Rolling out the red carpet for Homecoming

As the days to the crowning of the Homecoming king and queen quickly tick by, members of the Student Athletic Board scurry around, making sure the last minute details of carefully made plans for the Homecoming pep rally fall into place. Their goal is to see as many students as possible taking advantage of the opportunities of Homecoming Week.\n"I spent last week trying to get flowers donated for the court, and I helped my roommate, who is also a chair, order the crowns," said sophomore Lindsay Eichelman, one of the chairs of the Homecoming committee. It is the small details like ordering the king and queen's crowns and buying decorations that will ensure that the Homecoming events go according to plan.\n"The main role of SAB is to get students involved in the tradition that is Indiana University Homecoming before they leave IU. It is a time for all students and alumni to show the pride they have in their school," said senior Kelly Kirkbride, president of Student Athletic Board.\nThe naming of the court and the crowning of the Homecoming king and queen, which happens at the pep rally, is one of the big events of the week. Students do not directly vote or nominate the candidates. Instead, eligible seniors fill out an application and are judged based on several criteria including GPA, service, contributions to IU and personal essays. Student Athletic Board members spend the first month of the school year putting together the applications and letting the seniors know they can apply.\nThis field is then narrowed to 20, and a panel, selected by Student Athletic Board members, interviews the final contenders.\nWhile students cannot directly vote for the finalists, they can see who the winners are by attending the pep rally after the parade Friday at the Sample Gates.\nGetting the word out to students is Student Athletic Board's major task leading up to the game.\n"We're putting table tents up at the dorms and local restaurants around town to promote all of the activities," said senior Latonia Hawkins, Student Athletic Board's director of Homecoming, golf and crew. Table tents are small plastic stands, like those on restaurant tables showing drink specials, that list all programs for the weekend including Yell Like Hell today, the parade and pep rally Friday and the game Saturday.\nEichleman said as a freshman she didn't think Homecoming was that big of a deal. By turning the focus of Homecoming back on students and the traditions of IU, Student Athletic Board hopes to make the event as meaningful for students as for alumni.\n"We're really trying to get it more geared back toward IU. We're trying to promote spirit," she said.\nSAB members are painting their bus for the parade, and members also plan to take it out tonight with the bullhorn so they can remind everyone to go to the parade, the pep rally and the game. They are trying to emphasize that Homecoming is a tradition as well as fun, and those who come will have a chance to see the band, pompoms and cheerleaders and hang out with fellow students.\nSeveral members are planning to help out with the parade, which the Student Alumni Association puts on. Student Athletic Board members will ride on the bus and toss out candy and help block off traffic.\n"I'm really excited, and I hope it turns out well, and I hope we have a good turnout," Hawkins said. She has been spending her time helping to select judges for the king and queen competition and sending invitations to dignitaries and past-Olympians, who will attend Friday's pep rally.\nEven with all the carefully laid plans in place, there is still room for some last minute nerves and jitters as the planners hope students and alumni come out to support the event -- and that it doesn't rain.\n"It's crunch time, just putting everything together," Eichelman said. "It's kind of nerve-wracking and very exciting"