Improving Homecoming

Homecoming is one of those college traditions which always feels like it doesn't belong on Cornell's campus. We're not one of those schools in which everyone gets up early on gameday to drink, tailgate, and head over to the football field. And yet that is exactly what we are asked to do for Homecoming.

Student attendance at football games is poor, and for good reason. The team has experienced years of mediocrity under Coach Jim Knowles '87. Promising beginnings each year evaporate into mediocre campaigns. Plus, it's cold in Ithaca, and it's hard to pry Cornell students away from the heated comforts of their dorms, Greek houses, and libraries to do much of anything. Much less to sit in a mostly-empty stadium to watch your non-bowl-eligible team give up 400 passing yards and toss 5 interceptions.

Yet, there we are every year at Homecoming...kind of. Homecoming would be dead if not for the alumni, who seem content to tailgate in Crescent Lot, and the Greeks, who are drawn to the area primarily because it offers $1 beers and an excuse to grill things. Many of the Greeks don't even stay for the game.

So, how can we improve Homecoming? For one, nix the stupid parade idea. This was a half-assed attempt to make Cornell's Homecoming like those of the other big colleges. But as MetaEzra pointed out, "University Risk Management outlawed the use of any sort of vehicle -- including cars, trucks, bicycles, and, presumably, hand-pulled wagons. And what is a Homecoming parade without a float?" How many students want to report (to the Biotech quad, of all places) at 9:45am to stand around for 45 minutes before walking with their student groups and clubs past a bunch of alumni? The Greek community requested that every IFC fraternity send 2-3 members to march in the parade. Three houses, and IFC President Eddie Rooker, showed up. Out of forty-one. And the parade was over by the time the rest of the hungover Greeks dragged themselves to the lot next to Bartels to eat a hamburger for breakfast.

Second, push the start of the game back. Maybe 12:30 is a good start time for the alumni, who are accustomed to getting things accomplished before noon on Saturday mornings. But it's not good for students. If the game was at 3, and the tailgate at 12, this would give students plenty of time to sleep off the previous night's drinking and make their way over to campus.

Third, Homecoming must be in September. As we've seen, the weather in Ithaca can be quite volatile beginning in October. Sure, you might not have all the foliage in September, but you'll be guaranteed temperatures in the 50s. It's not particularly enjoyable to hold a cold beer when your hands are going numb. Homecoming is earlier next year, and I hope it will remain earlier in the fall.

Fourth, include something other than football to draw people to the game. The parade was supposed to accomplish this, but it backfired. Try giving out a free homecoming t-shirt to every student who goes to the game. Everyone loves a free t-shirt, especially when it commemorates something they feel they're supposed to attend. I'm sure Athletics won't be able to cover the cost (maybe $7 x 2000 students = $14000), but I'm sure someone else can step forward (maybe put a nice big advertisement for the Cornell Store on the back?).

I don't have all the answers, but it's not my job to know what to do. That's for the people in charge. But I certainly think something needs to be changed.