By Samantha Smith
Youngstown State University missed its fall homecoming due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With the football season projected to start in February, the spring homecoming event may not look like the parade and fanfare-filled event of years past.
Carrie Anderson, associate director of Student Activities, explains some of the changes and challenges they face right now.
“Normally when you’re planning it, you’re planning for parades: figuring out, like, what things will look like the day of, when they’re on the field and with the court and stuff like that,” she said. “So right now, a lot of those questions are still unanswered.”
Anderson said Student Activities will work with their marketing and communications department to figure out creative ways to let students know who is running and give information about homecoming.
Homecoming royalty nominations are open until Jan. 29 for student organizations that have not yet nominated two students. To qualify for nomination, the student must have attended YSU at least two consecutive semesters, is currently a full-time student and is in good student conduct and academic standing.
Anderson said Student Activities are discussing several ways to keep the students and organizations involved, while staying safe and following COVID-19 protocols.
“We still want to get our student [organizations] involved in some way [to] show their Penguin pride. We’re kicking around ideas like maybe doing a window decorating contest or something like that instead,” she said. “But once again, still some things in the works to see if we can still have the same type of involvement and same people involved, but have it look a lot different,” she said.
“We hope to at least still keep the spirit of what homecoming is and bring us together and still have those opportunities despite what’s going on right now,” she said.