Homecoming 2009

With anticipation growing and energy levels peaking the Homecoming Parade burst onto University Avenue with 85 enhanced entries for the first Friday night parade in over twenty years. As bands marched, gymnasts flipped, flags waved, dancers kicked, and floats impressed, some groups stood out above the rest. The Parade Committee is pleased to announce the following four parade competition winners...

IFC/Panhellenic Float- There's No Place Like Home
IFC/Panhellenic House Front- The Ultimate Celebration
General Float Entry- Department of Recreational Sports
General Performance Entry- University of Minnesota Men's Gymnastics Team

Thank you to all parade participants who helped make this the Ultimate Homecoming Parade! Homecoming looks forward to joining you for the 2010 Parade.

Go Gophers!

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Twenty-two teams raced around the West Bank, East Bank and St. Paul campus on Sunday. You might have seen them packed in the Campus Connectors! They were competing in Goldy's Ultimate Challenge. The teams were completing tasks, taking pictures, finding treasures and answering trivia questions.

The top six teams were awarded prizes. The first place team, comprised of the 2009 Homecoming Queen candidates, won $50 gift cards to Mesa Pizza and free bowling. Full results are listed below.

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Since the last few posts about Royalty in June, the 12 members of the court have been very busy preparing for Homecoming week. They have participated in numerous events and activities in anticipation for The Ultimate Homecoming!

This summer the royalty candidates were out representing the University of Minnesota at the Minnesota State Fair. They were present on Maroon and Gold day to socialize with fair-goers and facepaint Minnesota M's! Royalty also attended Welcome Week activities like Pride and Spirit and Gophers After Dark.

Last week, the week before Homecoming, each royalty candidate went through an extensive individual interview with a judging committee. This, along with all of the pre-Homecoming events, trivia games, and campus-wide voting, will determine this year's Homecoming King and Queen.

During Homecoming week, Royalty will be present at lots of activities. They will be playing trivia games such as Name That Tune and U-Trivia at the Cheerleading Competition. They will also be part of the Parade, riding in convertibles and showing their school spirit. During the Pep Fest, the coronation of the 2009 Homecoming King and Queen will take place. The reigning King and Queen will also be honored during the football game on Saturday. They will be introduced on the giant scoreboard at half-time. Be sure to cast your vote for your favorite candidate!

Go Gophers!

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The final day of Homecoming week, October 11, will be a day focused on community involvement. The Ultimate Volunteer Experience is all about reaching out and saying thank you to the campus community. Since the Ultimate Volunteer Experience is a new addition to this year's Homecoming line-up, planning and re-planning has been done to ensure a fun and successful end to the week of events!

The morning of the event, a Roundy's semi-truck filled with non-perishable food items will be outside of the TCF Bank Stadium. All of the food inside the truck will be donated to the Emergency Food Shelf Network. There will be a short speech from an Emergency Food Shelf Network representative and a Roundy's spokesperson. Following that, Homecoming Intern, Nick Pilger and a University of Minnesota alumnus will formally present the food.

Registration for service projects will also be taking place at this time. Volunteers will be checking in, getting free Homecoming t-shirts and enjoying complimentary food from Subway. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please fill out the form provided on the Homecoming website.

Go Gophers!

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Two very important Homecoming events are happening tomorrow night, Tuesday, September 29. First, there is a Volunteer Open House from 5 to 6:30pm in Coffman room 324. Anyone still interested in getting involved with Homecoming can come and sign-up to volunteer for events. There will also be free pizza!

Immediately following the Open House, is the Town Hall Meeting. The Town Hall Meeting is mandatory for all competitions participants. For those attending, music and rosters are due. It will be in the Mississippi Rom of Coffman at 7pm. Given this is the last meeting before Homecoming, the excitement is building!

Go Gophers!

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Look out for the golden swarm of Homecoming Volunteer Ambassadors! If you see them, you will want to hurry over as quickly as possible to get your hands on some cool Homecoming giveaways! The Homecoming Volunteer Ambassadors are a group of students who are knowledgeable about Homecoming, assist with Homecoming events and help distribute promotions on campus. They can be easily spotted by their gold Homecoming t-shirts.

This week, on Monday and Tuesday, Homecoming Volunteer Ambassadors passed out water bottles stuffed with candy and Homecoming items around the mall area in front of Coffman. The highly energetic group will be out again next week with more things to give away. Keep your eyes peeled as the freebies won't last long!

Go Gophers!

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While the nice weather has maybe compelled you to walk outside while crossing the Washington Avenue pedestrian bridge, you should take a look inside to see all the newly painted panels. Homecoming painted two panels, which are both pictured above. One is located near the East Bank side of campus while the other is closer to West Bank. Whichever direction you are walking on the bridge, be sure to check them out!

Go Gophers!

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As expectations grow and excitement levels rise for the Ultimate Homecoming this fall, the Homecoming Parade has reached its maximum capacity. Over the past several months entries have been confirmed and spots have been expanded to allow as many groups to be in the parade as possible. The parade line-up is finalized marking the official closing of parade registration.

