This year’s Homecoming theme has been revealed, which means organizations can start planning and preparing for the events.
“Something Old, Something New, Something Bold, Something Blue” is the theme this year.
The Homecoming 2016 logo as designed by the Homecoming committee. Submitted by Tamara Doherty.
“We felt like it really encompassed a lot of what OCU is today and where we’re going and the tradition that we’ve had in the past,” Homecoming Commissioner Tamara Doherty said. “It’s kind of based on the wedding saying, but we changed it around to encompass what we think Homecoming should be.”
She said this theme was picked to encourage students to use the Dulaney-Browne Library’s archives, which are on the fifth floor.
“We really want them to focus and really delve into the archives and learn about OCU’s history because that’s what brought us to where we are today and we just hope that they’ll really emphasize how OCU came to be what it today,” Doherty said. “That’s what we’re most excited to see.”
Homecoming Kick-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Oct. 24 on the quad outside the Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center.
Window painting, lip sync, spirit structure and Uptown 23rd Street Evening will all return as events this year with the addition of a volunteer day.
The Boys and Girls Club of Oklahoma County, 3535 N. Western Ave., partnered with the Homecoming committee to host OCU Cares volunteer day on Oct. 25.
“The Boys and Girls Club is doing a giant Halloween carnival and haunted house,” said Emma Allen, vice president of Homecoming external relations. “They really wanted us to help with the construction of the haunted house and on that day since they’re going to have kids coming through all day.”
To get points for this, organizations need their members to sign up for one-hour shifts. The Homecoming committee emphasized they want everyone in each organization to sign up for one shift, rather than a few people sign up for multiple shifts. A Google Doc will be emailed out to organizations that registered to sign up for a time.
The window decoration party is scheduled for Oct. 30 in the Tom and Brenda McDaniel University Center.
Uptown 23rd Street Evening will be from 8-9 p.m. Nov. 1. Organization members need to bring their student ID to sign in and are encouraged to wear Homecoming or OCU shirts.
The spirit structures are due at 3 p.m. Nov. 4 on the Quad. The judging will begin at 4 p.m. Lip sync will be at 8 p.m. on the same day and is where they will announce award winners and Homecoming royalty.
Carlos Sanchez, English sophomore, said he likes that Homecoming brings organizations together.
“I just enjoy how close you get with everyone who participates, especially your organization,” he said. “Even if you get upset because of how much work it is, it’s still fun in the end.”
This year the Homecoming committee was unable to secure a basketball game for the Saturday that follows Lip Sync, so there will be three non-basketball Homecoming games instead, Doherty said.
The Homecoming games will be a women’s volleyball game at 7 p.m. Oct. 26 in Henry J. Freede Wellness and Activity Center, a women’s soccer game at 3 p.m. Oct. 29 and a men’s soccer game Oct. 29 at 3 p.m. on Stars’ Field
The committee has been trying to reach out to non-Greek, smaller organizations to encourage them to participate.
“I would encourage any organization to reach out to me if they want to participate,” Doherty said. “Smaller organizations can just compete in certain aspects of Homecoming and not have to do the whole thing and I think a lot of people don’t know that.”
Doherty also encourages anyone who wants to volunteer to help the Homecoming committee in events such as Kick-off to email her at tjdoherty@my.okcu.edu.
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