded and enjoyable collegiate experience.
It's not just attending events but also becoming part of a tradition that has happened every year but one since 1926. Within the tradition of Homecoming lie many smaller traditions. These traditions include the crowning of royalty, Bed Races and the parade.
But these traditions can be something you start. Maybe it's a dinner among the members of your organization after a specific event. It can be silly or serious. Either way, it's adding your own personal mark to an incredible week of events and hoping your little mark continues for years to come.
Regardless of how you decide to celebrate Homecoming this year, just make sure you celebrate. Don't be stubborn and miss out on an essential piece of Ball State pride. You never know what you may experience and what you may leave for others to experience after you.
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