The entries represent levels of diversity, variety and energy that will bring parade attendees to their feet cheering up and down the parade route. The Minnesota Rouser will sound as groups march, perform, and entertain the crowds with uniquely enhanced entries. Come celebrate the Ultimate Homecoming and help generate unprecedented levels of excitement and spirit during the parade!

Go Gophers!

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The Homecoming Royalty embodies the University's ideals and values and their role is to represent the student body. As 2008 Homecoming King and Queen, Connor Stowe and Megan Hines did just that. Both were actively involved on campus and attended many events to represent the U. But what are they doing now?

Stowe graduated in May with a triple major in Journalism, Art History and Studies in Cinema and Media Culture. He spent the summer working for a community based organization in India and hopes to continue with that job in the future. Stowe's most memorable moment from Homecoming 2008 was making a giant cookie for the visual display competition. He had fun expressing his Gopher pride with artistic freedom and also enjoyed eating the cookie afterwards!

Hines is currently finishing up her degree at the University. She is staying busy on campus, working with the Panhellenic Council and the Board of Regents. Hines still remembers the feeling of walking out on to the field to be crowned. She was nervous and overwhelmed by all the people in the stands. It turned out to be a memorable experience though as she was invited to University President Bruininks' suite after the coronation!

When asked about what advice they would give to the 2009 Royalty court, both Stowe and Hines say to have fun with the experience. "Win or lose, it is just such a fun time meeting other people on the court and getting in the spirit of Homecoming," Stowe adds.

Go Gophers!

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Over five-thousand incoming students will begin their college experience on Wednesday with the start of Welcome Week. These students will learn to navigate campus, meet new friends, discover campus resources, and of course be exposed to The Ultimate Homecoming! Homecoming will be present at two fun events during the week and is looking forward to meeting the class of 2013!

On Thursday, September 3rd, Homecoming will be at the Pride and Spirit event at TCF Bank Stadium. Look for committee members who will be volunteering and be sure to listen to the announcements given during the presentation. The following Saturday, September 5th, Homecoming will also be at the Explore U-Involvement & Opportunity Fair. Stop by the booth to get more information on how to become a Homecoming Volunteer Ambassador and pick up some free giveaways!

Go Gophers!

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Just a reminder... the Great Minnesota Get-Together starts this week, and Sunday, August 30th marks the day Homecoming will have a presence at the fair. It is Maroon & Gold Day, and Homecoming will host an exhibit booth in the University's building on Dan Patch Avenue and Underwood Street. The Homecoming committee will be passing out promotional items and answering questions about Homecoming events all day, so be sure to stop by and say hi!

In between your bacon-on-a-stick and your second helping on cheese curds, stop by the Uvierstiy Building to get your face painted! The 2009 Homecoming Royalty Court will also be present from 11am-12pm and 2pm-3pm painting faces on the outdoor stage. You won't want to miss out on all the fun!

Go Gophers!

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Homecoming 2009 is shaping up to be one of the largest Homecoming celebrations yet! In order to ensure this will be a successful week, the Homecoming committee is looking to enlist the help of enthusiastic student volunteers. Student Homecoming Volunteer Ambassadors will promote Homecoming to the campus community and assist with exciting events during the week of Homecoming.

Student Homecoming Volunteer Ambassadors will meet about three times prior to the week of Homecoming. This is a great way to learn about Homecoming traditions at the University of Minnesota and to gain first-hand experience marketing and implementing large-scale events. In addition, Student Homecoming Volunteer Ambassadors will receive free Homecoming swag, meet other students, and have fun!

To sign-up to be a Student Homecoming Volunteer Ambassador, email homecoming@umn.edu by Friday, September 11th. The Homecoming committee greatly appreciates your active participation in The Ultimate Homecoming!

If you are a staff or faculty member and want to volunteer for Homecoming, please visit www.homecoming.umn.edu/volunteer.

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Homecoming is invading the residential halls! Bulletins boards are going up this week in various residential halls around campus that highlight all the Homecoming activities. The boards will be located in the main lobby and feature posters and schedules of 2009 Homecoming week events. Additional information and trinkets will be added as Homecoming nears. Be on the lookout for buttons, beads and pom-poms, as those are items you are welcome to take!

Go Gophers!

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A crowd packs TCF Bank Stadium. The Marching Band and Spirit Squad perform as the audience buzzes with excitement. Various important and influential individuals take the stage to inspire and excite the group of Gopher fans. And to conclude, a stunning fireworks display!

This is just a small taste of what the Homecoming Pep Fest will be like. The Pep Fest will take place Friday, October 10th, immediately following the parade. Homecoming committee members have been busy planning all the details of the event, and at a meeting later this month the minute-by-minute production schedule will be finalized. When all said and done, the Pep Fest will fill the public with spirit and energy to bring to the football game the next morning!

Go Gophers!

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Did you know that the Stage Events committee is in charge of the LipSync and Cheer competitions along with the Pep Fest concert? That's a lot of things to take care of! The committee is working hard on getting all the logistics together for LipSync and Cheer. They have to book everything from generators to interactive activities. This year they are also looking into the possibility of having a mechanical bull!

As far as the Homecoming concert goes, planning is still in the initial stages. The committee has been contacting agents to find out what performers are available and within budget. Who would you like to see perform? Let us know your opinion by leaving a comment on the blog!

Go Gophers!

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