If people walk around campus, they would notice the highly-decorated orange and blue windows cheering, “Let’s go Illinois,” “It’s homecoming week,” or my personal favorite “Let’s crush Michigan,” which compliments the “Muck Fichigan” shirts. 

As cheerful as the windows are, however, the students aren’t. Having just graduated high school, I was expecting homecoming to be the whole school coming together, and the Quad being extremely lively with donut-eating competitions and loud music. While there was free pizza and long lines, Quad Day was a million times more lively than this. Where were those football guys dressed in pink tutus for one of our theme days that I was used to? In fact, where were our theme days?

I was so accustomed to having themed dress up days where the whole school would participate. It’s a given that college is huge and many times the size of my high school, but I was under the assumption that homecoming was a craze in college — people decked out in orange and blue from head to toe — but all I have seen are some people wearing orange jackets or maybe an orange hat at the most. 

As I walked into the Ikenberry dining hall on Wednesday afternoon, I noticed how the windows were painted with homecoming events such as a supposed flash mob and a scavenger hunt. 

I guess I missed the scavenger hunt, and I had no idea how to get involved with the flash mob. 

This irked me. 

While the school seems to have various activities during homecoming week, I have not found the information of how to get involved to be easily accessible — even though students were apparently sent mass emails about the events, which I usually do not take the time to read. In fact, I did not realize there were homecoming emails in my inbox until my editor pointed them out to me.

To make it worse, as a freshman, it feels as though no one is really interested in going to any of the events the school hosts. In high school, students bonded over attending various homecoming events and participating in school activities. I understand that this is college — we’re all older and have different interests, such as tailgating and partying — but what’s wrong with a little school spirit? 

It feels as though only those actively participating in certain campus RSOs and those in the Greek system are into the spirit of different homecoming activities. But perhaps if there was even a better way of informing everyone, especially the freshmen, more people would get involved.

For example, the University of Oklahoma has spirited traditions, such as having a homecoming theme (which is “Drawn Together by Tradition” this year), despite it being a huge university. This tradition allows students to get involved and even dress up for the homecoming parade. 

Even though our University is a huge school, it’s not completely impossible to get everyone in the mood for some school unity. After all, homecoming was established on the basis of cherishing and welcoming the alumni and celebrating the school and the culture of the school . 

Quite frankly, as a freshman, I’m more informed about the Halloween parties happening in a week or two. 

We have the means of thoroughly enjoying and celebrating what a beautiful school we go to, so why don’t we get a little more spirit and participate in the festivities? After all, homecoming only comes once a year.

Simran is a freshman in Media. She can be reached at [email protected].