Nicholls State University - La Pirogue Yearbook (Thibodaux, LA)

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A parade and bonfire, displays and a queen mark a homecoming From a brief ceremony at a basketball game 11 years ago, Homecoming has come together to be one of the most elaborate and activity-filled weeks on campus. Homecoming '75 was no exception, as both alumni and undergraduates gath- ered forthe week, including a parade, the crowning of a queen and a football game. The idea of a Homecoming queen or to even have a Homecoming began back in 1964, Marion Russell, director of Home- coming, explained. Coach Raymond Didier Cnow athletic directory wanted to have one, so a queen and her court were elected, Russell said. The presentation was first made at a basketball game in December. This tradition continued until 1971, when Nicholls' club football team decided to pick up the idea. Displays have been set up on campus since the first year, but the idea of a parade came with the football team, she said. Gradually, more was put into the event, until it is now a full week of fun. Beginning Monday, Oct. 6, Homecom- ing '75 went into full swing, with Nicholls Colors Day, when all students are urged to wear the university colors ot grey and red. Tuesday was the announcement of the Homecoming Oueen and her court. In the past, only the names of the final- ists elected to the court were announced, but tradition was broken in naming the queen and her court. The Nicholls N Club, an organization of athletic lettermen, nominated thirteen women for the student body to vote to the court. Danny Cavell, SGA vice president and head of the student homecoming com- mittee, said his committee voted to release the names of the queen and her court. The committee met and decided Homecoming should center around the queen, he said. Nominated were Josephine Allen, Ste- Winner of the first place award for the best Home- coming display, Delta Zeta decided to make a meal of the Northwestern Demons, like the Colonels two nights later, 23-1 O, phanie Brock, Fran Clark, Linda Dyess, Gayle Echols, Beth Madary, Meg McGowan, Donna McRight, Lacey Osborne, Karen Richards, Patricia Roche, Marlene Schneller and Claire Tatum. Crowned 1975 Homecoming Queen was Gayle Echols, a 20-year-old nursing junior from New Orleans. She had been a Coquette, Pi Kappa Alpha little sister, standards chairman for Phi Mu and a dorm counselor in Meade Hall. Maids in her court were Josephine Allen, first maid, Lacey Osborne, second maid, Fran Clark, third maid, and Claire Tatum, fourth maid. The announcement came at an after- noon pep rally Tuesday on the steps of the Student Union. After the announcement a powder-puff football game between the women resi- dents of Ellender and Meade Halls. Meade Hall won the game easily, 24-O. Wednesday brought the deadline for campus organizations to file entries with Cavell for judging of Homecoming dis- plays. Different groups, greeks, organizations and dorms got together and built various displays to commemorate the football game between the Nicholls Colonels and Northwestern Demons. From the Nicholls point of view, the hapless Demon was steamed CPhi Muj, washed in a bathtub CSigma Sigma Sigmaj, extinguished CPhi Sigma Kappaj and guillotined CPi Kappa Alphaj. Careful to conceal their work from other competitors, many groups worked in secret, waiting until almost midnight Wednesday before setting up their dis- plays. With the dawn Thursday morning, many late workers were still putting last minute touches on, or correcting some- thing which had fallen. Display artists finished in time for 8 a.m. class to begin, donning the proper attire for Nicholls Jersey Day. Students wore any type of jersey which had Nicholls State University embla- zoned on it. Several people preferred to wear jer- seys which proclaimed Nicholls' second title, Harvard on the Bayou. P' ql r...- ' ' 1 f .., 'W1.q. If ull f 1 llEllUN l' HKES L .9 K 1485- Homecoming '75 85

