The Floats of Homecoming

Posted on October 30, 2013 by alicroom

By Jared Fuller

Every Saturday morning of Homecoming, students, alumni and families line the sidewalks of downtown Waco and Fifth Street to watch the Homecoming parade. The parade is filled with diverse participants and attractions, including little league football players, Homecoming Queen nominees and floats from the various Greek organizations on campus. In my opinion, the floats are the highlight of the parade. The fraternity and sorority floats are usually the largest, most colorful structures coming down the street on Saturday morning.

Floats are not just built for the viewing pleasure of those enjoying the Homecoming parade, but they are also judged and ranked amongst all of the other Greek organizations. There are three different levels in which groups can compete: Class A, B and C. The different classes are organized by the different budget sizes that groups pour into their floats. At the bonfire on Friday night, the winning float from each of the different classes is announced. Along with each class winner, there is an overall “Judge’s Choice” winner, which is the all-around grand prize.

Most people watching the parade don’t realize the amount of work and money that goes into building each float. Most floats are built by a fraternity and a sorority who partner up. This allows for more hands and a larger budget to be used for the construction process. Each float begins with a different theme, which is pitched at the end of the spring semester. This year, the themes ranged from a picnic to a magic show. Shortly after the beginning of the fall semester, float season begins, and every night, members of each organization go out to an off-campus float site to begin building their float.

The last week before Homecoming is extremely stressful as each group tries to put all of the finishing touches on their float. On the last Thursday night, float chairs sacrifice hours of sleep to stay up all night in order to finish before the judges come Friday morning. Just like a lot of the other activities during Homecoming season, floats require a lot of work behind the scenes. But, all of this hard work is what makes Baylor Homecoming so great.

Senior Year Shenanigans

Posted on October 29, 2013 by alicroom

By Sophia Cooper

I’ve had some great Homecoming experiences at Baylor! My freshmen year was memorable because a thunderstorm struck Waco during the K-State football game, and we all got drenched!.

Freshman Year

Sophomore year, I was able to share the experience with my family from California.

Sophomore Year with my sister Katrin

Then last year, my best friend Eleanor came down from University of Michigan.

Junior Year with My Friend Eleanor

All of those great times pale in comparison to this past weekend of my senior year.

I was blessed to be chosen by the Society of Women Engineers as a Homecoming queen candidate. Taking a break from my normal “nerd-dom,” I curled my hair and wore a formal evening gown at the presentation of the nominees at Pigskin Revue and again during the Homecoming parade.

Representing my organization was such an honor, and it was great to show the world that female engineers do exist! One of my favorite mechanical engineering professors drove me in the parade in his convertible; I owe him big time for waking up at 6 a.m. on a Saturday! As great of an experience it was to be a nominee, my favorite part of the weekend was being able to share it with my parents. They flew out from California just to see their youngest daughter play dress up!

To top it all off, we destroyed Iowa State 71-7 in the final Homecoming in Floyd Casey Stadium. I got to sit with my parents as we watched the scoreboard blow up, cheering loudly and doing Sic ‘Ems non-stop. The weather stayed warm (despite the threat of thunderstorms and 40 degree nights), and it was the best senior Homecoming I could have asked for! I can’t wait to come back next year as an alumna, although I will miss the free ticket to the football game!

Senior Year Homecoming Game

Baylor Homecoming: A Weekend of Celebration

Posted on October 24, 2013 by alicroom

By Abby Loop

Baylor homecoming is one my favorite times of the year as a student. Everyone is revved up with school spirit, and homecoming traditions bring us all together to celebrate.

This is the bonfire from last year!

During my years here at Baylor, I have always gone to the Homecoming Extravaganza and bonfire on campus. My friends and I love riding the Ferris wheel, eating corn dogs and funnel cakes from the food vendors, watching a great firework show and the lighting of the huge bonfire. The fire seems to reach insanely tall heights and high temperatures; it’s so fun to watch!

Another great thing about homecoming is the football game! Never will you hear a Baylor game have as much school spirit than that of a Baylor Homecoming game. It’s fun to go with your friends, cheer on our team and watch the special half-time performance put on by our awesome band.

