By Madison Fraser | Reporter
Homecoming is arguably one of the most cherished of Baylor traditions. Families return from all over the country to their campus home in Waco. Old friends are reunited, the football team prepares to battle on the field and fans decked in green and gold, cheer on their Bears.
A community-wide bonfire built by the freshman class lights the night before the game, to honor the memory of the Immortal Ten.
Among all the popular Homecoming traditions is the annual Pigskin Revue, a show composed of the eight best acts from last year’s All-University Sing performance. This is a three-night event where fraternities and sororities perform their fan-favorite acts. Participants say it is energizing, thrilling, rewarding and quite time consuming.
This year’s Pigskin Revue will showcase the performances of the sororities Pi Beta Phi, Delta Delta Delta, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Chi Omega, Kappa Alpha Theta and Alpha Chi Omega partnering with the fraternity Pi Kappa Phi. The fraternities performing are Kappa Omega Tau and Phi Kappa Chi.
Many of these organizations said they usually begin their practices the first week of school and practices run for at least two hours every evening. The chairs of each organization are required to be at every practice and make sure the act accurately reflects the one performed in Sing.
“There’s a lot of time spent on things like formations, costumes, tickets and props that are done outside of those two hours practices,” said Kilgore senior Morgan London, Pi Beta Phi Pigskin chair. “While it can get extremely overwhelming and you feel like there is not enough time to finish everything, it never fails that everyone pulls together.”
Homecoming is where the Baylor community unites, and that is exactly what the performers of Pigskin do as well. Working with their chapters, the Pigskin chairs make sure their performance is an event the alumni are sure to be proud of.
“There was a point where it was grueling and frustrating because we were practicing so much and working so hard, but the act just wasn’t right,” said Marietta, Ga., junior Emma Donaldson, Alpha Chi Omega Pigskin Vocals chair. “Then, a couple weeks ago, it all clicked. Every element came together and the act we were seeing before us was the one the audience saw at Sing.”
Pigskin Revue performances will be at 7 p.m. Thursday, at 6:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are on sale at the Student Activities Office.
Along with Pigskin, the fraternities and sororities on campus build floats to represent their organizations in the homecoming parade, at 8 a.m. Saturday. This is optional for the organizations, but most chapters choose to build a float. Similar to Pigskin, each chapter will also have a designated float chair who organizes and oversees the task of designing and building the float. Approximately 15 hours a week are devoted to building the floats.
In combination with classes, work and Pigskin, Homecoming can be an overwhelming time for students involved with campus activities. However, West Des Moines, Iowa, senior Ashley Joos said the reward is more meaningful and remembered than the actual hours spent.
“So many families, students and alumni attend the Homecoming parade and it’s really rewarding to be able to walk alongside the float you helped build for the past couple of months,” Joos said.
Homecoming festivities will begin Thursday and will go through the weekend. Many students and families are expected to attend and watch the Baylor Bears battle West Virginia at 7 p.m. Saturday.
“When you can feel the energy on stage and see the joy on their faces, it makes everything worth it,” London said.