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V . Elalne lflogers and Kent Madere paus A fire-as the crow sfs ' l M , 'tf r the Saturday Q . dance lnTl1e5Ur1ioh, otherslto wal o .lj'l,Ql7l1vQ3fTlQl3Q3l.F1S' ' l e at the bon- d lowly moved away some to the t-Northwestern Louisiana Univer- V l l l I ,.,. -M , +4 f Q y yyll l z, if Coming home for lHC mEC0lTIlflG '75 -. ..,. .-,,,,,,,.,,5t. . GMM, 1. 4,.4- , -, . ., xg Sims 'D 2:74 My 22 ' : A wf ,5E3efgf1:lQmecomlngl'.75l . . 5,QEjs1sfq5l, : vgmydfl-1,2-1:'v,0gym V Q , ?ifz. 1l1','5 i l l E9w' 32-Mil?-l A , jf' ' 'lI. .'ll'j1Hj,z4'5ll' Wgggilggw fl, ' 'Q ' -.JU , . , 0 N 'H'f,.9Il',.--ll A Fambrough

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'Still-F2371- 7 1 '2'.'Z -Eifiv r F 2291 Qiiifffs ' 'UM' W- 'if y ' ti-' Nd,- seq, i .H S, liiuii E,-, A ,---,, , ,, , , i X., at G 'Q'!l'1il , ? ffs 5'5 '5- Iii? 7537? fl? 3-,, omg ifiiiiigill Q , gif ji, Qll-Q, l Eff: Sta filwazv' A ' ,-'73-m,.l 31-:HT V V Y ggi lg' E., lilly!! ll, l A V M f V Ap ,Zll lllQ' if -',,,. T- .., file. ...--K.,-' '- 5 VS- l Z: c iilfi NS Q fx ,- fx fx ' i f T T W ,- fx x V 5 .... ,X By Friday, anyone on campus could find some activity to their liking. Alumni visiting attended a banquet for the Class of 1965, while both the Nursing and Engineering Departments were hold- ing banquets for their alumni. Last year, the city of Thibodaux had changed its mind, not allowing the annual Homecoming Parade to follow its usual route, confining the parade to the cam- pus. However, word came down that the parade would be allowed through the streets of Thibodaux, provided partici- pants behaved. Late in the afternoon, the campus was bare. People were preparing for the bon- fire or getting themselves ready for the long march from the Thibodaux Civic Center to the campus. Several local establishments were hosting private parties for some groups, while others rolled out their secret weap- ons for the judges. With the Nicholls Marching Band, flag team, majorettes and rifle team leading the way, the parade was off. Following the band were a series of cars with the Homecoming Queen and her court, followed themselves by various organizations and plain students piled 6 Homecoming '75 '1 ,-. ,fi -i ' -Obi f,Xi,-sfo ,xxl ,-X T - T . A-3 Q 'CU V X X. 3, C 1 i 'Az fx ,T - X1 ,-X ,-Xifx ,-X r- ii 'Y' i i ie- ': i l .,,' 'Vi K. i left ,X i, ',w' together into the back of available trucks, Reaching the campus about dusk, the first half of the parade decided to loop around the campus, but the second half decided to stop at the open field across the street from Ellender dorm, site of the bonfire. The Homecoming Parade, banned last year from the streets of Thibodaux, was again allowed to march from the Thibodaux Civic Center to the campus, leading a legion of marchers, cars and decorated trucks. Members of Phi Mu had ganged up on their car carrying Gayle Echols, the queen and one of their members. The bonfire started small, but with the addition of some of the wooden Home- coming displays, it quickly became a tall, yellow beacon of fire. iFamQravlgm l f If ii ,t Y l l l i As a semi-circle of people attempted to follow the instructions of the cheerlead- ers, Danny Cavell read off the winners for the best display and best float in the parade. The best Homecoming display went to Delta Zeta sorority, for The Breakfast of Champions, a display depicting a Colo- nel eating a breakfast of Demon flakes. Second place went to Pi Kappa Alpha for Decapitate the Demons, third to Phi Mu, Steam the Demons, fourth place to Tau Kappa Epsilon, Damn the Demons, and fifth place to Ellender Hall. Three awards were given for the best decorated vehicle in the parade. Acacia, using a truck with an elevating bed, won first place. Second place went to Sigma Sigma Sigma and third place to Pi Kappa Phi. As the bonfire burned down, small groups of supporters wandered off, some to various night spots in Thibodaux while many stopped by the Student Union Ball- room. Mean Green and His Vaselines, a greased-down '50s band performed at a Student Entertainment Board sponsored dance. When the band closed down around 1 am., many people had already wandered li ,i i i