The Alumni Office has decided to not have a Homecoming theme in order to maintain decorum at the reunion dinners. However, the parade will still have a theme – I Heart ACU.

Samantha Adkins, senior alumni relations officer, said the Alumni Office decision was made for a number of reasons.

“We don’t really like to theme the Homecoming dinners because it can get a little hokey,” Adkins said. “It makes it a little bit classier, especially for reunions.”

Adkins said finding a theme to work for both a creative parade and professional dinners for visiting alumni has proven to be difficult in the past. A successful theme is difficult to create because the goal is to please the alumni, but alumni usually don’t have any input on the theme, Adkins said. The office relied on itself and had gone to the student body for ideas for themes.

This is the first year the Alumni Office made the decision to cut the overall theme of Homecoming and reserve it only for the parade. Jonathan Garner (’10) said the decision of no Homecoming theme is different, but logical.

“I can understand why they wouldn’t want clowns or cowboys hanging out while they are trying to impress the alumni who support the school, but I am glad they kept a theme for the parade,” Garner said. “There needs to always be a little bit of crazy in homecoming.”

Adkins said there has been little response to the decision to not have a theme. In the past, themes have generated both positive and negative response.

“I don’t think people are concerned one way or the other whether there is a theme or not,” Adkins said.

However, the parade theme is expected to remain for a long time, Adkins said. The crowd comes to see entertaining floats, clubs that are a part of their past and the traditions of ACU.

“I think that people come to the parade no matter what,” Adkins said.