Thousands of cream and crimson-clad Hoosier fans, students and alumni took over Bloomington over the weekend to celebrate IU's Homecoming. Despite a disappointing football loss, fans demonstrated their IU pride during a weekend full of tradition.
PARADE\nThe scene on Rose Avenue Friday was hectic as 82 clubs, associations, greek chapters, alumni and students scrambled to get into their places and complete the finishing touches on their floats to kick off Homecoming weekend with the annual parade.\nCollins Living-Learning Center, which didn't have a float last year, was excited to show off its residence hall to Bloomington. Equipped with students decked out in duct tape and a gnome costume and their float decorated with life-size lollipops, Collins put the finishing touches on its "eras" themed float.\n"This year we want to get more involved with the campus and become more integrated with it," said senior Shannon Henning, director of philanthropies for Collins. "We didn't have a campus involvement director last year, so we didn't participate in the parade."\nWhile Collins got ready to strut their stuff down Third Street, other float owners like IU alumni Jay Duerr, Earl Hubbard and Ben Slota enjoyed the atmosphere. They were the owners of the "Hoosier Boozer Cruiser." This was the float's first year entering the parade. \nBeer in hand, Duerr said he is hopeful the Cruiser will make it to its second parade, "if it still runs."\nAs the floats made their way down Third Street, spectators were entertained by acts like Bloomington North High School's band, the Red Steppers, Hiram's Hotrods Shrine Unit of mini-cars and various step shows.\n"The parade was wonderful. It's the first time I've been back here for Homecoming, and we were lucky enough to get a hotel room," said Mark Dragget, a 1984 graduate.
PEP RALLY\nAs the parade ended at the Sample Gates on Indiana Avenue, things were gearing up for the pep rally, where homecoming king and queen were announced. \nSeniors J.R. Reisinger and Lauren Claytor were crowned the 2003 Homecoming king and queen amidst cheering fans and friends.\nReisinger, an informatics major from Valparaiso, was ecstatic after his crowning.\n"It's incredible. To oversee such a great weekend and to back the football team is just great," Reisinger said.\nClaytor, a Cincinnati native majoring in journalism and a member of Alpha Phi, looked stunned as her sorority sisters surrounded her after she was announced as the winner.\n"I was shocked," she said, still shaking. "It feels great. It is such an honor to represent IU in this way."\nBoth Reisinger and Claytor received a $1,000 scholarship for their achievement.
AWARDS\nHalftime at Memorial Stadium Saturday also gave the IU Alumni Association a chance to announce the winners of the Homecoming Grand Champion Award and the Alumni Association President's Award. \nThe Grand Champion award was given to the group who scored the most points throughout the homecoming competitions, including the parade, "Yell Like Hell," the banner display and the window-painting contest. This year's winner was the Residence Halls Association, who teamed up with the National Residence Hall Honorary. \nSophomore Andrew Walker, director of media relations for NRHH, said his group worked hard to show its spirit.\n"We went into it wanting to win, and we entered each event going all out," he said.\nThe NRHH has won first place in the float contest four years in a row.\nFor the float, the NRHH constructed a huge guitar completely out of tissue paper and chicken wire. Following the theme "Sweet Home Indiana," they centered the float on the song, "Sweet Home Alabama," which played throughout the parade.\n"Winning with the float was the least amount of money we've ever spent," Walker said. "All we needed was tissue paper, chicken wire, and some foam boards."\nFor the "Yell Like Hell" skit, the NRHH came up with a remake of the song "American Pie," with a mock football game in the background.\nTaking second place with the President's award was the IU Student Foundation.\n"Normally for Homecoming, it's been more of a greek thing, and this year we wanted to make a statement and show how diverse IUSF is," said senior Courtney Griffin, an IUSF steering committee member.\nThe float, which had a 6-by-4 foot football with an IU shaped goalpost, centered on a "sweets" theme with candy around the goal post. Along with the float, IUSF used their 10-man bike given to them by the Carmel Schwinn Store.\nSenior Michelle Warble, SAA director of competitions and correspondence, said the various competitions weren't just about winning a prize.\n"The winners received a trophy with their name engraved, but they really get a lot of recognition, and they keep the tradition alive," she said.\n-- Contact staff writer Rachel Ward at raward@indiana.edu.
