Long-standing traditions will be shaken up at the University of Idaho this fall.
One of the major changes this year is the introduction of a different setup to one of the biggest events of Homecoming kickoff: the scavenger hunt.
Homecoming Week begins Oct. 18 with a kickoff event that includes the announcement of the preliminary homecoming court in addition to the scavenger hunt.
In the past, each homecoming team would check in, go around to a set group of locations in a specific order and then come back by a certain time to get points.
This year, the committee is introducing the use of an app called GooseChase, which will include different places and activities that groups can go take pictures of, said Ayla Neumeyer, kickoff chair on the Homecoming Committee.
Each task will be ranked based on how difficult the committee predicts they will be, Neumeyer said. She said how quickly each team progresses will determine how many total points they receive.
Members of the committee hope this change will result in a more exciting and all-encompassing event, Neumeyer said.
In addition to the new setup of the scavenger hunt, changes are being made to make kickoff feel similar to a pep rally, said Emily Rasch, Homecoming Committee chair.
Previously, the setup of kickoff has been the scavenger hunt and the Yell like Hell moment, followed by everyone dispersing.
“This year, we are going to have the marching band, the cheer squad,” Rasch said. “Joe Vandal is going to lead us, and hopefully it will encourage a lot of energy and get everyone excited for the whole week,”
As for changes being made to Homecoming Week, this year”s theme, A Hero”s Homecoming, is aimed at being more open-ended, and allowing everyone in the Vandal community to get involved, Rasch said.
“We love the potential for community involvement, because we have a lot of heroes in our university and the Moscow area, and this theme will hopefully excite students, alumni, staff, and community members,” Neumeyer said.
A big part of homecoming is getting to decorate the campus, including the Commons and individual sorority and fraternity houses.
Last year, living groups were assigned a fairytale to match with the theme “Once Upon a Homecoming,” and had to decorate while incorporating their assigned story.
This year, students can choose to represent their favorite superhero, or a real life hero, as in a doctor or firefighter, that has helped them significantly.
“This way, we can acknowledge the heroes in our lives while getting creative with skits and other themed events,” Rasch said. “It really allows for a lot of creativity and room for involvement.”
In addition to new ideas, several items that were new last year are being solidified this year, due to the great response from the community, Rasch said.
Last year was the first year the different groups got to paint the windows of businesses in the downtown area.
“We got a lot of positive feedback from the businesses downtown last year,” Rasch said. “It is a really great way to get the whole community involved in the homecoming festivities, because Moscow is such a community-driven town.”
Students wishing to participate can visit the University of Idaho Homecoming page on Facebook for updates and information or find University of Idaho Homecoming on VandalSync.
Diamond Koloski can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @diamond_uidaho