Greek Week participants look ahead to Homecoming

Preparations for the annual tradition are already underway.

By Angela Case

Published April 17, 2009

Although Greek Week is an important event for fraternity and sorority members, the crown jewel of Greek-supported events is Homecoming week at MU, the founding school of the nationwide tradition.

This year's Homecoming will take place October 18-24, culminating in the football game played Oct. 24 against Texas.

Liz Braun, a tri-director of the 2009 Homecoming Steering Committee, said plans are already in the works for many homecoming events. She said the 2009 theme, "New Fight, Same Bite," is "a unique twist on bleeding the past with the present."

Among the highlights of the week will be the annual Homecoming parade, which takes place on the morning of game day, Braun said.

The annual blood drive, one of the largest in the nation, will take place Oct. 13-15, Braun said.

Campus decorations, a popular tradition, will be displayed on Oct. 23. In addition to these annual events, Braun said, Homecoming Week 2009 will include a 5K race, a barbecue competition and several service projects.

While the Steering Committee has already started planning for Homecoming 2009, many Greek organizations have not yet begun preparations.

"We will be participating, but we have not yet elected a Homecoming director," said Weston Merrick, president of Alpha Kappa Psi fraternity, the overall organization winner of Homecoming 2008.

"We will begin making plans sometime in July," he said.

Alpha Delta Pi members start making plans a little earlier, said Kelly Pack, a junior and member of the sorority, which won Homecoming last year.

"Usually we wait until after Greek Week, then we start selecting committee heads," she said.

Braun said the new tri-directors began making plans for 2009 immediately after 2008 Homecoming ended.

"The Homecoming Steering Committee spends hours and hours each week working to make sure that Homecoming is a success, incorporates all people in the Mizzou community and of course brings as much Mizzou spirit and tradition to campus as possible," Braun said.

While Braun and the Steering Committee are always seeking ways to improve upon the Homecoming tradition, they also realize the importance of preserving activities that have been popular in the past.

"One of the best things about Mizzou is the tradition it has to offer in boasting the first and the largest Homecoming started in 1911," Braun said.

"There usually are not many drastic changes to the events presented during Homecoming, but instead they are changed from year to year to keep things exciting and different."

This year, Braun said, the minor changes will include making Homecoming even more service-oriented. She said a new service event in which all students campus-wide, Greek and residence hall organizations, can participate is in the works. Also, Braun said, the Steering Committee is seeking more beneficiaries in addition to the Central Missouri Food Bank, which benefits from Tigers Taming Hunger, and the Columbia Area Senior Center, which Tiger Tango benefits.

While Homecoming and Greek Week are both important weeks for Greek organizations, there are distinct differences between the two.

"Greek Week is more about the competition and Homecoming is more about tradition," Pack said. "At Homecoming, the entire Mizzou community comes together."

Merrick said among his favorite Homecoming traditions are campus decorations and the football game because many families and alumni come out to see the decorated houses and cheer on the Tigers.

"The game is a great ending to the whole week of festivities," he said.

Pack said her younger sister decided to attend Mizzou after experiencing homecoming.

"It's all about tradition," she said.