Student organizations big and small took center stage Tuesday evening at the annual Homecoming event , Airbands.  The event, which took place in a packed Eisenhower Auditorium, ran from 7-9pm.  The crowd loved the event’s surprise guest host, Bronne from the Real World: Cancun.  He entertained the crowd between the acts and also created some excitement by throwing Homecoming t-shirts into the crowd. 

Performances kept the audience entertained the whole with song choices ranging from childhood movies such as Toy Story and Beauty and the Beast, to TV show classics like Sesame Street and Fresh Prince of Bel Aire.  Performers added to their performances with elaborate costumes and props to go along with their chosen theme. 

The event ran smoothly with the exception of one small hiccup; during ATLAS  Thon’s performance featuring boy bands and pop stars the sound system failed and the music cut out.  There was some confusion at first, but then in true Penn State fashion, the crowd picked up where the music left off and ATLAS finished their dance to the audience singing their songs. 

There were ten stars of the evening that shone especially bright, the members of the 2009 Homecoming Court.  They dazzled the crowd throughout the evening with humorous skits in-between organizations performances, and in a Homecoming first, the court also performed their own dance as part of Airbands.

Although, everyone put on an entertaining performance, only two groups could go home with the title of the 2009 Airbands Champions.  Lion Ambassadors won for Best Independent Organization as they traveled through time, giving the audience a glimpse of Penn State history through song and dance.  As for the Best Greek performance, that went to Theta Chi Omega and Phi Sigma Rho with their own musical rendition of the “Toy Story.” 

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On Tuesday, the HUB was decorated with a “Past to Present” theme honoring Penn State’s Homecoming tradition, dating back to when the school’s colors were pink and black.  On the first level of the HUB, where Homecoming merchandise and Homecoming Court tables were set up, the floor traveled back in time and was decorated with pink and black streamers, paw prints, and pictures showing what Penn State student life was like at the time.  As you traveled down the stairs to the ground level, a huge balloon display hung above student’s head reading “Past to Present”.  As students reached the bottom of the steps, they were greeted with free popcorn, music, and pictures of recent Penn State events and pop culture figures, some of which who have visited campus over the past few years. The theme for the floor was everything blue and white, with streamers and balloons decorating the walls.  Throughout the event, which took place from 10AM TO 4PM, various clubs performed on stage and the Homecoming Court made appearances, even putting on a fashion show to show off the Homecoming merchandise that was being sold upstairs.  Whether students were eating lunch at the tables or passing through the HUB on their way to class, they couldn’t ignore the Penn State pride being displayed for Homecoming Week 2009!

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On Monday, at East Halls a celebration was held from 4-8 p.m. for all freshmen.  It was an event that was attempting to acquaint all new students to the Penn State Homecoming tradition.  The Homecoming court made an appearance and got introduced to all students.  Entertaining bios were read off describing the involvement of each candidate while students considered who is vote worthy.  A lot of them also talked with the freshmen to give them a better idea of who they were as a person and why they should be chosen for the Homecoming court. 

The dynamic brothers of Alpha Kappa Psi stepped danced at the event, along with a performance by the Orchesis dance company.  Smooth moves put on by these parties helped to catch the eye of passerby, and make students stop and pay attention to the event.  Voting booths were open during the entire time so someone could vote at any given moment.  Along with easy access to voting, there was free food given out as an incentive for students to stop by.  A wide variety of Insomnia cookies were served and this helped put a smile on the faces of many voters.

 This event helped to spark interest in Homecoming for a lot of students, and increased the voter turnout because of easy access to voting booths.  The East Halls commons was decorated with glittering posters of the themes of various Homecoming floats.  This was good because it allowed the students to see the ideas behind each float, and understand all the work certain organizations put into all of this.  Overall, the celebration turned out to be a great success!  Many students left with a better understanding of Homecoming tradition and what it really means to a Penn Stater.

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Homecoming Week 2009 kicked off yesterday with the first annual 5k.  Students, alumni and members of the community all came out for a run to celebrate the start of Homecoming Week. The race began at 12 PM at the IM building, but the event started around 11 AM with an entertainment hour and free food.  The Nittany Lion, Penn State cheerleaders, members of the Blue Band, RAM squad and Kappa Alpha Psi were all there to perform and cheer on the runners. There was a great turn out for the 5k and it was a lot of fun for everyone involved.  At night, the dance competition for  ”Penn State’s Best Dance Crew” and the Jack’s Mannequin concert took over Rec Hall in honor of the first night of Homecoming 2009. So many students came early to watch fellow Penn State students rock the stage for the dance competition. There were many unique performances and jaw dropping moves from various dance clubs.  Following the dance performances, the audience voted for their favorite by cheering.  The Urban Dance Team won and will be performing at the pep rally in Rec Hall on Friday night.  After the dance competition wrapped up, the Jack’s Mannequin concert sponsored by SPA and Penn State Homecoming began. Students went crazy for the band and leader singer Andrew McMahon put on a great show for Penn State. The band entertained the crowd with a set that lasted about an hour and half.  Jack’s Mannequin closed with a cover of Tom Petty’s song “American Girl”. There was such a positive response and good turnout. Homecoming week has officially begun! Be sure to come out to the rest of the events throughout this week!

