2008 Woodie Awards
Dorm competitions benefit various causes, charities
Leah Motz, Assistant Copy Chief
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Last week, banners, fliers and campus-wide e-mails reminded students that Oct. 1 to 6 was Homecoming week at Whitworth.
Special Events Coordinator Janae Brewster presented the theme "Red, Yellow, Black and White" to ASWU.
"I was the person who came up with this idea, and the reasoning was because I wanted Homecoming to incorporate more community awareness and different types of events. I thought Homecoming could be a great opportunity to give back to the local community," Brewster said.
Overall, Brewster said she was pleased with student response and donations to the selected charities and organizations.
"The purpose of the color theme was to have a color represent each day that we were supporting a different charity," Brewster said. "In some ways, the theme of homecoming this year wasn't as important as what we were trying to do and the events that we were hosting."
Each color represented a different charity or cause. Whitworth collaborated with Second Harvest, the Ronald McDonald House, and the Arc of Spokane and collected personal hygiene items for causes such as support for Iraq-bound soldiers.
"We did a lot of different activities, and it would have been hard to find a theme that incorporated our royalty contests, charity collections, formal banquet, guest comedian and sports events," Brewster said.
Sophomore Rachel Dubes thought the connection between charitable giving and traditional homecoming events was a positive experience for both students and those benefiting from donations.
"I thought it was a really good idea," Dubes said. "I liked how they incorporated charity into the days so it was beneficial to both the school and organizations that we are supporting."
Brewster was satisfied with donations from the one-day drives.
"We had a bin of food for 2 Harvest, nearly $200 donated to the Ronald McDonald House, four or five large bags of clothes for the Arc of Spokane and a couple of boxes of toiletries for Iraq-bound soldiers," Brewster said.
Brewster's planning combined charity events with traditional Homecoming competitions and events. Dorm royalty competed in a variety of events including a pie-eating contest, common sense jeopardy and a duct tape fashion show where contestants showcased their creations during half time of the Homecoming football game.
"Each activity brings something unique and fun to the experience," Brewster said.
Junior Isaac Lutz and freshman Janna Silvis were selected homecoming King and Queen based on points accumulated over the week in dorm and individual competitions.
Silvis was nominated for Ballard Royalty. She said she had mixed feelings about the nomination.
"I was excited to participate in random contests but I knew that I had a busy week ahead of me so I was nervous about adding another thing," Silvis said.
She said the best part of Homecoming was the contests. Competing forced her to come out of her shell and do things she wouldn't normally do, Silvis said.
One major change to traditional Homecoming week events was the introduction of a formal banquet instead of a casual or themed dance.
Overall, Brewster was pleased with student participation.
"I've heard a lot of positive feedback about the charity collections, royalty contests and formal banquet," Brewster said.
Contact Leah Motz at leah.motz@whitworthian.com.
Sophie Sestero and Caitlin Richmond contributed to this report.
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