Homecoming hype is here
LCC is following up last year’s successful Homecoming with another week of prizes, free food, basketball games and fun the week of Nov. 14.
Andrew Lathrop, manager of LCC Alumni Relations, said the return of Homecoming at LCC in 2009 lasted one day to see how it would come across.
LCC's Homecoming logo.
“It went so well that we decided to make (Homecoming) a week so we could hit the every day students,” Lathrop said. “We get bigger and better every year.”
Monday, Nov. 14, and Tuesday, Nov. 15 will jumpstart Homecoming week with the Kickoff Tailgate.
According to Lathrop, the tailgate will include a tent between the Gannon and Arts & Sciences Buildings with free food available for students.
“The purpose of (the tent) is to inform the students about what activities are taking place Wednesday through Saturday,” Lathrop said.
Students will also receive a miniature calendar of Homecoming events, or a “ticket,” which can be used as an entry form in special drawings throughout the week.
Wednesday, Nov. 16 will include a pep rally from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the A & S Kennedy Cafeteria.
At the same time as the pep rally, LCC’s Athletic Department will host a contest for students only. More details will be announced as Homecoming approaches. The TLC Building will feature LCC alumni authors during the ongoing pep rally and gym contest.
“We’re bringing back over 10 of our alumni authors from all over the state and having a book signing and meet and greet with students,” Lathrop said.
Students can earn a checkmark on their ticket from all three locations and turn it in for entry in a drawing for StarCard gift certificates and an eight-gigabyte iPod touch.
The Lady Stars’ basketball team will host its first home game of the season against Calvin College in the Gannon Gym at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 16 as part of the Homecoming festivities.
According to Lathrop, LCC TV’s video game show Double Jump will offer a free Mario Kart Wii tournament in the 3D Theatre in GB 131 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17.
Lathrop said students don’t need to sign up for the tournament but there will only be room for 24 players, making it first-come, first-serve.
“We chose that room because there’s a 9-by-16 foot screen so people have the ability to play video games on a theater-style screen,” Lathrop said. Game Hits Gamestore from Lansing is sponsoring the event, providing prizes for winners.
Nov. 17 will also feature an alumni business panel for students interested in hearing success stories of LCC graduates. The panel will be in TLC 127 from 1 to 2:30 p.m.
According to Lathrop, Homecoming Week will end with a men and women’s basketball doubleheader on Saturday, Nov. 19. The Lady Stars will face Henry Ford Community College at 1 p.m. and the men’s game will begin at 3 p.m.
“I want (Homecoming) to get to the point where students are naturally talking about it at student orientation,” Lathrop said. “Like somehow they heard that there’s a cool Homecoming Week at LCC. So really we’re trying to brand it.”
Category: Other Featured
One thing popped up this past week with Homecoming week. I was actually excited about the activities planned this past week, and attended many of the events. I had time to see the LCC women’s basketball game and it was great, but afterward I was a little confused. I was sure I had read on the homecoming game tickets that there would be a drawing during EACH EVENT and at EVERY halftime.(See the game tickets.) I checked and I was correct. I asked the Student Body representative at the door to the women’s game, and he said, “Oh, yeah, well they changed that.” He said that there had been several other people who complained about it at other events, and gave me the name of Andrew Lathrop, Manager Alumni Relations. Come to think of it, I had not seen any drawing at any of the Homecoming events; at least not until halftime of the men’s b-ball game. I’d like to know why they did not uphold what the tickets said. With all the softball things that just happened this past year, I don’t think it’s good PR to be changing written promises after the fact for LCC sports fans. I guess I just want to believe that everything is above board when something is promoted.