Student Alumni Ambassadors hope to see fruits of their labor during Homecoming week
Attendees partake in a Homecoming pep rally in front of Foellinger Auditorium. Student Alumni Ambassadors are in charge of organizing the event, as well as various other Homecoming events, such as the 5K and Block Party.
October 15, 2015
Student Alumni Ambassadors know there is a lot to be excited for in the week leading up to Homecoming.
This year, SAA is running the Homecoming 5K — for which it partners with the Illini Union Board and Greeks Support Homecoming — Spirit Day and Block Party before a parade and large pep rally.
Bridget O’Brien, senior in Engineering and SAA’s vice president of Homecoming, said SAA hopes to expand the programs.
“We are trying to target students, alumni and community members,” she said.
Different events, however, target different groups.
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“Spirit day is solely for the student body — we’re out on the Quad all day, and we give out gifts to the student body,” O’Brien said. “Whereas in some of the other events, like the 5K, we reach out to community members; it’s kind of a joint community member and student body population that comes.”
She said the block party and pep rally feature a mix of students, alumni and community members.
As the vice president of homecoming, O’Brien plays an extensive role in orchestrating the week’s events.
“I have two codirectors for each of those events, so I help them do all the planning and logistics for each event, and they kind of get to choose what they are doing and how they are going to market it,” she said. “And I kind of deal more with the campus administrators and all of the parties that are interested.”
Many of SAA’s responsibilities revolve around planning and making sure events run smoothly.
O’Brien said they have to work with several parties in order to accomplish that.
“We’re the ones who do the planning and actually put on the events. We just deal with all of the logistics and the moving pieces,” she said.
Emma Levine, sophomore in LAS and co-director of Block Party, described it as a pre-event to the parade and pep rally.
“And it’s targeted toward the community members, toward families — we are really trying to spread Homecoming even beyond the campus.”
The Block Party will take place on Friday at 5 p.m. between Henry Administration Building and the English Building.
Levine is responsible for managing the logistics of Block Party as well as assisting in other Homecoming events.
She said she looks forward to decorating the windows of Ikenberry Commons and buildings on Green Street.
“We’re getting paint pens and just trying to orange out all of campus,” Levine said. “Everyone should be excited for all of Homecoming because it’s just a really spirited fun week.”
Rikka Skillrud, junior in AHS, has been involved in SAA for about two years.
She has also put time into planning for various Homecoming events. Skillrud is working for the 5K, pep rally and Block Party, is decorating a float for the parade and working on the Quad on Wednesday for Spirit Day.
“There’s so much to get excited for,” she said. “I’m really pumped.”
One of SAA’s goals for Homecoming week is to share the experience with the campus.
“I think people should be most excited for the game on Saturday — but also for Friday,” Skillrud said. “I think Friday is the culmination, but every day there is something special going on that can really interest people.”
O’Brien said planning Homecoming week has been a huge time commitment, but she’s excited to see her hard work come to fruition.
“I am most looking forward to the pep rally as the grand finale weekend,” she said. “To see those fireworks go off in front of Foellinger at the end of the week is going to be such a cool experience — to know that I’ve helped plan the entire week, to make it all happen.”
