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Kick their Athens
- UIS Students and Alumni celebrate Homecoming
By Janee Mitchell
Homecoming Week began
on Monday, Oct. 4 with a homecoming bonfire and ended with a
homecoming parade and tailgate party on Saturday, Oct. 9.
Homecoming week had a
wide range and variety of events to keep students occupied and
gave them a chance to show their school spirit. Betsy Quijada,
junior in clinical laboratory sciences, said homecoming week was
“a good opportunity to get together and socialize“.
Students were granted
the opportunity to meet the cheerleading team, dance team and
the UIS Prairie Star mascot at the homecoming bonfire at the
campus pond. During the bonfire a toga contest was held and
homecoming court nominees were announced.
During homecoming
week, student organizations participated in a banner contest.
The banners, created by the organization members, were very
diverse and creative. The banners were displayed in the PAC main
concourse.
The winning banner,
from the UIS Frisbee Club, was announced at the pep rally on
Thursday, Oct. 7. The winning banner, which portrayed the theme
of homecoming week, “Kick Their Athens”, quite well, can be seen
hanging in the PAC concourse.
The chemistry club
sponsored a lab coat tie dye on Thursday, Oct. 7 in the HSB lab.
The president of the club, John Nelles, said the tie dye is done
once a year during homecoming week. Last year was their first
year during the tie dye as a part of homecoming week and Nelles
said that it has become a “new tradition”.
The tie dye was open
to all UIS students and free shirts and materials were provided.
The bright colors and interesting designs made a great edition
to the homecoming week apparel.
There was a host of
other homecoming events including a movie, Magdalene Sisters, a
safety fair at Sunflower Court, car decorating, a tailgate party
and the homecoming parade, but the event students were waiting
for, the DJ Dance, took place on 9:30 p.m. on Friday Oct. 8.
The dance started off
rather slow and the fun didn’t really start until about an hour
into the evening. Some students showed up at the dance and stood
around wondering where the DJ and all the other people were. One
student said she was concerned but she knew other people would
show up.
The DJ came in and
looked through his records, desperately trying to revive the
party and as a song lyric says, “It just takes a little time,
everything will be just fine”, one wonders, will it, because
it’s already been 45 minutes and still nothing is happening.
Finally more people
arrive, everyone was just “fashionably late”, and the party goes
on. Students were enjoying themselves and even took some photos
against the paradise-like backdrop of the dance. Towards the end
of the dance, students lined up eager to hear the winners of the
homecoming king and queen title.
And the winners are…
Jenn Davis and Brad Ward. The happy couple smiled as they took
their first dance. The DJ enjoyed the crowd so much that he
played an extra song and students were dancing on their way out
the door.
Homecoming Week was a
Student Life event, held every year in October. It gives the
students a nice relief from studying and gives them a chance to
enjoy the college and the things it has to offer.
The Frisbee
Enthusiasts Club sports the winning banner for a contest among
student organizations
2004 Homecoming King
Brad Ward and Queen Jen Davis
UIS Volleyball
Alumni pose for a group picture after the homecoming match
between the alumni and current team
Students catch the
spirit of the homecoming week at the bonfire |
