Editor’s Note: Emily Andrews-Rice is an intern for StateCollege.com. The Penn State senior and member of Omega Phi Alpha takes Homecoming very seriously (in 2009, she was the sorority’s Homecoming chair). Andrews-Rice has been chronicling the creation of her sorority’s Homecoming float. Check back for her final reports, which will include video. And be sure to check the Homecoming schedule for complete coverage, including a map and a live Homecoming webcast.
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Oct. 8, 2:55 a.m.
Sounds of drills and staple guns are in the air—it must be time for Penn State Homecoming.
Our float isn’t finished—the chairs decided to finish it up in the morning, but we’re almost at the finish line.
In order to avoid staying up all night, we started in the early evening, and everyone worked quickly to put together last-minute structures and characters. We spent six hours “pomping”—which is essentially the art of turning nearly 1,000 pieces of tissue paper into flowers and meticulously inserting them into the chicken wire.
Placing the characters on the float is always a challenge. We have to factor in how they’ll best fit, as well as which ones will be on the judges’ side of the float. The judges’ table is at the Allen Street gates, so they see only one side of the float closely.This caused a bit of last minute stress when we realized that some of the pomps on the judges’ side were missing.
Around 2 a.m., with the exception of minor finishing touches, the float was nearly finished. In a few hours we’ll bring it the fields by Beaver Stadium, where final safety inspections will take place. We’ll also to fix up any damages that occurred on the drive up.
By 9 a.m. students will be lurking the streets, waiting for the officially sanctioned time that they can reserve their groups’ parade spot. The sidelines of the routes, however, stay relatively clear until a couple hours before the parade.
In the afternoon, the Madhatter Competition takes place. The Madhatter is the large, pomped character that walks—or is carried—in front of the float with a banner. The Madhatter Competition is another spirit point event, and Madhatters are judged on size regulations, creativity, and relevance to the overall theme.
Oct. 6, 9 a.m.
A highlight on Monday was the East Halls Celebration, which brought entertainment and information about Homecoming to Findlay Commons. Every year, the celebration helps educate freshmen on Homecoming and encourages them to get involved. Student groups and organizations showcased dances and various talents as entertainment for the afternoon.
On Tuesday there were two major Homecoming events. All afternoon the HUB was filled with pink and black honoring our past, and blue and white honoring our present, at Homecoming’s Past to Present Celebration. Booths were set up so students could vote for Homecoming king and queen on their way to class, and the court was introduced during a presentation.
That night was the first year Homecoming held the For the Glory talent show, an event that replaced the former Airbands competition. Many organizations stuck to the Airbands tradition and performed lip-sync routines and dance numbers that represented their theme. Other pairs presented original songs, including a remake of “I’m On A Boat” to “I’m on a Float.” Members of the Homecoming Court were the hosts for the evening, and even showcased their talents during an intermission.
The top five performances were announced for coveted extra spirit points, the chance to perform at the Bryce Jordan Center THON weekend and that reserved spot on the parade route. While my organization did not win the top prize, we did place in the fifth slot, something we were all very excited about. The For the Glory talent show rankings were:
- Lion Ambassadors – “Presidents of Penn State”
- Sigma Tau Gamma & Tapestry – “Space Jams”
- Theta Chi & Sigma Alpha – “Alice in Wonderland”
- Beta Theta Pi & Phi Sigma Rho – “Aladdin”
- Alpha Chi Rho & Omega Phi Alpha – “Shrek”
Float building is well under way; you can see photos of how the float characters are starting to take shape from some wood and chicken wire.
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