Participation matters in homecoming activities

Described by some students as their favorite time of the year, Homecoming week has come around again. The Shalala Student Center has been made over with colorful signage, Homecoming banners are going up all around and the campus is being spruced up for visiting alumni. However, despite the hustle and bustle of a jam-packed agenda, Homecoming activities remain on the fringe of many students’ attention.

A large part of this results from the fact that most Homecoming activities require students to participate as a part of an organization. Events like Organized Cheer, the alma mater singing competition and the Homecoming parade encourage student organizations to step forward and showcase the best of their members.

While this sounds good in theory, for students outside of these few participating organizations, it is difficult to feel the Homecoming spirit. Homecoming involvement could be solicited through more widespread channels such as the residential college system or academic departments. Simply getting more students to talk about Homecoming participation can increase inclusivity.

In addition, smaller clubs and organizations should be able to pool together their resources to register for Homecoming activities. Traditionally, large organizations with more resources such as the Federación de Estudiantes Cubanos or the Association of Commuter Students have been most involved with Homecoming activities, even appointing Homecoming chair positions to oversee participation throughout the week.

For the hundreds of smaller student organizations on campus like pre-professional organizations, service organizations and smaller cultural clubs, participating in these Homecoming activities alone may be too big of a commitment. When the activities feature only a few visible student organizations on campus, unaffiliated students may not feel that these events are meant for them to enjoy.

Homecoming week is meant to celebrate our school, alumni and students. Therefore, these many activities are only meaningful if they effectively energize the entire campus, not just a small portion of the student body.

Editorials represent the majority view of The Miami Hurricane editorial board.