Homecoming this year featured both new and old events at Truman State University. A large variety of organizations took part in homecoming celebrations.
The philanthropy for this year’s homecoming was Missouri Special Olympics, and the total amount raised was $17,035.
Homecoming Adviser Rebecca Conover said this is the first Homecoming since the pandemic began where activities could return to their normal pre-pandemic form. Activities such as the Lip Sync competition were able to be indoors and all at once rather than being separated.
“I think the most significant thing was bringing everyone back together,” Conover said. “This is the first post-COVID homecoming we have been able to hold that closely resembles what Homecoming looked like before the pandemic. We saw a lot more families visiting and alumni coming back, as well as more involvement from our students overall.”
The annual Lip Sync competition featured various organizations partnered in teams to perform a skit that fits the homecoming theme. This year’s theme was “Homecoming in Fabulous K-Vegas.”
Lip Sync coordinator Austin Graham said eight teams competed in the competition this year. The first place team was team Roulette, made up of Alpha Sigma Alpha, Phi Sigma Kappa, and Tau Kappa Epsilon, and the second place team was team Baccarat, made up of Sigma Sigma Sigma and Lambda Chi Alpha, and the third place team was team Bingo, made up of Delta Zeta and Delta Chi. Any recognized student organization can compete in the lip sync.
Graham said he believes this competition is a great way to build school spirit during Homecoming. This year, almost 700 tickets were sold for the competition.
Window painting of businesses in downtown Kirksville was introduced as a new event this year for Homecoming. Homecoming director Kylie Modaff explained that the eight teams composed of campus student organizations painted windows downtown following the theme of K-Vegas. Modaff said the window painting took place with businesses on the parade ground so it would be a visible part of the parade. Modaff said it was a way for the University to connect to the wider Kirksville community.
Conover said businesses were quite happy with the results of the window painting. More businesses reached out after the event to potentially participate next year.
Homecoming awards were given for games overall, penny buckets, individual organizations overall, individual philanthropy and overall philanthropy.
Jackson Sefrit of Delta Chi and Grace Daugherty of Sigma Sigma Sigma were voted Homecoming Royalty.