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Caity Healy<\/strong> | Managing Editor<\/span><\/p>\n Homecoming \u2014 it\u2019s common to see U.S. schools celebrating it, but the history behind the festivities isn\u2019t usually made explicitly clear. As it turns out, the etymology of the term is about as literal as it gets.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n According to Vice, homecoming \u201cgot its start on college campuses as a fall celebration of the first football game of the season, for which alumni would return to their alma maters.\u201d While the first homecoming allegedly happened in 1911 at the University of Missouri, the tradition as we know it now didn\u2019t hit Monmouth until nearly two decades later.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe first recorded Homecoming was in 1939,\u201d said the 1968 edition of The Grove, Western\u2019s 1940\u20131941 yearbook. With that said, this is likely talking about the festivities we celebrate now. The first mention of a Homecoming football game came in the 1930 edition of The Norm, the 1911-1939 yearbook, which means homecoming began in 1929. On top of this, according to the 1979 edition of The Grove, \u201cthe tradition at Oregon College of Education dates back as far as the 1890s,\u201d and also added that \u201cafter World War I Homecoming was changed from spring to fall, with an added emphasis on football.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In the likely inaugural 1929 Homecoming game, Oregon Normal School \u2014 the name of Western at the time \u2014 went head-to-head against Southern Oregon Normal School, and it ended in a score of 0-0. However, in our next Homecoming game against Eastern Oregon Normal School, ONS capped an undefeated season, 50-0 under the leadership of Coach Wolfe \u2014 the inspiration behind Western\u2019s mascot. Since then, several traditions aside from the football game have graced Western\u2019s campus; some stuck around for years, while others phased out.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The year was 1951. For the first time, the idea of a \u201cHomecoming Court\u201d hit campus. Since then, it\u2019s been an integral part of the festivities \u2014 the announcement of the court was even televised in 1966. How the royalty was presented, though, has changed over time. For several years, the court, wearing their full homecoming gear, was driven onto the field in convertibles. In 1987, when the theme was \u201cThe Great Pumpkin Homecoming,\u201d the royalty was driven onto the field in orange Volkswagen bugs to look like pumpkins. On top of this, the royalty used to be assigned by halls \u2014 there would be a \u201cButler Princess,\u201d a \u201cLanders Princess,\u201d and so on.<\/span><\/p>\n It\u2019s been a theme in recent years to burn the \u201cW\u201d following the Power Puff game. However, this tradition is one that ages back to early days of Western. Although we burn the \u201cW\u201d now and usually a bonfire as well, back then, the goal was just to build a bonfire as big as they could. Competitions were held between different halls to see who could collect the most wood to keep the fire burning.<\/span><\/p>\n For years, students would also have tug-of-war competitions in the mud as part of the festivities of the bonfire.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n On top of these traditions, it\u2019s clear to see how some have evolved. For years, each hall would participate in a \u201clawn display competition\u201d to match the theme of the year \u2014 perhaps that\u2019s how we have arrived at the current office decorating competition that occurs now. The rose planting that the Homecoming queen takes part in was a tradition started by Jessica Todd in the early days of Oregon Normal School. And the homecoming dance has always been around \u2014 though, in the \u201860s it was deemed the \u201cAll-American Ball,\u201d and students also attended a \u201cGrubby Dance\u201d where they were asked to look filthy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Some traditions didn\u2019t make it to 2019. For years, the school put on a homecoming concert, often with a talent show preceding it. They\u2019d bring speakers to campus \u2014 in 1986 the speaker was Adam West, the original \u201cBatman.\u201d For several decades, a much-loved tradition existed: the noise parade. Students would decorate their cars and ride all through Monmouth, making as much noise as possible until they reached the bonfire, and in later years, until they reached either the powderpuff game or the football game. Then, before the games began, fireworks would go off in Western\u2019s colors to signal the start.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Homecoming has been around this campus for longer than a good number of the buildings.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n While some traditions didn\u2019t last too long or simply disappeared, some became an essential part of the week\u2019s celebration. And each year, new history is made as new traditions are created and revered.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wou.edu\/westernhowl\/files\/2019\/10\/bonfire2c-1.jpg\")
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