WKU News

“Maskerade” is the theme of Homecoming this week at Western Kentucky University.

It’s extremely fitting for 2020 as WKU’s Amy Bingham explains in this week’s View from the Hill.

“I made this one and while it was drying I decided to make another one just for fun.”

Sophomore Abby Robinson represented her sorority in the DYI Mask Making event, one of the few in-person Homecoming activities this week.

“It’s really sad that some girls and guys, their senior year, they can’t do much for Homecoming which is really sad, but we’re doing the best we can to make it as socially distanced and healthy homecoming week.”

Lots of activities have gone virtual since many of the traditional festivities had to be scrapped this year.

“No parade, no Big Red’s Roar, no Festival of Friends on Saturday. We’ve got social media challenges that we’re doing which leads to the spirit competitions online and we’ve done the banner stuff.”

Halloween was the original date for Homecoming but even though the date changed, the theme “Maskerade” did not. 

“We had to move the date due to the game change but we kept the theme because obviously it speaks to 2020.”

Another sign of the times, a queen candidate, in quarantine, being interviewed by judges via zoom.

“Out of 28, to know that only one of them wasn’t able to be physically with us and she was going to need to do it  over zoom was actually crazy, I thought there would be more.”

Johnson says the queen will be crowned on the football field, it just won’t happen during the game.

“We will be crowning our Homecoming queen on the field Friday night, and Saturday during the homecoming game the footage from that night, Friday night, will be up on the jumbotron.” (More: Queen candidates)

Organizers say they’ve used the challenge of the pandemic as an opportunity to learn and maybe even carry some virtual practices into Homecomings of the future.

“It’s been a lot of research, a lot of team work and working together using all of our  minds to get creative and come up with ideas we’ve never done before.”

“Homecoming is something all alumni should celebrate, not just the ones who have the luxury of coming back to campus. We can take what we learn, find what alumni like and share that in 2021 and beyond.”

On Friday, there will be a private reception for the Hall of Distinguished Alumni that will be livestreamed at noon. The Tops take on Marshall Saturday night at 6:30.

• More: Homecoming information