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Owl Prowl (Homecoming) 2008

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The Homecoming Committee is meeting today to discuss what they liked/didn't like about this year's Homecoming and some ideas for next year's Homecoming.

Now, I looked over this year's schedule and last year's schedule and while there are plenty of events for current students, there don't seem to be many events specifically for alumni. Have any of you alumni ever come back for Homecoming? What would make it worth it to you… especially if you live in another state… to come back to FAU for a couple of days to enjoy Homecoming?

I am going to be sending Michelle Perkins, who oversaw Homecoming this year, some suggestions and I wondered if you had anymore. Please let me know what you think…

Here are mine:

POSSIBLE THEMES
1. "Tales of Adventure" (think Indiana Jones, Sinbad, King Arthur, Lewis and Clark, stuff like that)
2. "Celebration of Culture" (celebrating diversity with cultural dances, stories, arts+crafts, etc)
3. "FAU Dockside"… still working on that name… (seaport/nautical theme since we have a focus on the ocean; sea creatures, pirates, Beatles "we all live in a yellow submarine", Jules Verne, etc)

EVENTS
1. Future of FAU – an exhibition in the new Alumni Center; we display the sketches for all the upcoming facilities (stadium, innovation village, engineering building, and so on) on easles in the main lobby; finger food/cocktails served; jazz band; Brogan makes a quick speech (5 mins or less) about his vision for where we are going. The exhibition will run all week during Homecoming so you can stop in at any time to see it.
2. Alumni Stroll – kicks off in the new Alumni Center after the "Future of FAU" exhibit debuts. It's a guided campus tour at night (when it's cool outside) with Tom Donaudy, the university architect, the current president/vice president of SGA, and people from Orientation. The campus will be lit up with white Christmas lights on the trees so it looks nice. The purpose is to allow alumni to come back and see what the campus looks like now while being able to ask questions like, "What ever happened to Modoc?" or "What is this building?" that you might not otherwise get to ask because you're walking it yourself.
3. Greek Campfire – not a literal campfire (although it could be), this is a way for past Greeks and current Greeks to come together and share stories about what their organizations were like before, what they're like now, exchange ideas and information about upcoming events… basically just reconnect the alumni so they still feel like they're part of the campus organization. They probably do something like this already at a national conference but it would be nice to do it at Homecoming. The Greeks could reserve rooms in the Student Union and decorate them or they could just set up lawnchairs on the Housing Lawn and put up a flag. Whatever they want to do.
4. Coin Day – when we built the Traditions Plaza, President Brogan was talking about how he wanted people to pitch a coin into the fountain for good luck on exams/good luck for the football team, whatever. Well, we could tie this into a Pep Rally with all the Coaches… not just HS… giving one minute speeches about their successes (so people can actually know that soccer won the conference!) and encouraging people to come out to future games/practices. At the end everybody throws money into the fountain… and all the fountain money will go to a charity.

That's just what I have so far. Let me know what you think and any ideas you have.
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Re: Owl Prowl (Homecoming) 2008

It would be nice if there was a theme made up for the football game.  "Erase the Raiders" etc.

Here's my biggest suggestion though.  As part of Greek Week, I think you get points of some kind for attendance.  Why not spill this over to the homecoming football game?  Have a little competition between fraternities and sororities to see who can get more of their brothers/sisters/pledges to the game.

This would be a win-win for everyone.

Like things, love people.
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Re: Owl Prowl (Homecoming) 2008

Fledgling said

It would be nice if there was a theme made up for the football game.  "Erase the Raiders" etc.

Here's my biggest suggestion though.  As part of Greek Week, I think you get points of some kind for attendance.  Why not spill this over to the homecoming football game?  Have a little competition between fraternities and sororities to see who can get more of their brothers/sisters/pledges to the game.

This would be a win-win for everyone.

I like that idea Fledgling! Nice Work!

Build Tradition
Tell someone "GO OWLS!"
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Re: Owl Prowl (Homecoming) 2008

Fledgling said

It would be nice if there was a theme made up for the football game.  "Erase the Raiders" etc.

