Registration has opened for the Homecoming Parade and the Alumni Tailgate Competition!

One of the best ways to get involved in Homecoming, the Parade showcases floats designed by student organizations, chapters of the Alumni Association, and unofficial alumni groups. Whether you are eager to “pomp” a float or just want to take in the spectacle from the sidelines, the parade is a great way to feel the spirit of Penn State Homecoming. The Parade will be held on Friday, October 17 at 6pm. Register here before September 26 at 5 pm and get ready to show the community how you’ve been ‘Inspired By Tradition’!

If pomping doesn’t strike your fancy (or even if it does!), consider showing how you’re inspired at the Alumni Tailgate Competition. As any Penn Stater knows, we take tailgating seriously in Happy Valley. In 2005, Sports Illustrated’s Tailgate Nation named Penn State the “Ultimate Tailgating Venue.” If you know your tailgates have helped Penn State earn this rating, register here for a shot at being one of 10 tailgate competitors on Homecoming game day. Tailgates will be judged in “Best Spirit,” “Best Food” and “Best Decoration” categories.

Stay tuned for more pre-Homecoming coverage as the school year starts. We’re less than two months away from one of the best celebrations at Penn State!

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Did you know that Penn State boasts the largest alumni network in the country, capping at over 460,000 living graduates? As a Penn Stater, you’re a member of the biggest collegiate family in the US, and Homecoming is a great time to celebrate your pride with hundreds of thousands of your family members! The Alumni Relations (AR) Committee is working hard to ensure that graduates have a great weekend. “We want [alumni] to be just as excited about Homecoming as they were when they were first year students,” Alumni Relations Overall Samantha Kulp said. Along with the Alumni Association, the AR Committee is working to make two past Homecoming favorites even better this year: the Student/Alumni Ice Cream Social and the Alumni Tailgate Contest.

What could be better than eating free Creamery ice cream with the Nittany Lion and Penn State cheerleaders? Come out to the Hintz Family Alumni Center for the Student/Alumni Ice Cream Social on October 17 from 1:30 to 4:30 to meet past and present students, try your luck at winning prizes, and indulge in the famous PSU tradition of eating from The Creamery. After all, eating Peachy Paterno ice cream was ranked #50 on Sports Illustrated’s list of 100 Things You Gotta Do Before You Graduate, so come out and check that off your list!

Any proud alums that know their tailgates are something to brag about should consider entering the Alumni Tailgate Competition! Held on Saturday, October 18 before the Homecoming game, tailgates will be judged and prizes will be rewarded! Participants can register on the Homecoming Website starting Monday, August 18th.

Alums, what’s your favorite part about Homecoming? Let us know and we’ll be sure to feature it on the blog in the fall!

Save the date:

Student/Alumni Ice Cream Social- Friday, October 17 1:30-4:30 pm

Alumni Tailgate Competition- Saturday, October 18 before the Homecoming game

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It is well known that Penn State has one of the richest senses of tradition in the world. Just like this past weekend’s Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts (more commonly known as Arts Fest), Homecoming is a celebration that ignites the passion and glory of Old State in all of its alumni, students, and fans. As we have just passed the 100 days till Homecoming mark, I felt as though we needed a reminder as to why we are celebrating such a great tradition.

The tradition for alumni to return to Penn State was started shortly after the Civil War in July of 1869. At that time, Penn State was known as the Agricultural College of Pennsylvania, and a new event called “Harvest Home” was established. The celebration was a bit different than it is today; complete with candles and lectures on agriculture (could you imagine if we did that today?) In 1869 almost 100 people arrived to celebrate, and like most Penn State traditions Harvest Home began to flourish. One year later over 2,000 came back to honor Penn State.

Penn State’s first Homecoming football game was played in September of 1920 against Ivy League School Dartmouth. The Lions won 14-7, making head coach Hugo Bezdeck proud of the Nittany Lions. The tradition was then set in stone; we were on our way to an outstanding homecoming experience. Today, more than 130 years later, thousands of alumni and fans that come back to State College to celebrate, and it would be hard to imagine Homecoming without them.

Each year, a team of students works hard for their peers to make Homecoming the best it can possibly be. They work all through the Spring, Summer, and Fall to create the best experience possible, simply because they have such a love for their school and its rich tradition. The next few weeks, we will be thanking those people and learning more about what they are doing for us as well as what new things they are planning for Homecoming this year. As for now, get excited for a few of the upcoming events.

TailGreat
Saturday, August 30^th
9am-kickoff
Bryce Jordan Center

Homecoming Night Out
Thursday, September 18^th
8pm-close
Café 210

Homecoming Day of Service
Sunday, September 21^st
10am
Alumni Hall

For a list of more events, check out http://homecoming.psu.edu/calendar.php

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The title says it all - Penn State Homecoming is one of the greatest traditions in Penn State’s history and we are looking for your feedback in making Homecoming 2008 the best it can be.

One of our first ventures into this new arena has been this blog. While it did start off at a slow crawl, rest assured we will be running full speed starting this September as the Homecoming season takes off.

For this to be possible, we are missing one critical ingredient - YOU!

We need your feedback to make this blog and Homecoming 2008 the best it can be. Students can already look forward to a number of changes this upcoming year, and plans are in the works to make the Pep Rally the best we’ve ever had, but we still need your help.

• What events would you like to see when you arrive in Happy Valley Homecoming weekend?
• What do you love/hate about Homecomings in the past?
• What would you like to see on this blog?

Starting in June we will also be inviting guest writers to blog about their own Homecoming traditions and memories!

If you have any feedback, please leave us a comment or feel free to send me an email at TechHomecoming@psu.edu.

For the Glory!

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