Collegiate Times

Kevin Kim, graduate biology student, and Becky Sinnott, senior biochemistry major, battle with pugil sticks by Squires yesterday.

Anyone walking past Squires Student Center yesterday between 5 and 7:30 p.m. was invited to ignore their start of the week instincts and prolong their weekend for one day.

The Virginia Tech Homecoming Board sponsored a kick off event where people were encouraged to learn about different organizations, participate in fun activities, and meet the Homecoming candidates.

Activities included a DJ blasting music from the Au Bon Pain balcony, a blow up obstacle course, sumo wrestling, a moon bounce, and other air filled plastic games set up on the Donaldson Brown front lawn. Participants were seen walking through the area licking ice-cream cones and chugging Vault soda which was being handed out of trucks.

While many of the people present were affiliated with Greek life, wearing t-shirts advertising their candidate, many of the students, like Carl Prosack, a senior international studies major, were unaffiliated.

"I was walking to the bus and I saw a kiddie blow up jungle gym and then I heard Soulja Boy and they were giving out free Vault, so I stuck around," Prosack said.

Various organizations and sponsors had tables set up encouraging passer-bys to check out brochures, sign-up for e-mail lists and take free T-shirts. Members of the Tech Homecoming Board were on hand making sure the event ran smoothly.

"This is a kick-off event for Homecoming, we're promoting homecoming week and upcoming events we have. It's the first time we've done it and we're just trying to get the word out there and trying to make Homecoming more than just a one-day Greek event," said Lauren Robinson, a senior psychology major and Assistant Hokiefest on the Tech Homecoming Board. "We are just trying to get a lot of people out here and have a good time."

Around 6:45 p.m. the candidates for Homecoming King and Queen were introduced from the DJ station where they were interviewed by Sumeet Bagai and Amy Gray, last year's Homecoming King and Queen. They asked all the candidates questions ranging from "why did you want to be Homecoming King or Queen?" to "what is your favorite TV show?" While many of these answers were pretty standard; answers included Grey's Anatomy and The Hills; there were a few candidates who improvised some interesting answers.

When one homecoming king candidate was asked where his favorite place to eat on campus was, he launched into a diatribe about the amount of barbecue given at Hokie Grill. He coined a term for the method for proportions of barbeque "the shake," where employees grab a big portion of barbeque and shake it until there is little left in the tongs.

"I thought it was really cool, but they need to find a way to get other people out who don't know who they are going to vote for out here so they can decide," said CJ Reiser, a junior fashion merchandise major associated with Alpha Phi, when asked what she thought about the kick off event.

The event concluded with a performance by Soulstice, an all female Tech a cappella group, and the promise of an eventful upcoming week for the Tech campus.

Other events are being held every day of the week through Saturday. On Wednesday, the Roots will be play a concert in Burruss Hall and voting for King and Queen will begin. Thursday night there will be a HokieBird dedication at the Haymarket Theatre. Friday there will be a pep rally at Cassell Coliseum and a NPHC Stepshow. Finally on Saturday there will be a Homecoming parade and game against UNC. Laughriot featuring Nick Swardson scheduled for tonight is being moved to November 13 due to issues concerning Swardson's health.