SRU to host virtual Homecoming and Spirit Week, Oct. 5-10

Slippery Rock University’s Homecoming and Spirit Week, Oct. 5-10, will feature virtual tailgate tent parties, games, sign and window paintings, the crowning of the homecoming royalty and more.

Sept. 21, 2020

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. — Slippery Rock University is really putting the "home" in homecoming this year as the annual on-campus celebrations and events are being moved online because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The SRU Homecoming and Spirit Week, Oct. 5-10, will feature virtual tailgate tent parties, the crowning of the homecoming royalty, games, prizes and more.

"Homecoming is a tradition and we're not going to let a pandemic stop us from celebrating our SRU spirit," said Kelly Bailey, director of alumni engagement. "We know it's not going to be the same as previous years, but it is still an opportunity for our alumni to see each other and reminisce through virtual events that will keep everyone safe and healthy."

Alumni from designated decades will be able to take part in virtual tailgate tent parties in order to simulate an on-campus social experience normally set for outside Mihalik-Thompson Stadium. There will also be a Rock Athletics Giving Day, Oct. 9, to raise money for SRU's varsity sports teams.

While students will also be encouraged to participate in various online activities, there will still be visual reminders of SRU spirit that are not digital: the annual Paint the Town & Campus Window Wars starts Oct. 5, when fraternities, sororities and student organizations compete for the best paintings on the windows of Main Street businesses and campus buildings. Student clubs and organizations will also paint SRU-themed homecoming messages on 3-by-4-foot boards, from noon to 3 p.m., Oct. 6, on The Quad with the boards being displayed there throughout the week. Organizations wanting to take part must register in advance on CORE, SRU's online student organization platform.

"We hope to bring some excitement to students, whether they're at home or on campus," said Jayne Piskorik, assistant director, fraternity and sorority life and student organizations, in SRU's Office for Student Engagement and Leadership. "Just because homecoming is going to be different this year doesn't mean that we can't keep our school spirit alive."

Homecoming royalty voting will begin on CORE, Oct. 5, before the announcement of the winners, 2:30 p.m., Oct. 10, via the OSEL Instagram page. There will also be a lip sync contest and bingo game, as well as other special events that will be announced once the week draws closer, including giveaways and a special celebrity comedian appearing via Zoom.

Scheduled events open to both SRU students and alumni include:

• Virtual Race to 2020: This is a friendly challenge between teams consisting of alumni, faculty/staff and students where registrants log their own miles of running, walking, biking or swimming to help their team reach 2,020 miles. The period to log miles is from Oct. 1 to noon, Oct. 10. The event is free unless participants sign up to receive a swag package, for which there is a Sept. 25 deadline. Register and log miles on the SRU Alumni Association website.
• Rock Trivia Night: Alumni vs. Students, 7-9 p.m., Oct. 8: Registered participants compete in an online trivia game about topics related to SRU and homecoming using Kahoot!, an online trivia service.
• Green and White Friday, Oct. 9: Show your Rock pride by sporting your favorite SRU gear and posting photos of yourself to SRU social media pages or by tagging SRU social media accounts.

Other alumni events include the following virtual meetings and celebrations on Zoom (register on the SRU Alumni Association website):

• Golden Grad Club Happy Hour, 4 p.m., Oct. 5.
• Virtual Tent Party: '70s Grads, 6:30 p.m., Oct. 5.
• Virtual Tent Party: '80s Grads, 8 p.m., Oct. 5.
• Virtual Tent Party: '90s Grads, 6:30 p.m., Oct. 6.
• Virtual Tent Party: 2000-09 Grads, 8 p.m., Oct. 6.
• Virtual Tent Party: Graduates of the Last Decade, 8 p.m., Oct. 7.

Other student events include:

• Quiplash, 7 p.m., Oct. 6: This is a virtual game hosted by the University Program Board.
• Lip Sync Battle, 7 p.m., Oct. 7: This is an online singing contest hosted by the Green and White Society.
• Homecoming Court Introductions, 6 p.m., Oct. 9: Meet the candidates for homecoming royalty on the OSEL Instagram page, @SRU_Leadership.
• Homecoming Bingo, 7 p.m., Oct. 9: Play a virtual game of bingo via Zoom.
• Homecoming Royalty Announcement, 2:30 p.m., Oct. 10, on Instagram (@SRU_Leadership).
• Comedian (to be announced), 7 p.m., Oct. 10, performance on Zoom, presented by Black Action Society and the Homecoming Committee.

For more information about student homecoming events, including events that require registration, search the events on the CORE homepage.

For more information about alumni homecoming events, visit the SRU Alumni Association website.

MEDIA CONTACT: Justin Zackal | 724.738.4854 | justin.zackal@sru.edu