by Jenni Kraft
@jenniwithanik
This past weekend was our homecoming which as most Student
Affairs professionals know, is jam packed with events! Well if you are an event planner, you know
that it is always good to have a backup plan for inclement weather. However,
for one of our homecoming traditions it’s a bit difficult. That event would be
our golf cart parade!
Each year we have the traditional competitions that
organizations can compete in in order to win spirit points towards the overall
spirit award trophy. Our golf cart parade concept is rather simple: sign your
organization up to participate (we have 16 golf carts total so hurry while they
last); come up with a design that, ideally, goes with this year’s theme
(Vegas); wake up extra early on homecoming day to decorate it before the judges
get there; and enjoy being in a parade leading to the football game!
Of course this year had to challenge that idea do to (¯dun ¯Dun
¯DUN) : INCLEMENT
WEATHER!!! Well, it’s such a huge tradition that organizations that sign up
prepare the whole week before (about the time when we start making weather apps
our top phone distraction). We see organizations finding spaces to claim for
their cart decorations and asking for tape, glue, scissors, and other
miscellaneous items from our office to create these displays of campus spirit.
In fact, the day before, our organization workroom was jam packed with
organizations taking advantage of the resources! As we stared nervously at our
weather channels, we gathered a little hope as the homecoming carnival the
night before ran supper smoothly without a drop from the sky. Then the next
morning a downpour took over our land! Then the text messages came in left and
right: “Are we still doing the golf cart parade :( ?” The rain plan was simple:
no golf cart parade.
Well I was not having it!
I know how much the students worked on their decorations and
by golly I was going to give them an opportunity to display them. With the
lightning flashing hello in the sky, golf carts were quickly tucked back away
in their cubbies. I checked our entire room reservation calendar and finally
found a solution: a meeting room… with enough space for 16 tables! And thus we
had a spirit display instead of a golf cart parade. The students received word
quickly through text (though emails were sent, I’m pretty sure the text
messages ran faster). Within the next 20 minutes we had the room flipped to the
needs of the program and students arriving with their fabrics, streamers, costumes,
and more! It was a success for everyone who participated! And, though it wasn’t
an original rain plan, it will be now! Here are our winners who also
demonstrated magic J
~Jenni with an “I”
@JenniwithaniK
P.S. Yes, we did win our homecoming game!!! Go ‘Roos! My
Alma Mater did as well J
Go Bobcats!
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