Every fall, students across campus are given the opportunity to show off their Grand Valley State University pride while getting competitive with fellow Lakers during Homecoming Week. From spirit boards to trivia to LipSync, this year’s Homecoming is bound to be no different.

Laker Legacy is the official theme of this year’s Homecoming, which will officially kick off on Oct. 6. Laker Legacy is a concept that was suggested through the Homecoming theme competition and developed by the Laker Traditions Team’s Homecoming Coordinators, Brandon Fitzgerald and Amy Hallochak.

Fitzgerald said the theme was chosen to get students to think about what they are doing for both themselves and GVSU, as well as how students are preparing for the future – hence the Laker for a Lifetime idea.

Students can compete in Homecoming by forming teams through living centers, registered student organizations, off-campus apartments or through a particular major. Teams must be registered by Sept. 26.

Teams will have the opportunity to create spirit boards for students to spot throughout the week on campus. These will help students recognize the teams during competitions and give them a chance to show off their creativity and originality.

Events for organizations to compete in will be held throughout the week as well. One such activity is the Laker Photo Hunt, where teams take photos of themselves participating in events to receive points. There will also be a canned food drive where teams can earn points based on the amount of donations received, as well as the strength of their creativity.

Students are encouraged to check out the boxes at the Women’s Center and to donate food to their favorite organizations in an effort to help them gain more points.

There will also be a t-shirt swap in the Kirkhof Center presented by Student Senate. Students can bring in an old t-shirt to trade it for a new shirt with a GVSU-inspired design.

Monday is Regent Reveal in the Grand River Room in Kirkhof at 9 p.m. The event will be open for students to cast their votes to choose a winner out of the top 10 contenders for the Homecoming crown. This year, there will be two gender-neutral Homecoming Regents.

“(Regents are) somebody who exemplifies Laker pride,” Hallochak said. “They are giving back to the community and helping to better Grand Valley.”

Organizations across campus nominated one of its members to be the regent. On Monday night, before the reveal, different organizations can serenade the regents by singing and playing music for them. After the reveal, these organizations can spread the word to students to help with voting.

On Tuesday, an athletic event will take place in the Kelly Family Sports Center. There will be multiple courses that each team has to go through including a relay race, an anchor toss and an inflatable course that contains an inflatable wrecking ball.

“We’re going back in time to the wrecking ball,” Hallochak said.

Wednesday is the Blue and White Trivia Bowl – a homecoming tradition taking place in the Pere Marquette room in Kirkhof at 9 p.m. Since the theme of the week is about the past, there will not only be questions pertaining to GVSU history, but also decade history, music, television and pop culture.

“We wanted an event that was mental, one that was physical and one that was creative,” Fitzgerald said.

The Homecoming concert will be held in the Fieldhouse on Oct. 9 at 8 p.m. This year, Spotlight Productions is bringing Shawn and Marlon Wayans, comedian brothers better known for their role in the movie White Chicks.

Friday night is the LipSync competition, one of the most anticipated events during Homecoming Week. Teams will get to show off their creative sides by piecing together a performance that follows along with the Laker Legacy theme.

Both Fitzgerald and Hallochak say they’re interested to see what people will do with their performances as well as how they will incorporate the Homecoming theme.

Immediately after LipSync, points will be tallied up and the winning team will be announced. Points earned throughout the week are based on creativity, overall involvement, donations and originality.

Wrapping up the week, GVSU will face Wayne State University on Saturday in football. Lakers are encouraged to wear blue and white to show Laker pride.

During halftime, the Regent Court and the Homecoming Regents will be crowned, and the top three Homecoming competition teams will be announced.

“Homecoming is the best opportunity for Grand Valley students to show their spirit,” Hallochak said. “We’re excited to see what students get out of it.”

Whether students are competing on a team or just attending the events, there are many ways to get involved with Homecoming and show off what it means to be a Laker.

For more information and a full calendar of events, visit
www.gvsu.edu/studentlife/homecoming.

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