Perhaps it’s the king and queen coronation at the formal dance that students love so much, or maybe it’s the annual rivalry football game under the Friday night lights. Either way, many high school students from small rural communities like Carlinville would agree that homecoming is an important and memorable tradition.
While according to Google homecoming is “a high school, college or university game, dance or other event to which alumni are invited,” prom.about.com slates homecoming as “a time to celebrate the school you’re attending.” While these two definitions seem to contradict one another, there seems to be an even bigger discrepancy between the actual homecoming celebrations of high schools versus collegiate homecomings – or at least there is at Blackburn.
Over the past few years, it seems as though homecoming at Blackburn has become less about student involvement and more targeted towards alumni development. In 2013, for example, nearly every club and organization lined the soccer fields during homecoming weekend in order to fundraise and bring awareness of those clubs to the student body. Food, headbands, T-shirts and more food were among the various items sold. There was everything from goat-pie bingo put on by Blackburn Christian Fellowship (which has since disbanded) to a routine put on by the cheerleaders at the soccer games. In more recent years, however, there hasn’t been a lot of club and organization involvement. In fact, clubs last year weren’t allowed to sell food whatsoever.
Aside from the annual homecoming dance, in which attendance is normally very low, and the men’s and women’s soccer games, which are no longer littered with club and organization tables, there are various alumni events happening on and off campus. Every year there is a Beaverthon 5K that anyone can participate in, but it is usually pretty unclear about how students can register.
What most students don’t realize is that every year there is a registration packet full of information sent to Blackburn alumni detailing the schedule of events for homecoming, including several invite-only dinners and get-togethers. While it is understandable that alumni enjoy attending their own events and may take pleasure in different activities than current Blackburn students, perhaps there are some ways we can improve student attendance at homecoming while still maintaining positive relationships with our alumni.
Why not incorporate more events in which both students and alumni are invited? Chances are that most alumni would love to meet with current students, while current students might wish to take advantage of possible networking opportunities. Perhaps there could be a mixer in which students and alumni both are invited, or maybe alumni can take a break from the beer tent and introduce themselves at the soccer game. Many students have even brought up the idea of having a Sadie Hawkins homecoming dance, a dance to which females ask males, to which alumni could also be invited.
If you have ever spoken to an alum, you have heard stories from his or her past – stories of how great their homecoming used to be and how different it is for students now. Gone are the days of homecoming pranks, Sadie Hawkins and even football games. Admittedly there is an alumni baseball game every year for both current and past Blackburn baseball players which is usually well-attended, along with “Blackburn’s Got Talent.” the annual student talent show to which many alumni attend. But should we do more?
Homecoming is a reunion for Blackburn alumni and current students alike. Today’s students will be tomorrow’s alumni, and in order for Blackburn to remain as successful as it is now, students need to feel appreciated while they are still here.