Oct. 10 to 16 marked a week of intense spirit, excitement and competition among students at the College as they took part in the annual Homecoming festivities.
Members from various campus clubs, Greek organizations and club sports teams participated in seven events throughout the week, culminating in Saturday's Parade Fest and football game against Western Connecticut State University.
At Saturday's game, the winners of the 2004 Homecoming court were announced. Dave Dziengowski, representing Phi Kappa Psi, was crowned the 2004 Homecoming King, while Liz Ganapolsky, representing Delta Phi Epsilon, was crowned the 2004 Homecoming Queen.
Following the game, the overall winners of the week's activities were announced.
Zeta Tau Alpha and Sigma Pi took first place, receiving a spirit trophy named for College President R. Barbara Gitenstein.
Delta Phi Epsilon, Phi Kappa Psi and Lamda Sigma Upsilon came in second place, followed by the Ambassadors and Company in third.
Teams and Themes
This year, 11 diverse teams took part in Homecoming 2004. Each team was designated a specific theme based on the theme of Homecoming itself: "A long time ago, at a college not so far, far away."
The themes ranged from Sigma Pi and Zeta Tau Alpha jazzed up the week with their "Roaring 20s" theme to the Ambassadors and Company's "Hippies/60s" theme.
Powder Puff Football and Cheerleading Competition
The week's kickoff event found the men cheering the women on from the sidelines in a role-reversal of a traditional favorite fall activity.
Delta Phi Epsilon defeated the favored women's rugby club in the semifinals, going on to beat First Year Government (FYG) and Company in the finals for a first-place victory. FYG got second place honors.
Rugby later went on to defeat Delta Zeta in the consolation game, garnering a third-place award.
In the cheerleading competition, Phi Alpha Delta took first place, thanks to the men's cheering skills and '80s themed costumes.
Sneak Preview
This event allowed the 11 teams to introduce their Homecoming themes.
Kappa Delta/Sigma Tau Gamma/Lamda Theta Alpha took first place for their innovative look into the future.
Ambassadors and Company garnered second place and Delta Phi Epsilon, Phi Kappa Psi and Lamda Sigma Upsilon took third.
Field Games
Sigma Pi/Zeta Tau Alpha took first place in both the three-legged race and potato sack race. Ambassadors and Company won the dizzy bat competition, while Kappa Delta/Sigma Tau Gamma/Lamda Theta Alpha won the human pyramid contest by constructing a four-tiered pyramid in the least amount of time.
Lip Sync/Dance Competitions
The Lip Sync and Dance Competitions drew a diverse crowd. Students not on a Homecoming team, as well as parents and friends, packed the gym to cheer on their favorite performances.
Delta Zeta/Phi Kappa Tau took first place in the lip sync competition, followed by Zeta Tau Alpha/Sigma Pi in second and Delta Phi Epsilon/Phi Kapa Psi/Lamdaba Sigma Upsilon in third.
Meanwhile, in the dance competition, Zeta Tau Alpha/Sigma Pi won first place with their mix of swing and modern musical choices. Kappa Delta/Sigma Tau Gamma/Lamda Theta Alpha took second and Delta Phi Epsilon/ Phi Kappa Psi and Lamda Sigma Upsilon stole third.
Tug of War
Phi Alpha Delta/Phi Sigma Sigma/Chi Upsilon Sigma came won first place in the event. Rugby/Alpha Psi Chi/Sigma Sigma Sigma/FAA took second, with Sigma Pi/Zeta Tau Alpha rounding out the winners in third.
Pool Games
The first event for the pool games, the "Splash and Dash," required teams of three to retrieve three rings scattered across the pool, relay style, in the least amount of time. Sigma Pi/Zeta Tau Alpha won the events.
The next event, the "Life Jacket Relay," required its participants to don life jackets and swimmies, make their way across the pool, and then pass these items off to a teammate, who in turn swam back. Delta Phi Epsilon/Phi Kappa Psi/Lamda Sigma Upsilon captured first place in this event.
Finally, in "Crazy Eights," two people were required to get into a tube, spin around five times and then paddle the length of the pool, where two more people would do the same before swimming back. Rugby/Alpha Psi Chi/Sigma Sigma Sigma/Future Alumni Association took first in this event.
Banner Contest
At the Homecoming Game, Sigma Pi and Zeta Tau Alpha were announced as the winners of the Spirit Banner Contest in which banners from all 11 teams were displayed throughout the week in the Brower Student Center.
Parade Fest
As part of the parade, spectators were treated to appearances from groups and organizations affiliated with either the College or the surrounding area. Local businesses, Ewing public schools, the Pennington Fire Department and the Ewing Democrats and Republicans were among the many who were represented.
The alumni board and 1959 football team, along with current College ROTC members, cheerleaders, dance team members engineers and music majors, each marched through Ewing to represent the school.
Homecoming teams also showed their spirit by creating floats to go along with their themes. The College Ambassadors and Company won top honors for their hippie-inspired float.
Parade Fest coordinator Janis Blayne Paul, who is also the major events director and chief Sesquicentennial officer, was pleased with the outcome of this inaugural event.
Although she said she is unsure if Parade Fest will become an annual tradition, she said, "We put this together to bring back tradition to the College and Ewing for the 150th birthday of the College. Hopefully, people enjoyed themselves today, and will be involved next year. If people continue to express interest, we will take it from there."
