Students howl to kick off Field of Dreams

Go out and howl at the moon ... Hoosier style.

New to this year’s Homecoming line-up is the Howl at the Moon Midnight Madness Bash on Friday.

“The Midnight Madness Bash is basically the kick-off to Homecoming,” said Alyse Vail, vice president of special events for the Student Alumni Association. “It’s to allow students to just come have fun and listen to a band. There’s going to be a bunch of inflatable games to play. There’s also going to be promotions there the rest of the week just to get people aware of the different days of the week and what’s going on during the week of Homecoming.”

The event kicks off at 7 p.m. at Hoosier Village behind the DeVault Alumni Center at 1000 East 17th St. and plays until the start of Hoosier Hysteria, an open basketball practice at Assembly Hall. SAA is teaming up with Union Board to promote the Madness Bash.

“We’re working with SAA to help with the entertainment,” said Brian Holthouse, director of Union Board’s Spirits and Traditions. “We’re helping to provide True Story, a local band that has been featured with various Live from Bloomington events.”

The band, free food, games and prizes will be there to bring in Hoosier spirit before the court at Assembly Hall lights up. SAA and the Union Board will be working together on various other activities throughout Homecoming week.

“We always partner with SAA on the bonfire. It’s a really cool thing that we do every year, and we’ve developed a great relationship with them,” said Union Board’s President Liz Retana. “I consider SAA and Union Board two of the most involved organizations on campus, and I think our partnership is huge for the IU community. We both have the same goal in the end and that’s for students, and I think through a collaboration is a great way to do it.”

The theme for this year’s Homecoming, “Field of Dreams,” ties into more than just the Howl at the Moon event. What sets this event apart from others is this bash celebrates a part of IU that is more than a field of dreams, but a court of championships and traditions, organizers said.

“Instead of the focus being on the culmination up to the football game, it’s more to celebrate the kick-off of the basketball season ... to kick off Homecoming,” SAA President Lindsey Livingston said. “It’s basically a big party behind the Alumni Center.”