Going away from home for Homecoming celebrations

It’s homecoming week, and that means that there are oodles of Pitt traditions to participate… It’s homecoming week, and that means that there are oodles of Pitt traditions to participate in. Well, at least there were four years ago, when we had a stadium on campus and ‘P-E-N-N S-T SUCKS’ was synonymous with the Pitt football tradition. Alas, now we have to truck it to the North Side to see the game and homecoming procession.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ But what if we weren’t a school with deep football roots? What if we were, say, KentState or Edinboro? Would we still celebrate homecoming with such enthusiasm? Or would their homecomings still kick our homecoming’s butt?

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ In the fall of 2001, the party at KentState started Friday night and gave students and alumni little chance to recuperate — they woke up bright and early Saturday morning for kegs and eggs. At 7 a.m. in a particular frat house, the brothers who were awake were pumped up and ready to go, and making so much noise that the rest of the house had no choice but to rise and shine. It’s very seldom that I get excited about taking a 7 a.m. shower in a frat house while I’m hung over.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ At 8 a.m., the homecoming parade began its march down Main Street. Since a few frat houses call Main Street. home, they provided the perfect vantage point for the floats, mascots and KentState’s own Zamboni. Better than the view was the fact that we never had to stray far from the beer.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Parents, alumni and a random shirtless-shoeless guy with crazy hair kept the party going. Despite the chilly weather, the grills were fired up like it was the Fourth of July. No hurrying off to the game, though — it was more like an extended pre-game until the night’s concert, played in the past by Godsmack, Parliament and other national acts.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Back in our own state, Edinboro’s celebration during the weekend of Oct. 3 actually kicked off on Wednesday, Oct. 1, this year, and that’s when some of my friends from high school drove up to catch the bonfire. By the time I got there on Friday, things had not died down at all. Parents and alumni, along with students and friends, crowded the small town’s bars. At the Hotel Bar, beer was served in cans, because large amounts of drunk people and glass bottles don’t exactly mix well.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Fast forward to Saturday morning. The natives were getting a bit restless by 10 a.m. While the extra three hours of sleep were welcomed, there was still a rush to get out among the celebrations. A hearty breakfast at Perkins provided the perfect base for the cheap beer consumed during the parade. Even the high school in Edinboro got involved — their marching band and cheerleaders braved the frigid fall weather in the name of school spirit. Between the bands and convertibles, Greeks competed against each other for the best float. Again, no one here worried about football, yet homecoming is a tradition deeply rooted in their alma mater.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Pitt has a kick-ass football team and a few traditions of its own. We have school-sponsored activities, but it just doesn’t seem like everyone takes advantage of them. Yeah, there are tons of us tailgating before the game and talking smack on the other team’s fans, but what about those who couldn’t care less about football? Are they camped out on their dilapidated South Oakland porches, catching up with friends from home? Do they attend our homecoming bonfire? Do their friends drive from miles away for Pitt Homecoming? It’s doubtful.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ While celebrating our ingrained traditions, we should make a few of our own. We should not only celebrate our football team, we should also celebrate our alumni, parents and friends. Because without them, homecoming wouldn’t be what it is.

‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ Just one piece of advice — don’t vote a dork for king.