Parade

Of all the Homecoming traditions, I still have not had the opportunity to take part in the Baylor Homecoming Parade. Early morning before the football game, the Baylor and the Waco communities gather together to celebrate all the different organizations involved with Baylor in the world’s largest collegiate parade. The streets are filled with floats and people cheering. I plan to go this year, and I can’t wait.

Homecoming is that special time of year at Baylor when the campus looks impeccable, lucky students get classes cancelled and the air fills with Baylor camaraderie. The whole weekend is like a party, and I can’t wait to celebrate!

Welcome Home

Posted on October 23, 2013 by alicroom

By Patara Williams

The Baylor campus exudes the sweet aroma of Homecoming, something I hope you’ll get to experience in the upcoming years. Everything seems more magnificent during the entire week. I even found myself excited to turn in my homework, simply because it meant I was one assignment closer to Homecoming.

Bonfire

This includes yelling, screaming, Sic ‘Em-ing, hugging and crying.

One-thousand plus degrees of wrenching heat lies before us as we vow to destroy the opposing team. Parents, students, alumni and friends all gather around to celebrate this joyous night as we prepare for the upcoming game against Iowa State.

Brand new freshmen gaze amazedly as smoked embers flutter. Graduating senior reflect, teary-eyed, on all of the bonfires they’ve witness as they plead for the flame to never extinguish.

This is my fourth and final bonfire. My tummy twists and my eyes tear. So many flames and so many parades have been part of my Baylor journey, and unfortunately, it’s coming to a close. Cherish your days as a Bear. Cherish your friends, your professors and your experiences. There’s nothing more exciting than the time you’ll spend in college.

Parade

Experience the parade. Watch it or walk it, and leave a legacy on Fifth Street in the heart of campus. This event is not platitude; it’s extraordinary, and that’s no hyperbole.

It’s the oldest and largest collegiate homecoming parade in the WORLD. Yes, you heard me right, and I pride myself in participating in it sophomore, junior and senior year. I’ve done everything from ride green and white striped bikes covered in balloons to dancing the Charleston for several miles. It’s an experience like no other, and to walk with other Bears from all over the world tops it all. I look forward to the day that I return to watch new Bears walk in my shoes.

That’s the center of my joy. I know what holds all the Bears together…we all have the same blood typ: G2 positive, aka Green and Gold. I look forward to the day that you too Little Bear will see the fire, walk upon Fifth and test positive for Green and Gold blood. See you soon!

Bleed Green and Gold. Bleed Baylor.

My First Homecoming (by Lexa Johnson)

Posted on November 11, 2012 by michellerava

Here at Baylor University, Homecoming is a cherished tradition that includes many exciting proceedings. The first tradition took place on Thursday night – Freshman Mass Meeting. The freshman class gathered in Waco Hall as we were told the story of the Immortal Ten. Silence fell over the students and faculty as we honored those ten students and lit the torch that symbolized the eternal flame and spirit of Baylor. Following the meeting, freshman walked over to Fountain Mall to build the bonfire for Friday night. There was a DJ there playing music and the bonfire building ended with a huge dance party. Being able to take part in the Homecoming festivities as just a freshman was a great way to feel a true part of the Baylor family.

On Friday the traditions continued with the bonfire and pep rally at Fountain Mall. As part of the celebration a ferris wheel was set up for students and families to enjoy as well as a funnel cake stand to provide true carnival food. The team came on stage as the marching band played and got everyone excited to go out the next day and watch them take down Kansas. Fireworks were shot off from Pat Neff and added to the already rising excitement. To conclude the Friday night pep rally the bonfire was lit; the heat could be felt from 15-20 yards away.

Saturday brought the infamous homecoming parade. Fraternities and sororities on campus design big floats every year and show off their hard work in the parade. Thousands of people crowd 5^th street on campus to be able to catch a glimpse of the floats and organizations that walk in the parade. I loved seeing all of the Baylor pride in the families that came back to campus with their kids to experience Homecoming together. After a brief lunch break following the parade I left with my friends to go to the game. The Bears won a great game against Kansas despite the weather delay following half time. The weather changed drastically and went from hot and sunny to raining and lightning during half time. My first Homecoming at Baylor was a memorable experience where my friends and I were able to take part in Baylor traditions and I look forward to attending many more Homecomings for years to come.

