Last spring while most Sacramento State students were diligently studying for finals and counting down the days until summer, three students were prepping for the fall.

It wasn’t schoolwork that they had their sights set on, but planning Homecoming Week festivities that begin Monday and end with the homecoming football game on Oct. 1.

Nicki Croly, student chair of the homecoming committee, Christine Hopkins, ASI vice president of University Affairs and Elizabeth Wilson (also a news reporter with the State Hornet), collaborated earlier than usual to make Homecoming’s biggest events even better this year.

Hopkins said that the homecoming committee really concentrated its efforts into a few big events that will make a big impact on the Sac State community.

The overriding theme driving Homecoming this year is building a campus community, said Jennifer Millsap, program director of Student Life and Services.

Homecoming will encourage this by inviting the Sacramento community and different student clubs and organizations to enjoy Homecoming festivities together.

For instance, the royal court members were nominated this year by someone from the campus community. The five women and men chosen to the court will contribute to campus life by helping to raise awareness for the blood drive happening on Monday and Tuesday, Millsap said.

Another new addition this year will include the Campus Parade starting off-campus and touring through neighboring streets before reaching Sac State. The Homecoming Committee distributed fliers to invite residence along the parade’s path to come out and watch the show.

Also new to the Homecoming scene is an organized tailgating event. The group tailgating will precede the big football game where Sac State will take on Northern Arizona at 6:05 p.m. But Homecoming Week begins well before the football game; a Monday kick-off barbecue will commence the week-long celebration.

During the opening festivities hosted by Green Sting and the Student Homecoming Committee, students, faculty and staff can enjoy free food between noon and 2 p.m. in the library quad.

Thursday is Sac State’s Annual “Swarm Day,” where a picture capturing hundreds of student participants is taken in the center of the library quad. The photograph will be snapped at 11:55 a.m.

Following the photograph, everyone is invited to a carnival, complete with games, free food and prizes. The carnival will include a KSSU compact disc toss, complimentary face painting and the common carnival treats such as cotton candy and buttered popcorn.

The midday carnival will also include a dunk tank and bounce house, Hopkins said.

The pep rally on Friday will begin at 6:30 p.m. in Serna Plaza.’70s soul music, performed by the group Funkengruven, will entertain the crowd and Lukas from the Morning Rave on 107.9 The End will be the emcee for the event.

The announcement of the 2005 king and queen will be made during the rally. In addition, the pep rally will recognize the royal court, honor Larry Augusta and Cristina Mendonsa, who are this year’s Grand Marshals, and set off a colorful firework show sponsored by the Sacramento State Alumni Association.

Larry Augusta, chair of the Alumni Association’s campuswide Homecoming Committee, will be honored at the event for giving back to the campus and Christina Mendonsa, with Channel 10, will be honored for her generosity to the community, Croly said.

In an e-mail, Mendonsa wrote: “I’m very proud to be participating in Homecoming events. I look forward to an evening on campus celebrating the beginning of another football season and-enjoying some of the festivities I missed!”

At 1:30 p.m. on game day, the Homecoming Parade will march its way from Glen Hall Park to Hornet Stadium. The pre-game tailgating party will start at 4 p.m. in Lot 7. Bonzai Empire will be performing music before the tailgating crowd. The deadline for the parade application is Sept. 23 and the last day to turn in the tailgating application is Sept. 25.

Hopkins said she is excited, “but I wish there was more support coming from the university,” Hopkins said.

Hopkins was thankful for the support already coming from the Sacramento State Alumni Association, and Lori Varlotta, vice president of student affairs.

However, Hopkins said the university’s scattered efforts along with the small student-run Homecoming Committee will someday coordinate efforts and form one large committee with a budget and a chair.

“It fits perfectly with Destination 2010,” Hopkins said.

Millsap said she wants homecoming to be community event as well. “We want to establish a university committee to increase university support,” Millsap said.

Jessica Weidling can be reached at [email protected]