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The spring info session for organizations both new and old to Homecoming will be held on Wednesday April 1st in 105 Forum.  The event will begin with all organizations arriving at 8 p.m.  All organizations are encouraged to come out to discuss pre-registration and events for Homecoming 2009!  If you have any questions about your organization or the event, you can contact the Competition Director at lnp5019@gmail.com

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Tuesdays Airbands competition brought dozens of campus organization to the Eisenhower Auditorium to show their skills.  A show complete with Penn State History and even some Disney History, the audience was pleased with the outcome.  The winners this year was the Penn State Lioon Ambassadors, who performed “Jomeo and Sueliette” to a mixture of songs for judges that included sue Paterno herself and Football player Deon Butler.  In second place was another Penn State heavy perfor5mance by Theta Delta Chi and Orchesis dance team.

Another HOmecoming event took place yesterday in the hub, telling students all about Homecoming history here at Penn State.  It was the first ever Past to Present Celebration, and the event had everything from history to last years THON line dance and performances by the International Dance ensemble.  Students grazing their lunch in the HUB were taken back by all of the fun Past to Present had to offer.

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Sunday, September 21 more than 250 students hit State College, passionately trying to give back to the community Penn State students love so much.  The students gave their time to seven different spots from 10 am to 3 pm.  The sites were THON mat cleaning, Shaver’s Creek, Boal Mansion Museum, Mount Nittany Conservancy, Best Buddies, writing letters to the troops, and State College Food Bank.  The volunteers enjoyed there day of giving back to the community and doing good deeds.  They helped out with everything from grounds keeping, to organizing food, and even tie dying shirts with Best Buddies.  One volunteer, sophomore Erica Lorin said, “The experience was very rewarding.  I felt really good after writing letters (to the troops) and helping with the food bank.  I am so glad I got to help out.”  Volunteers were also rewarded with blue day of service t-shirts, water, and soft pretzels.  The Day of service was a huge success, exceeding the anticipated 200 volunteers and boosting student’s excitement for the upcoming Homecoming events.

Day of Service was planned by Homecoming’s two AVP’s, who have been helping out with the Homecoming experience for months now.  The AVP’s have also successfully planned a captain workshop, for all of the captains to get to know each other and break the ice, as well as captain Olympics, to keep the morale of the captains up and enjoy a day in the sun.  The events included fun games such as potato sack races and dizzy bat and conversation builders such as building a balloon tower.  The events were a success and helped all captains get to know and love each other before a busy year took off.  For more captain bonding, the AVP’s also implemented the committees mission statements and committee of the week, to let the other captains know whats up with everyone else.

The AVP’s are also responsible for keeping in contact with the Interfraternity council as well as the Panhallenic council (in other words, Greek life).  They hope to maintain smooth relations with the Greek community so that Homecoming can be a fun and successful week.  The AVP’s do a great job to get everyone excited about Homecoming and all it has to offer!!

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University Relations brings Penn State athletes, like the football team, to events around campus.

You have seen them in East for the East Halls Celebration, recruiting new organizations, and bringing the athletes to you. They are…University Relations.

University Relations is responsible for making sure that every group, every person, from every different part of the school is represented in the Homecoming celebration. From the New Organization Information Workshop to the Parade, they work hard so that anyone who calls Penn State home can have a chance to celebrate it Homecoming week.

The main goal of University Relations is to make sure YOU have an opportunity to get involved and excited about Homecoming. This year’s committee is organizing the first ever Past to Present Homecoming Celebration in the HUB on Tuesday, October 14th. They are also the ones holding the workshops for all of those new organizations out there that are anticipating their first ever Homecoming celebration. So, whoever you are, whatever you wear, do, or enjoy, University Relations is putting their best foot forward to make sure you have a great Homecoming experience!

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The Shreyer Honors college students check their float before the parade.

Wondering who is keeping everything in order for the big homecoming day?  The parade committee has been hard at work for months to secure the route and make sure you have a great homecoming experience!  Although they have decided to keep the same route as last year, they are hoping to bring back the legends float and make several other exciting additions to the parade. 

            Parade also selected a very exciting emcee.  Johnny Bananas, one time cast member of the real world, will be the host for Penn State’s Homecoming Parade.  Parade is also trying really hard to make the big day go nice and smooth.  The drivers of the floats will be attending a workshop to ensure safety for everyone there.  Parade’s biggest goal is to stay organized for a successful parade day.  They have been contacting VIP”S and legends, making sure organizations meed guidelines, and a lot more.  Make sure your organization keeps up with Parade so that you have a successful homecoming too!!

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Marching through the streets of State College you see them.
Walkie talkies in hand.

Homecoming security makes events like the parade smooth and safe.

They are the officials.
They are the enforcers.
They are…
The 2008 Homecoming Security Committee.

Stopping the cities of State College and University Park is no small task. Working with the Police Departments, the State College Borough, CATA and various University officials, the Security committee must work hard to ensure that Homecoming 2008 runs smoothly by rising above the tough standards required by all parties involved. Permits and approvals, signatures and stamps - everything must be authorized, confirmed, and approved before any float rolls down College Avenue.

They are there to protect not only students, but also faculty, returning alumni, families, and members of the State College community. Almost 400 committee members will be in attendance on parade day for the protection of these parties. They are also in full force for all of the Homecoming sponsored events to ensure a safe week for everyone.

This year Security was also in charge of the Captain Olympics in the spring, and will be planning new captain events in the fall. These events allow the 100+ Homecoming Captains a chance to relax and unwind during the weeks before Homecoming.

If you are interested in being one of the protectors, the elite, the red shirts - stay tuned for updates about when you can sign up!

Kyle Thomas - Homecoming 2008 Security Overall Chair

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