West Chester University alumni and students gathered together on Saturday to celebrate homecoming with a parade and the football game against Bloomsburg University.
The parade kicked off Saturday’s activities with the organizations performing dances that related to the theme, WCU Fanatics.
University Theater and University Dance Company teamed up and won first place for their dance, which featured mad scientists creating the WCU ram.
Second place was awarded to Phi Sigma Pi “Quidditch Team.” The members danced around with broomsticks and Lord Voldemort made an appearance. Public Relations chair, Karina Nunez, said that she was “ecstatic” about them receiving second place. “It gets our name out there,” Nunez said.
Third place went to Greek partners Alpha Sigma Tau and Pi Kappa Phi. The brothers were dressed in Eagles jerseys and the sisters were decked out in WCU paraphernalia.
Other Greek organizations participated and included sports equipment as props during their dances. A highlight of the parade was seeing a Delta Phi Epsilon sister leading a pony dressed like a unicorn, the sorority’s mascot.
Greeks were also the winners of the coveted titles of Homecoming King and Queen. Representing the Inter-Greek Council were Brett Petriello of Beta Theta Pi and Gabrielle Centrone of Delta Phi Epsilon. Last year’s homecoming King and Queen, Todd Soper and Carly Meyers, were on hand to crown the winners. This is also the second year in a row that these two Greek organizations have had members crowned.
Students vote for the King and Queen by filling out a card or by going onto OrgSync.
The organizations represented in the homecoming court included RHA, LGBTQA, BSU, BLGC, The Friars Society, the Marching Band, SGA, the Abbes Society, SAC, and SALC.
Dressed to the nines, the homecoming court paraded onto the track where President Weisenstein was there to great them.
Winning the crown is extremely important, not only the individuals on the homecoming court, but to the organizations represented. Petriello said, “Winning is important for IGC because it shows how involved Greeks are in the WCU community and the student body.”
“Winning the title would help the Student Alumni Leadership Council (SALC) enormously. It’s a small organization that was brought back into existence only a year ago. The publicity we could give the organization would boost interest among undergraduates and would accomplish the very purpose of the organization: to build connections between undergraduates and alumni,” Evan Lieb representative of SALC said.
“It will make my organization more visible and give pride to everyone that lives in the Residence Halls,” Taylor Lacey, President of the Residence Hall Association, said. His running mate, Christine Mackin, added, “It will bring more public exposure for the group that I am representing and hopefully raise more interest in the Residence Hall Community about our events and organization.”
LGBTQA nominated Emily Auerbach to run as Homecoming Queen this year. “It might call more attention to the cool things we’re planning on doing. Spread some diversity I guess,” Auerbach said of her decision to run.
Homecoming is also important to the alumni of WCU. Even though she only graduated in 2010, Samantha Harris can relate to the feelings of coming back home. “It’s great to see that there’s still school spirit among the students,” Harris said. Many of the alumni attended the football game and the class of 1984 football team was recognized before the game began.
Margaret Weaver is a fourth-year student majoring in English. She can reached at Mw678077@wcupa.edu.