Students, alumni to enjoy a week of activities
Alumni and students have been challenged to "catch the spirit" of Brigham Young University's Homecoming 2005 and participate in a week of activities as diverse as hiking Y Mountain, hearing honored college alumni lectures, dancing, chowing down at free barbecues and pancake breakfasts, seeing a "Spectacular" show and watching the Cougars take on Colorado State University in football.
Homecoming, scheduled for Oct. 11-15, follows the theme, "Catch the Spirit." Ron Jones of BYU Student Leadership and chair of the grand parade sees catching the spirit as a way of "bringing everybody together to really benefit the university and build on traditions," which is also the goal of the committees working to bring more than 20 events to campus.
Homecoming will begin Tuesday, Oct. 11, at 11 a.m. in the Marriott Center with opening ceremonies followed by a BYUSA barbecue in Carillon Quad.
Later that evening, hikers will follow the long-standing Homecoming tradition of hiking the Y after meeting by Jamba Juice in the Wilkinson Student Center at 6:30 p.m.
BYUSA has planned noonday activities throughout the week. "Recess" is the event scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 12, and will feature Brigham Square transformed into a playground. A school spirit competition among freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors will highlight Thursday's noon event at the square, and on Friday, Carillon Quad will become a carnival.
Mothers and fathers can enter their babies in a pageant, "Baby We're in Business," which begins at 5 p.m. on Oct. 12. Babies and toddlers through age three are eligible.
Popular among students is the yearly True Blue Football competition, set this year for Friday, Oct. 14, at 4 p.m. at Helaman Field. Activities include coed flag football, an obstacle course in blue foam, sliding and slipping and free food. Coed football will begin right at 4 p.m. Fifteen students will play on a team and each game will last 10 minutes. Eight games are scheduled.
Homecoming Spectacular 2005 will offer abundant "Hail to the Prophet" moments when it honors the legacy of the Prophet Joseph Smith in an evening featuring many of BYU's finest musicians, dancers and vocalists Oct. 13 and 14 at 7:30 p.m. in the Marriott Center. Serving as emcee for the evening will be Jane Clayson Johnson, formerly of CBS's The Early Show. For tickets, contact the Marriott Center Ticket Office at 1-800-BYU1.
Dances are planned for Oct. 14 and 15. Friday's dances include a semi-formal with top 40s music in the WSC Ballroom, a big band night at Thanksgiving Point Barn and a formal with horse-drawn carriage rides at the Chillon Reception Center.
The Saturday dances include a casual '80s flash dance in the WSC Ballroom and an evening at the Chillon. All dance tickets are now on sale and directions will be available at the WSC Information Desk.
Saturday, Oct. 15, will start with the Cougar 5K Run and Kids' Races. At 9 a.m., pancake breakfasts will be served at the Creamery on 900 East, the Sinclair gas station near campus, the Botany Pond and at the foot of the Maeser stairs.
Shortly thereafter the Homecoming Parade will begin at the Marriott Center east parking lot. Finally, the week's celebration will culminate with the football game between BYU and Colorado State at LaVell Edwards Stadium. (Game time will be announced.)
This year's Homecoming Parade grand marshals are former BYU Cougar football coach LaVell Edwards,and his wife Patty.
As Ron Jones explains, "LaVell was just inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. He has been recognized nationally, and we see this as another opportunity to further recognize him."
Together with the grand marshals, there will be more than 20 dignitaries honored at this year's parade. They will be escorted in vintage cars, including a '73 Cadillac convertible, '09 Studebaker, '21 Rolls Royce, and red '65 Ford Mustang.
There will be approximately 90 entries in the Homecoming Parade. These entities have come together to create a float with their variation of this year's theme, "Catch the Spirit." There will even be an entry from the J. Reuben Clark Law School's "Briefcase Brigade."
For more information and a complete calendar, visit alumni.byu.edu.
Writer: Lincoln Fielding
