In an effort to celebrate diversity, as well as provide alumni with the chance to return to campus, the 2017 Oklahoma Christian University Homecoming Committee has announced its theme for this year’s festivities as “Bringing it Home.”
According to Executive Homecoming Director Coby Poole, the overall theme with the university and alumni will be, “Bringing it Home: Destination OC,” with the social service club theme being, “Where the Heart is.” Each club will recognize a different country with which Oklahoma Christian is somehow associated, and all floats, costumes and banners will represent that country’s culture.
“With all the strife going on in the world right now, between races and different cultures, we wanted to do something showcasing how OC is a place that celebrates diversity and that we value the people on campus from different countries,” Poole said. “Diversity is what makes us stronger and we want the students from different countries at OC to know they are part of what makes this campus home.”
In addition to multiple checkpoints to ensure all countries are represented fairly and appropriately, Poole said each club will also choose a student or alum from their selected country to be their “homecoming representative.” All submitted ideas must also be approved by the homecoming committee, Student Life, the International Office and SGA’s Multicultural Committee.
“We are just really excited to expand Oklahoma Christian’s idea of ‘home’ to include the entire world,” Homecoming Assistant Director Meghan Rice said. “We have all heard that ‘OC is Home,’ but we also know that home is where the heart is. Students at Oklahoma Christian are from all over the world, so OC is not their only home.”
In addition, the festivities will include a philanthropy dinner, where, according to Poole, the homecoming committee reaches out to Oklahoma chains and “mom and pop shops” in the metro to donate to this year’s philanthropy effort, the International Student Council.
“This is the first year the ISC will be functioning on campus — working to foster growth within the international student community and strengthening relationships between all Oklahoma Christian students,” Rice said. “Oklahoma Christian has been immensely blessed by the international student community and we are looking forward to seeing how the ISC will be able to, in return, bless them.”
“Trick-or-Treat OC” will also be returning to this year’s lineup of events, with each club and organization decorating a booth and passing out candy in the Lawson Commons. The homecoming committee said they plan to have inflatable bouncy houses and slides, free popcorn, snow cones and live music, as well as a costume contest, which is currently in the works.
As clubs finalize their themes and the freshman class prepares to participate in their first Oklahoma Christian homecoming, Poole said he looks forward to cultivating positive relationships between all clubs and classes, in spite of the competitive nature of the events.
“I really want to encourage the freshman class to be involved in homecoming this year, because it is an awesome opportunity to get to know upperclassmen, faculty members and people in the community,” Poole said. “Most importantly, it gives them the chance to come together as a class and that is what homecoming is all about. It is a celebration of OC, the people currently here and bringing people home, because to thousands of people, OC has become their home.”
Oklahoma Christian’s homecoming will take place Nov. 2-5. A complete schedule of events can be found online.
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