The Best Homecoming Yet (by P.J. Martinez)

Posted on November 10, 2012 by michellerava

As you may know, Baylor hosted it’s 103rd Homecoming this past weekend. Alumni returned, children wore their green and gold, and the Bears won! It was really a memorable experience. I think I enjoyed this year mostly because it was my last one as an undergrad. Seriously, where did the time go? It was definitely a time for “lasts.” My last time to perform in Pigskin. My last time to work on Float. And, I’ll repeat it, my last time to be a student during Homecoming!

The weekend started on Thursday with the first performance of Pigskin. It had been a while since I put on the dummy outfit, and let’s just say after a couple months, it was a tight fit! The adrenaline came back once I was on stage, and the performance got better as each day went by. Five weeks of practice payed off.

Also, this was also the weekend with little amount of sleep. Working on float causes you to not sleep that much. Going to sleep at 4 AM for three consecutive can make you really tired. My fraternity had the opportunity to join with the ladies of Delta Delta Delta and complete our Class B Winning float. The theme this year was That Good Old Baylor Farm. On it we had a barn, a house, and even live chickens. Seeing all the float really made me impressed. It’s interesting and fascinating to see how much time is put into making these floats come to life.

With the Bears winning and getting to spend with my family and friends, I’d have to say this was seriously the best Homecoming as an undergrad!!!

Homecoming (by Sophia Cooper)

Posted on November 2, 2012 by michellerava

Around this time, most North American black bears would be preparing for their hibernation. However, here at Baylor our bears, Lady and Joy, are stretching out and getting ready for the best weekend of the year: Homecoming!

The festivities started off on Wednesday with an All-University worship service featuring Josh Wilson on Fountain Mall and continued on Thursday with Freshman Mass Meeting. Freshman Mass Meeting is an event to learn the history of the Immortal Ten, ten basketball players and team support personnel who were killed in a bus accident on route to a victory against UT on January 22, 1927.

Friday night is when the fun really starts up. Pigskin Revue has two performances that evening, providing an opportunity for Baylor fans to see the top eight performances from All-University Sing the previous spring. Throughout the evening, Extravanganza fills Fountain Mall with green and gold. This is when the alumni come back to campus, the little children are decked in Baylor gear, and students get to celebrate this great university. My favorite part is not the huge ferris wheel, the delicious food, the free concert, or the green and gold fireworks over Pat Neff Hall. Every year, I am captured by the heat and size of our bonfire.

The bonfire tradition started in 1946 when freshmen would place small fires around the edge of campus to keep certain College Station students from vandalizing Baylor or kidnapped the then-mascot, Chita. All of bonfires were eclipsed Friday night of homecoming with the Extravaganza flames, and now it is the only bonfire lit and the climax of my homecoming experience.

Me at the bonfire. Sic ’em Bears!

Saturday morning starts off with a bang as the nation’s largest and oldest homecoming parade kicks off in downtown Waco and comes through campus along 5^th Street. This year, keep an eye out for Admissions and Campus Visits; we’ll be there in our green polos and awesome shuttles! There are also floats, homecoming queen nominees, and student organizations walking the route. This year, homecoming will conclude with the 2:30pm kickoff against the University of Kansas down at Floyd Casey stadium. Of course, we’re going to win.

None of these events could be possible without the dedication of the Baylor University Chamber of Commerce. They have put months of planning and hard work into this one weekend to ensure that everyone has the best homecoming experience possible. Thank you, Chamber!!

To me, homecoming is more than just a fun weekend to hang out with friends. It is an opportunity to fling our green and gold afar. We come together as the Baylor Nation. In the words of alumn Robert Griffin III, “We are Baylor, Baylor we will always be.”

Baylor Admissions

Who you will become, begins here.

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