This past week, I had the opportunity to experience Bastille Day in Paris from the military parade down the Champs-Élysées to the Fireman Balls’ in the different arrondissemonts, to seeing the crowds gather around the Eiffel Tower for music and fireworks.
It was an amazing time interacting with Parisians and visitors alike.
It was also nice to see the military units that were in Paris for the parade also touring the city.
Just as in the United States with our own Fourth of July celebrations, there was a spirit of camaraderie and celebration.
It was a time for families and friends to come together within their communities.
As I reflected on this experience, I started to think about the types of celebrations that we as a Virginia Tech community engage in on a yearly basis. While both the 4th of July and Bastille Day are seen as independence days in the respective days, we really don’t have an independence day at Tech.
Many years ago, there was a Founder’s Day activity but that has not occurred for some time.
Perhaps the next closest event would be the annual homecoming celebrations that take place each fall semester.
If we follow this comparison, then it warrants a discussion about what would be done to make our homecoming celebration more accessible within the campus community but also in the surrounding community.
If homecoming is the celebration of the Hokie spirit, then it should be one that is celebrated not only in Blacksburg, but also in each of its extension offices and satellite campuses from Northern Virginia to Abingdon and to the campus in Riva San Vitale Switzerland.
Our homecoming celebration retains many traditional components from the banners in the parade by the Corps of Cadets, the annual homecoming king and queen and the parade itself.
The question is what else can be done to make the homecoming celebration much broader and universal in its appeal.
Take for example the homecoming parade.
It is normally held on the Saturday morning before the football game.
If the game is early, it forces the parade to start earlier, and vice-versa. The biggest challenge that the parade faces is with the logistics of the football game itself.
We all know what it is like in Blacksburg on game day in terms of traffic and parking.
What if the homecoming parade were held on the Friday night before the game? Could it not be more inclusive and broader to the community? This could free up the hectic-ness of Saturday and allow for a smoother preparation for Saturday’s festivities. Rather than force people to choose between homecoming and football, they could do both.
This also raises questions about the other types of activities that would take place during the week.
These have certainly varied over the years from the annual step show, to concerts, diversity showcases, etc.
A version of this article appeared in the Jul 21 issue of the Collegiate Times.
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But how does Tech's homecoming experience relate to that of Hogwarts?
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I was mad that Ron asked Lavender Brown to the Yule Ball instead of me :(
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There are trees along the Champs-Élysées so that the Germans can march in the shade.
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Homecoming stuff should stay in High School, this is college, time to grow up.
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