Homecoming week commenced yesterday with a 5,000 meter race, with Thursday marking the end of K-State’s year-long 150th anniversary celebration. In honor of the anniversary, the Student Homecoming Committee selected the theme of “A Tale of Tradition.”
Each year, various student organizations pair up and compete in activities throughout homecoming week. These activities include the All-University Homecoming Philanthropy 5K Race, sidewalk chalking, Pant the Chant, Wildcat Request Live, painting spirit signs, Paint the ’Ville and the homecoming parade and pep rally.
Mallory Patten, junior in journalism and mass communications and homecoming committee member, said that Pant the Chant is her favorite event of the week, even though she is a part of the pep rally subcommittee. Pant the Chant is a choreographed cheer performance where student organizations perform either individually or with paired partners from their division.
“The energy is wild,” Patten said. “Pant the Chant is my favorite homecoming event because all of the organizations are brought together in Bramlage Coliseum to kick off homecoming week.”
Patten said that pairings practiced in advance, which ends up making Pant the Chant a very competitive homecoming event.
“Many pairings practice their ‘chants’ for weeks leading up to the event,” Patten said.
The Student Homecoming Committee is responsible for overseeing homecoming activities. This year before Pant the Chant, the K-State student organization Order of Omega will be collecting canned goods to donate to the Flint Hills Breadbasket.
“We plan, organize and execute all activities regarding homecoming,” Patten said.
Maura Schmidling, junior in animal sciences and a member of Gamma Phi Beta sorority, said that the best memories are created in the weeks leading up to homecoming. Coming together to plan, prepare or pomp, stuffing tissue paper onto chicken wire to build a homecoming float, are the most valuable social experiences to Schmidling.
“My favorite part of preparing for homecoming is getting to meet so many new people while pomping, or practicing for any of the other activities,” Schmidling said. “It brings all of the chapters together as a team and gets me pumped up for the parade.”
Another competitive part of homecoming is Wildcat Request Live. Wildcat Request Live is an event where homecoming pairings compete in a dance competition.
Michaela Richards, sophomore in journalism and mass communications and homecoming head for Alpha Xi Delta sorority, said that Wildcat Request Live is her favorite part of homecoming week because pairings work together well.
“It’s really cool to see how all of the pairings come together and show off their unique dance moves,” Richards said.
One of the final homecoming events is the homecoming parade, which takes place on Friday night. Pairings showcase their floats, starting at Manhattan Town Center, down Poyntz Avenue, around City Park and through Aggieville to arrive at the Larry Norvell Band Shell in City Park for the homecoming pep rally. Once at the pep rally, winners of all homecoming events will be announced to the anxious crowd.
Last year, the pairing of Gamma Phi Beta, Sigma Nu and Kappa Sigma won first place within the Greek pairings.
“My favorite past memory of homecoming was hands down the feeling of winning last year,” Schmidling said. “I swear, none of us were breathing from the moment they announced the second place winning pairing to the moment they announced our pairing as the first place winner. It still gives me chills.”