Homecoming: Month-long celebration of campus pride
Volunteers participating in a Decorate the House event adorned windows across campus, like these in Porter Hall, to promote PNW spirit and a month of Homecoming events and festivities.
PNW roared with pride for a month-long homecoming celebration with numerous events that led up to the basketball game.
Traditionally, universities have homecomings in the fall, during football season. Since PNW does not have a football team, it focused the events around its men’s and women’s basketball teams.
The organizations at PNW want to give students a tradition to bring school spirit to life.
“We wanted to pack in as much fun to kick off the spring semester,” said Ashley Gerodimos, executive director of PNW Alumni Community & University Strategic Events. “The first few weeks of the spring semester are cold. There are not many things potentially going on.”
Last year was the first time PNW centered homecoming around basketball during a weeklong event. Unfortunately, the polar vortex that sent temperatures plummeting made it difficult for students to attend. This year, event coordinators decided to make homecoming a month long.
“This gives students a chance to look at their calendar and figure out what events they will be able to attend,” said Magdalena Madrigal, Student Life coordinator.
The main event coordinators were the Alumni Department and Student Life Organization, but the organizations that support students like the Honors College, New Student Orientation and more got together last year to discuss event ideas. Here are a few they came up with:
- A Women’s Leadership Luncheon will be held in Alumni Hall from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on March 11.
- ShamROCK It Out, a Battle of the Bands will be hosted by Student Life in Alumni Hall from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on March 12.
- A comedy night with the Mission Improvable Show in YJean Chambers Hall is happening from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. on April 1.
- A Hypnotist will mesmerize students in Alumni Hall from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on April 16.
PNW
Attendees of the ‘Mane’ event celebrated as the Pride took on Ferris State. This event marked the end of the month-long Homecoming festivities.
“The students were involved by telling us what they wanted, and we were able to bring that to them at this homecoming event, the carnival, which happened at both campuses and it was an insane/huge success,” said Gerodimos.
The school also wanted to make the celebration special.
