This year’s Homecoming line-up is taking Halloween to heart. The Campus Activities Board (CAB) has organized events varying from pumpkin decorating to a lip sync competition, all following this year’s theme: SpooktacuLAKER.

“When we looked at the Homecoming schedule on the calendar and saw that it was the week before Halloween, it seemed like a Halloween theme would be not only entertaining, but a good way to get students engaged with both the holiday and Homecoming,” said CAB Homecoming Director Lillian Baker.

With midterms just behind and finals on the horizon, it is all the more essential for students to find time to relax, hang out with friends and experience a fun, stress-free environment through events right on Allendale’s campus. For students on a tight budget, on-campus events are the perfect way to not spend money while still being able to meet new people and see unique performances of all kinds. 

“Too often students are stressed with work, homework, student organizations and more,” Baker said. “Our Homecoming events will be a fun way to escape for a bit.”

From Oct. 23-26, students will be able to enjoy six events, each with their own themes and surprises. The Pumpkin Painting Contest is the first event to kick off the Homecoming season, where students can compete to see who can make the most creative pumpkin. 

For those who enjoy the spookier side of Halloween, CAB is hosting a Hollywood Murder Mystery Party on Wednesday evening in the Pere Marquette room in Kirkhof. This interactive comedy routine will be performed by the improv group, Mission Improbable, for a unique take on a classic problem: who is the murderer? The suspect could be anyone, from Justin Bieber to Santa Claus, and the potential weapons are just as wild. Bring your friends and chance the odds of becoming prime suspects — or the murderer’s next victim.

The annual Pep Rally is returning Oct. 24 with a ton of activities in tow. In the first floor lobby of Kirkhof, students will be able to enjoy a DJ and performances from the GVSU pompom team, cheer team and the Laker Marching Band. Yard games and fall crafts are included, in addition to a costume contest to celebrate the season of Halloween. 

The Lip Sync Competition returns once again for more friendly competition between student organizations, but this time with a scary movie theme. The tiered competition allows both large and small organizations to compete, so make sure to register your group before Friday evening. 

On the last day of the celebrations, there will be zombie-themed escape rooms in Kirkhof, where you must escape in under an hour in order to survive. Teams of 4-8 will work together to figure out puzzles and tests of the mind in order to make it out alive. Afterwards, the top three teams will be noted over pizza and given a chance for each top team to win a prize.

“I’m most excited for the escape rooms,” Baker said. “It’s a ton of fun and I wanted to try doing it on a bigger scale. The escape room deals with zombies, which is a good fit to do as a homecoming event. There are stand-alone escape rooms that are relatively expensive, so I think its cool that we can offer this experience for free and on-campus.”

And finally, the Homecoming Football Game will begin at 7 p.m. on Saturday, where the Regent Winner will be announced. 

“GVSU is an incredible school and provides invaluable experiences for each student,” Baker said. “Homecoming is an opportunity to recognize that and share it with other members of our community.” 

For specific dates, times, and more information, head over to gvsu.edu/student life/homecoming or email [email protected].