Here's my biggest suggestion though.  As part of Greek Week, I think you get points of some kind for attendance.  Why not spill this over to the homecoming football game?  Have a little competition between fraternities and sororities to see who can get more of their brothers/sisters/pledges to the game.

This would be a win-win for everyone.

I thought they did this… the closest I could find was this in the 2007 Homecoming Guidebook (

ERROR: A link was posted here (url) but it appears to be a broken link.

http://wise.fau.edu/homecoming/2007Guidebook.pdf):

“True Fans Wear Blue”– Spirit Day Friday, October 26, 2007 This is a FAU spirit competition. The object of this competition is to have everyone in your organization be decked out in the color blue. Everything must be blue on your person to receive a full 2 points per person. Half points will be given for active members who participate but are not fully in blue. The only rule with this competition is that you must be fully dressed, with that in mind, you can be as creative as possible. There will be spirit stations set-up in announced places on each campus to get credit for your organization’s FAU spirit. Each person from your Organization who is participating in the competition must stop by the spirit station and sign-in fully in gear to get credit for your organization."
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Re: Owl Prowl (Homecoming) 2008

Thanks, COOP.

OwlCountry: If they did, it wasn't strong enough because I didn't see any of that going on.  And putting something like this just in a handbook that most kids won't open is probably not going to get you great results anyway.


Also… it sounds like you have great ideas for current students and I like the Alumni walk.  Alumni Association should work on activities, social hours in which Schnellenberger, Brogan address everyone on the progress of FAU and the upcoming game.  Maybe offer a tour of FAU for those Alumni to see the great things FAU is building, improving.

And no, don't make this a donor invitee only thing.

Apparently we don't have enough of those so this would be a cultivation tool for FAU.

Make it open to all alumni in the new and improved gym (show off the new burrow, while you are at it).  Charge $20 per person, offer appetizers, etc.  Have the Alumni Office send out e-mails explaining the week of events, include hotel rates in there so people know what's around (and you support the hotels that are donors… are you seeing how this works?) and what rate they could get.


Obviously I know you don't have much to do with alumni events, but these are things that possibly you could pass along to the powers that be because I know for a FACT this would be something alumni would love to see happen.



Like things, love people.
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Re: Owl Prowl (Homecoming) 2008

I came to Homecoming from Texas because I wanted to - but also because I was invited to be a judge. Get alumni involved on committees and jugding and then they will feel obligated to come.

I'm a proud lifetime member of the FAU National Alumni Association. Are you a member? Join now at www.faualumni.org.
Tradition in the Making, One Alum at a Time…
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Re: Owl Prowl (Homecoming) 2008

Fledgling said

It would be nice if there was a theme made up for the football game.  "Erase the Raiders" etc.

Here's my biggest suggestion though.  As part of Greek Week, I think you get points of some kind for attendance.  Why not spill this over to the homecoming football game?  Have a little competition between fraternities and sororities to see who can get more of their brothers/sisters/pledges to the game.

This would be a win-win for everyone.

At UF the greek community basically did its own thing during Homecoming, with fraternities trying to pair up with sororities with a mathematical pairing much like the BCS.  …But at FAU we are still starting traditions, so if we could get something like this going from the start, then it might be easier to keep the greek community active with the other "school organized" events. 
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Re: Owl Prowl (Homecoming) 2008

Owl Prowl (Homecoming) 2008

At UF the greek community basically did its own thing during Homecoming, with fraternities trying to pair up with sororities with a mathematical pairing much like the BCS.  …But at FAU we are still starting traditions, so if we could get something like this going from the start, then it might be easier to keep the greek community active with the other "school organized" events.


Yah that wont happen…..when it comes to the greek organizations….A) there are more Fraternities than Sororities B)Pending on the year there is never a close match to any of the Fraternities (besides SigEp and Pike)  C)Then you have to bring in the "click" thing….and some of the girls will go where they are told not to…….we dint see that too much on the guys side
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