Homecoming on the Hilltop is supposed to be a time when our campus comes together to celebrate SMU’s history, great academic reputation and all the other wonderful opportunities the university has to offer.
This year’s theme of “Rolling out the Red Carpet” does an excellent job of presenting our campus as a prestigious place, but it doesn’t go without notice that not everyone is involved in this little journey down the crimson path. Just like any award shows there are always the guests everyone anxiously awaits to see, and then there are those that simply wander by unnoticed.
Every fall, each sorority and fraternity on campus team up with one another to put together the best float and homecoming campaign they can imagine. So what happens if you’re not in a sorority, fraternity or any of the other multicultural organizations choosing to participate in the festivities? It’s pretty simple, you’re completely left in the dark when it comes to knowing what “pomping” is, why people develop a severe hatred towards chicken wire in November, or that last Sunday nearly half the campus spent the day slaving away on various community service activities. Those same people may not even know colleges still celebrate homecoming.
As we near the weekend, alumni from years back begin arriving on the Hilltop to visit their respective organizations from their four years they spent as a Mustang. Students not in these organizations are once again neglected in the festivities when it comes time for the Pigskin Revue or Homecoming King and Queen candidate voting. Why should they care what group earns the most points in some trivia challenge or who walks out of Ford Stadium after halftime with a crown placed upon their head?
Rather than promoting the unity across the Hilltop, these activities are doing nothing more than instilling a sense of group unity among those directly involved in these organizations. Yes, the university is very accepting of allowing any group to enter the contest for the title of Homecoming King or Queen, but unlike your homecoming court in high school, not everyone is considered a fair choice for the title.
Homecoming isn’t all bad. It allows the different fraternities, sororities and multicultural organizations to interact with one another while promoting friendly competition. Dishing out points for participation in the community service activities and the blood drive are also excellent ways to give back to the community for all the support they show SMU. The parade around Bishop Boulevard is also a fun event leading up to the football game, and the opportunity to reunite with old friends who have long since graduated is a positive experience for students, alumni and professors. Maybe the football team will even pull off a win over the Memphis Tigers and give our campus one more thing to rally around.
