After a one-year hiatus, IU alumni, students and families can expect a long-standing tradition to return to campus.
Last year, the IU Student Alumni Association and the IU Alumni Association made the decision to put the Homecoming Parade on hiatus for a year to provide them with an opportunity to reevaluate the parade.
The Homecoming parade is expected to be back this year on Nov. 1.
“We concluded that the parade was a vital part of Homecoming and want to provide an opportunity for students, alumni, faculty, staff and the Bloomington community to connect and celebrate Homecoming,” said Victoria Culver, graduate student adviser of IUSAA.
Mike Mann, alumni program officer for Spirit, Pride and Tradition, said he is excited to see the parade, a Homecoming tradition for 53 years prior to the hiatus.
“As an alum and a Bloomington resident, I am very excited that the parade is back and it is taking place on iconic Kirkwood Avenue,” Mann said. “Interest is also very high from many groups on campus and our business partners in downtown Bloomington. It should be a great event.”
The Homecoming committees of IUSAA and IUAA selected the theme of this year’s parade, “sCream and Crimson,” in honor of Halloween, which is the day before the parade.
The parade is open to all student organizations, community groups and businesses.
It will also feature the Marching Hundred, cheerleaders and IU celebrities.
“One of the biggest changes this year is the new route,” Culver said. “This year, the parade will take place on Kirkwood Avenue and Indiana Avenue. We’re excited to have the parade right in the heart of Bloomington.”
Despite the restoration of the Homecoming Parade, this year’s Homecoming Week will see another departure from tradition.
The sixth annual Nearly Naked Mile, an event where students run around campus “nearly naked” after donating the clothes they take off, will be Wednesday, Oct. 30, rather than the Monday of Homecoming Week.
Culver said she enjoys working on Homecoming because the events provide an opportunity for the community to “rally around the University” and show off its school spirit.
“I hope that students are able to find an event during Homecoming that helps them connect further to Indiana University and that they are able to make amazing memories,” Culver said.
Lexi Wilson, a freshman and exploratory major, said she’s excited for her first Homecoming.
“School spirit is always awesome here, and I can only imagine it’s even better during Homecoming,” Wilson said.
Registration for the Homecoming Parade can be found at the IU Alumni Association website, alumni.indiana.edu.
Follow reporter Catherine Huynh on Twitter @cathuynh_.
