T.C. to celebrate eighth homecoming

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The College Eye was UNI’s newspaper until 1968 when it changed to The Northern Iowan.

NI STAFF, NI Editors

Editors note: This is from the College Eye on Nov. 9, 1927. At that time UNI was the Iowa State Teachers College and T.C. stands for Teachers College.

“Come Home!”

To this call I.S.T.C students and alumni have been responding for seven years. The first homecoming held at I.S.T.C. was in 1920 when, after considerable discussion as to suitable time and probable success of a T.C. homecoming, plans were made, and two hundred twenty-five graduates were welcomed back on October 30.

Since that time the date for the homecoming has varied from October 17 to the last of November, the celebration each year being on Friday and Saturday until this late year. 

The general plans for the day have been patterned closely after the first celebration – a pep meeting and theatre-party homecoming eve, and inspirational reunion program Saturday forenoon, parade, house inspection, and football game in the afternoon, followed by carnivals, dances, and general jubilee parties in the evening. 

The first year everybody enjoyed a big picnic dinner at noon; the next year the classes dined in groups at the cafe, but since that time no special efforts seem to have been made to reach T.C. hearts through the portion of the anatomy bounded on the east and west by the hips and on the north by the spare-ribs, except in 1923 when hot dogs were served after the pep meeting. 

Of c course the football games have been of unusual interest on homecoming. During these seven years T.C has played Parsons, Upper Iowa, Simpson, Lither, Western Union, and being victorious in all games except one played with Simpson in ’24, and one with Western Union in ’23. We gave the biggest whipping in our  homecoming history to Parsons on the first reunion day, the score being 14-0 in our favor. In ’21 the pigskin wallowed in the mud with Upper Iowa to the conclusion of an 0-0 game. 

You may bet on our outcome for this year’s games, since we have not been defeated in previous homecomings either by the school we play here on November 11, or by the one we play on Visitor’s Day, November 18.

Here’s an interesting note concerning one homecoming football game, “No student showed more enthusiasm nor did more honest to goodness rooting than did our esteemed Prexy.”

The morning homecoming sessions rival closely the football games for interest, bringing back fames for interest, bringing back pleasant chapel remembrance of college days to old grads. In 1922 a member of the class of ’82 was in attendance, and at at another time an address was given by a member of the class of ’90. In 1923 the morning program was broadcast to all T.C alumni radio, and in 1924 the alumni had charge of the presentation of the morning exercise. 

The evening events have been endings of perfect days, – what more need be said? The party in 1920 was the first all-college event of that nature ever given here, and since that time the interest has grown until the last two years from two to four thousand people have played together on homecoming night to climax the week-end jubilee.

It is said that, “Those who do not stay on the hill for homecimg are stretched, tarred and feathered, made to eat ten gallons of red-hot pitch, and be flunked in exams.” Whether or not this is to be enforced in 1927 remains to be seen. In passing it might be a wise idea to avoid any rick and stay on the hill. 

In regard to what has been best in I.S.T.C homecomings, a student who has witnessed several says, “I like everything best,” but President Seerley says, “College operation, and a spirit of helpfulness has made this growth of I.S.T.C. possible.”

Will you be one to help,” Let the spirit of State Teachers College lift its praises …” in this A.D. 1927?