The Student Government Association is focusing its efforts on upcoming student activities such as Homecoming Week, and the American Red Cross Blood Drive.
This year’s homecoming theme is “Trojan Games: A Beacon to the World” in commemoration of the summer Olympics and the 50th anniversary of Greek Life on Troy’s campus.
The festivities begin on Sunday, Oct. 9, with a service day benefiting Head Start, a local, government-run pre-school, this year’s philanthropy. Students will be cleaning out the facility’s basement, painting and cleaning.
Students are encouraged to show their school spirit by taking a picture at the photo booth in the Trojan Center from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 10. Opening ceremonies will be taking place on Bibb Graves Quad at 5 p.m. Immediately following is “Who’s Got Sound,” an open-mic style setup for students to showcase their musical abilities.
Street painting will begin at 10 p.m. on University Avenue. Paint and light refreshments are provided.
A blood drive will take place on Tuesday, Oct. 11, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Wednesday, Oct. 12, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Trojan Center ballrooms.
Irene Fancher, account manager representative for the American Red Cross, spoke at Tuesday night’s meeting about the importance of giving blood.
“A person who is willing to take time out of their day to donate blood is giving back to their community by helping those patients in need of blood products,” Fancher said.
Fancher gave students suggestions on how to properly prepare before giving blood.
“Eat and stay hydrated,” Fancher said. She also said to eat foods rich in Vitamin C and iron and to drink plenty of water.
Students can sign up to make online appointments for Tuesday or Wednesday at redcrossblood.org and entering the sponsor code TroyU, by downloading the blood donor app or calling Red Cross.
Portraits of students for the 2016-17 Palladium yearbook will be taken free. The tentative schedule is Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. outside Ricoh on the bottom floor of the Trojan Center. Bring student IDs. Gift cards will be given away in a drawing.
SGA and UAC will host a cookout on the Social Quad from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. with hot dogs and sweets.
A volleyball game will occur at 6 p.m. in the arena, and Skit Night will begin immediately following the game.
In accordance with the week’s theme, cultural dishes will be served during the lunch hours in the dining hall on Wednesday, Oct. 12, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Dorm lobby judging will begin at 4 p.m.
Homecoming Spirit Night will take place on the square from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Students are encouraged to purchase food at participating locations, from which percentages will be donated to Head Start.
Live music will be performed downtown that night. Raffle prizes will be given away as well.
On Thursday, Oct. 13, there will be a dunking booth outside of the Trojan Center from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., costing $1 to dunk a maid court or queen court representative.
Minute to Win It will happen at 6 p.m. in the arena. The arena will be modeled after the game show.
Tailgate for Troops will be immediately following.
All Troy students are encouraged to wear a Troy T-shirt on Friday, Oct. 14, and meet at the fountain on the main quad at noon for a group picture.
The pep rally starts at 5 p.m. outside of the Trojan Arena, and the volleyball game begins at 6 p.m.
Upon the completion of the match, a dance night will proceed.
The Homecoming Parade begins at 10 a.m. in downtown Troy on Saturday, Oct. 15. The homecoming game against Georgia State will kick off at 2:30 p.m.
Sam Moody, a junior risk management and insurance major from Montgomery and vice president of campus activities, said that this year’s homecoming week is going to provide a different student experience from previous years.
“Every year we’d have students not participate in homecoming week just because they don’t feel like they fit in, and that’s something we don’t like,” Moody said. “This year, we made the week tailored for Troy’s student body.
“We added events like Around the World in One Meal in partnership with Troy University’s International Student Cultural Organization, Minute to Win It, cookouts, street painting and more for everyone to enjoy.”
Moody said that the Campus Life and Homecoming committees have worked hard on Homecoming and that he expects it to be a success.
“My committee and I worked really hard since April on homecoming,” Moody said. “Our goal was to make it an enjoyable week for every student: the organization member and the individual.
“We are confident that it will be a memorable week for everyone. The spirits are high, especially with the football team doing really well. The week is well planned, and events are going to be a lot fun.”
Moody encourages everyone interested in attending homecoming events to follow the official homecoming week’s Instagram account @TroyHOCO16 for schedules, updates and coverage.
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