Pitt State celebrates Homecoming 2015
Monday, September 28, 2015 2:00 AM
News
Pittsburg, KS
Perhaps nothing is more iconic of traditional college life than the annual rite of Homecoming. Pittsburg State University observes this time of campus pride and loyalty this week, culminating with the Homecoming football game against Missouri Western State University at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 3.
According to “Pittsburg State University: A photographic history of the first 100 years,” alumni have been returning to campus for some type of homecoming event since 1905. By the late 1920s and early 1930s, that had evolved into a traditional Homecoming weekend with parades, floats and pep rallies.
For the past several weeks, campus groups have been preparing for events that began on Sunday, Sept. 27, with the Spirit Art Fashion Show.
At 8 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 28, then nominees for Homecoming King and Queen will be presented to the public in the Linda and Lee Scott Performance Hall of the Bicknell Family Center for the Arts. The top 12 finalists will be announced following the presentations.
Online voting for king and queen begins at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 29. At 7 p.m. that day, Gorilla Games, a modern version of the ancient Greek competitions, will be held in the Robert W. Plaster Center.
Online voting for king and queen ends at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 30, and the 2015 king, queen and first- and second-runners up will be announced at an all-school convocation at noon in Carnie Smith Stadium.
The night time bon fires and pep rallies of 80 years ago have been replaced by Yell Like Hell, a spirited cheer and dance competition that will be held at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 1, in Carnie Smith Stadium.
The thousands of alumni who return for Homecoming will be represented by the 2015 Outstanding Alumni Award recipients, who will be honored with a reception at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 2, in the Wilkinson Alumni Center.
Homecoming Day, Saturday, Oct. 3, will begin early with the Gorilla Grind 5 k race at 7:30 a.m. Registration begins at 6:30 a.m. in front of the Weede Physical Education Building.
One of the highlights of every Homecoming celebration is the parade. This year’s extravaganza begins at 9 a.m. in downtown Pittsburg.
Many of the spectators will go directly from the parade to Gorilla Village on the east side of Carnie Smith Stadium for GorillaFest, the communitywide tailgate party that begins at 11 a.m. with food vendors, free live music and lots of activities for kids and adults.
Kick off for the Homecoming football game is set for 2 p.m.
The 2015 Homecoming theme is “Through the Decades.”
Homecoming in 1961 was a formal affair. Queen Donna Guinn is flanked by her court: Darlene Crane and Charlene Crane on the left and Carol Winkel and Sherri Gill on the right. Below is a Homecoming program for the football game against Oklahoma Central Normal, which the hometown boys won, 7-0.
