HouseCats celebrate 2020 Stay-Homecoming festivities

This year, the MSU Alumni Foundation did not let COVID-19 get in the way of an awesome Stay-Homecoming week, both on campus and throughout the Bozeman community. Despite the current challenges presented by the pandemic, Homecoming at MSU took place over the week of Sept. 28 - Oct. 2. Most of the events were virtual, designed to keep individuals safe and healthy. The Programs Activities and Campus Events Board (PACE), the Office of Student Engagement (OSE) and the Associated Students of MSU (ASMSU) also partnered with the Alumni Foundation to develop and support MSU’s 2020 Homecoming week.

MSU Homecoming is designed to allow alumni to re-engage with their alma mater. According to the Alumni Foundation, Homecoming at MSU has taken place since the early 1900s.

“At the Alumni Foundation, one piece of our mission is to cultivate lifelong relationships. Just because we are in a pandemic, doesn’t mean we stop reaching out to the Bobcat faithful family. It means we figure out ways to take MSU to them, and through varied mediums,” said Kerry Hanson, Vice President of Alumni Engagement, when asked about the importance of proceeding with a virtual Homecoming format.

As a part of the Homecoming festivities, each day of the week had an engaging theme. Monday was Pajama Day, Tuesday was Campus Involvement Day, Wednesday was Bobcat Couples Day or Twinning Day, Thursday was Throwback Gold Rush Day and Friday, of course, was Blue and Gold Friday. Participants in Spirit Week were encouraged to post pictures of themselves adorned in their outfits, accompanied by the hashtag, #MSUHouseCats. The Alumni Foundation even shared a picture of MSU President, Waded Cruzado, comfortably working from home in her Bobcat pajamas. Some of the other events that took place were the lightning of the iconic ‘M’, the Homecoming Shoebox Parade and the Homecoming CATurday.

On Thursday, Oct. 1, at 8 p.m., the ‘M’ on Mount Baldy and the lights on Montana Hall were lit up for 20 minutes to show community support for those affected by the Bridger Foothills fire. This particular event was supported and sponsored by campus-wide groups including the PACE Board, Residence Life, Facilities Services, the President’s Office and ASMSU. “A few weeks ago, during the Bridger Foothills fire, I watched from my deck as the flames pretty much consumed Mount Baldy and the surrounding area. This past Thursday, I was able to sit on my deck and see the ‘M’ lighting up instead. I think it was a beautiful sight and a great way to show support to our community, and that’s what being a Bobcat is all about,” said Connor Hasse, a junior.

Another key event of Homecoming was the Shoebox Parade, which took place on Tuesday, Sept. 29, at 6 p.m. Historically, Homecoming in Bozeman would include a downtown parade, but this year MSU came up with a creative idea, the Shoebox Parade, to make up for not being able to host a large public event. The shoebox parade consisted of many organizations and groups around campus submitting a picture of their carefully crafted spirit box, a substitute for the floats that would usually go do Main St.

“I love the parade...especially when the weather is nice. I love that it is a community event and an MSU event that happens on Main St. in Bozeman.  When alumni return to MSU for Homecoming, they do so with so many different things on their list. It is a time for everyone to connect back to MSU and Bozeman,” Hanson said. “Things that always make the list are a stop at the [MSU] Bookstore, hiking the ‘M’, going to the Rocking R Bar, the Crystal or Spectators, the football game and reuniting with their best college friends and gathering with alumni of the student organization[s] you were a part of like a fraternity or sorority, a residence hall or a certain class of say Chemical Engineers or Home Ec graduates.”

For some MSU students and alumni, the parade is an important activity and the Alumni Foundation did not want to entirely cancel the event. The shoebox parade was a great example of making the best of a tough situation.

Of course, Homecoming couldn’t come to an end before CATurday. This year, CATurday consisted of two important events for students and alumni. The BroadCATS Homecoming Episode took place at 11 a.m. on Saturday, intended to satisfy everyone’s Bobcat football cravings. The Homecoming Episode, which took place within Bobcat Stadium, included tailgate food, football talk and beverages. But, the day did not stop there. No CATurday would truly be complete without a football game. A rebroadcasting of the Sept. 28, 2019, Homecoming football game against Northern Arizona University was made available to Montana residents and aired at noon.

“I would venture to guess about 2000 folks participated in something or another just on the MSU alumni and friends side,” Hanson said. “Hundreds, and maybe thousands, more students participated in Homecoming activities of sorts.” This is an impressive turnout considering the struggles of the year.

In 2018, MSU got rid of the titles of Homecoming King and Queen and replaced those titles with Homecoming Ambassador for Involvement, Service and Leadership. Homecoming Ambassador winners were announced on Friday, Oct. 5, and included Natalie Hall for Involvement, Emily Pemberton for Service and Lyla Brown for Leadership. Despite the challenges posed by the ongoing pandemic, the MSU Alumni Foundation, OSE, PACE and ASMSU hosted Homecoming in a way that brought students and alumni together and we sure are never to forget it.