By Joshua Robison / The Jambar
Youngstown State University Homecoming festivities took place this past weekend from Oct. 23-25, and included the annual Fall Fire Fest and Homecoming parade through downtown Youngstown.
Fall Fire Fest took place from 6:30-9:30 p.m. and kicked off the three-day long celebration with live music from local bands, Negative Zen and Nineteenth Paradise.
To follow the performances, a pep rally ensued and featured the YSU Marching Pride, student-athletes and the homecoming court, elected by the student body Oct. 1-2.
YSU students also had the opportunity to build their own stuffed penguin at Fall Fire Fest, either by lottery selection or a walk-up at the end of the night.
Friday’s events consisted of the Red and White Day Carnival from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on Lincoln Avenue near Fifth Avenue. At the carnival, students could play games, win prizes and enjoy classic carnival foods.
Later Friday night at the Daniel H. Becker Family Fountain Commons, a concert was held where the local band No Funk, No Justice played from 6:30-9:30 p.m. While at the concert, students had the opportunity to win YSU merchandise and food vouchers.
Before the Homecoming football game, the Homecoming parade kicked off at 11:45 a.m. Oct. 25 and traveled through downtown Youngstown. The parade route started from Commerce Street, worked its way up Fifth Avenue and ended at Stambaugh Stadium.
This was the first time in 35 years that the Homecoming parade was allowed to run through downtown.
The parade featured several floats from organizations such as YSU’s Fraternity & Sorority Life chapters, Student Government Association, Mahoning Valley high schools, the Marching Pride and Youngstown mayoral candidates Jamael Tito Brown and Derrick McDowell.
YSU President Bill Johnson said he felt that the Homecoming festivities are a good demonstration of YSU spirit.
“It demonstrates the Penguin spirit so that everybody that sees what we’re up to knows why and knows why this is such a special place,” Johnson said.
Sydney Sonicer, parade float judge and part-time faculty member in the Department of English and World languages, said the celebrations help lift student’s spirits during the semester.
“It’s a really good time to celebrate what YSU is really all about,” Sonicer said. “It’s a good time to boost student morale, especially in the middle of the semester right after midterms when we’re all struggling a little bit.”
Shortly after the parade, the YSU and Murray State University football game began at 2 p.m. After the Marching Pride’s halftime performance, Student Activities announced Jabu Charamba, junior mechanical engineering major, and Nikechi Onunwor, senior finance major, as this year’s Homecoming king and queen.
Charamba said that being crowned Homecoming king has made him more proud to be a part of the YSU community.
“It’s an amazing feeling I have. I feel honored and I feel proud to be a part of the YSU community, and I’m grateful for the YSU students that voted for me. So yeah, it’s our victory,” Charamba said.