The Associated Students Inc. is going to great lengths to prove author Thomas Wolfe was wrong.

Not only can you go home again, but ASI can’t think of one reason why you shouldn’t.

ASI is sponsoring Homecoming Week this week as legions of alumni return to Sacramento State to rekindle old friendships and make new ones, and to see what has and hasn’t changed over the years.

The weeklong homecoming bash kicked off Sunday with the “Funday Sunday” Wellness and Recreation Fair and runs through Saturday night, when the Hornet football team plays Eastern Washington. Kickoff is at 7:35.

The Alumni Association is one of many campus organizations that are sponsoring a myriad of events and activities.Those activities range from punk-pop music with The Willknots and jazz band performances to a public box lunch with Sac State President Alex Gonzalez, who will discuss “The Future of CSUS.”

The homecoming king and queen, selected under new guidelines to help promote the homecoming festivities, will be announced at the pep rally bonfire Friday and honored at half-time on Saturday’s game. Beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday, there will be a campus-wide open house featuring tours, lectures, reunions and other college events.

The Sac State Alumni Association was established in 1950 when there were only about 120 graduates. Today, there are more than 170,000 alumni who continue to play a major role in improving the cultural and economic status of the school and the Sacramento area.

Some of those alumni are returning to their alma mater today for the Golden Grads Luncheon at the Alumni Center for graduate classes from 1948 through 1954. Friday, alumni from 1968, ’78 and ’88 will have their reunion, also at the Alumni Center.

This is the first year ASI is hosting Homecoming Week.

Student Life and Service Program Director Jennifer Millsap, who is in the graduate program to be a Higher Education Leader, is organizing the events.

She stresses what an exciting time it is for everyone involved and how important it is to pump up school pride.

“I’m just looking forward to creating new traditions. We don’t have as strong traditions as other universities,” Millsap said.

Criteria for selecting homecoming king and queen are different this year.

Candidates were required to write a 300-word essay suggesting ways for improving the school, along with listing how they’ve contributed to improving the campus community while attending Sac State.

Candidates must have a minimum GPA of 2.5 and take a short campus quiz to see if they know facts about the campus. The deadline for applications was Tuesday.

Winners will be featured in the State Hornet and receive $200 on the students’ One Card from ASI.