Our Voice

According to Webster’s dictionary the word Homecoming is an “annual event held by a college, university or high school for visiting alumni.” At GCSU, Homecoming has become a large event, highlighted in the last two school years by a concert with nationally touring bands.

School pride is always an issue, especially at a school such as GCSU that lacks the most common unifier, a football team. But has GCSU’s latest attempts to bolster school pride and provide fun for its students become too much?

At GCSU, it seems as if these days students know when homecoming is coming by the multitude of colors that litter this beautiful campus in the form of chalk.

And while the slogans that are created and placed upon every square inch of sidewalk on and around campus are well, creative, it does seem to be a little overwhelming.

Colonnade suggestion number one: limit the amount of chalking each individual is aloud to have.

The Colonnade completely supports the Mr. and Ms. GCSU contest and the voting process to elect our schools student government leaders. But it has gone too far. Where do we draw the line between school spirit and pride for our campus?

Last year, GCSU brought Sister Hazel to campus for a huge Homecoming concert. The school followed the 2008 Homecoming, “Blue and Green like you’ve never seen,” by adding $14,000 to the budget and brining in Atlanta-based hip-hop group Shop Boyz and Conyers’ punk rock band Cartel.

Again, The Colonnade applauds the effort, but we feel like it was a bit misguided.

As the rest of the world cuts back on spending as a direct result of the recession, GCSU spent more money in the name of spirit. Simply put, it sets a bad precedent and really gives the wrong impression.

Colonnade suggestion number two: in tough times scale back, everyone will understand.

While Shop Boyz and Cartel are both somewhat local bands, and most of the student body is probably familiar with them, The Colonnade doesn’t believe that they really represent what the student body would like to see.

Colonnade suggestion number three: get more students involved in the process of selecting the band.

More students will be willing to come out and enjoy a concert if they partake in the selection process. Ask students for suggestions and possibly hold a vote when band choices have been narrowed down.

We love Homecoming, but if these suggestions are implemented it will make for a better experience for the student body.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Feb 27 2009. Filed under Our Voice. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry