It will take more than popularity to win the Homecoming election this year.

This year, the… It will take more than popularity to win the Homecoming election this year.

This year, the 2004 Pitt Homecoming Court is sponsored by the Pitt Alumni Association and the Blue ‘ Gold Society, rather than Omnicron Delta Kappa. The new sponsors are working with the University and other organizations to give more responsibility and meaning to the titles of homecoming king and queen.

“When you think of homecoming, you think of alumni coming back,” said Lyndsey Hawkins, the Blue ‘ Gold Society homecoming chair. “We wanted to do something different, but we didn’t want to change a lot since it was our first year.”

Homecoming weekend officially started yesterday with the Pathway to Profession, a career-networking event in Alumni Hall sponsored by Pitt alumni and Career Services. More than 150 alumni, including the Legacy Laureates, spoke informally about success in their careers at the event.

This year, the candidates need to have a minimum GPA of 2.5, and if elected, participate in five hours of community service that must be completed by the end of the fall semester. Anyone who fits the GPA requirement can campaign, as long as they are sponsored by a student organization. All of the candidates proposed their own service, and Hawkins said they seemed enthusiastic about their ideas.

“We wanted to extend it beyond a game,” she added. “It is not just a popularity contest, and we wanted to develop it more.”

Jenn Fike, the assistant chair of homecoming committee thinks that voting in this year’s Homecoming election is important.

“I know a lot of people think that this is a competition between sororities and fraternities, but anyone can run,” Fike said. “And since Pitt is such a big school, a lot of people don’t take it as seriously as they would a smaller school. But it is an important tradition to keep active.”

For those people not affiliated with any of the candidates, deciding whom to vote for may be difficult. Hawkins encourages everyone to visit my.pitt.edu, where students can find profiles and personal statements from each candidate. Students can cast their vote on the same site until noon today.