Homecoming, Halloween mix

Homecoming will have twice the spirit this year, combining normal school pride with the ghosts of Halloween. The Homecoming division of the Social Planning and Events Committee is hosting a plethora of activities to celebrate both occasions. A float parade, sponsored by SPEC, will be held at 1 p.m. today to kick off the weekend's festivities. Various student groups will participate by making floats and banners and marching in the parade, said Kathy Krautter, assistant director for student life activities and facilities. The parade route includes a trip down Locust Walk to the College Green, where the floats will be judged by selected students and faculty members. According to Krautter, the parade will then continue over the bridge into Superblock, for the beginning of "The Outrageous Penn Pep Rally." This year SPEC has added Fall Fest, which is advertised as "the spookiest party of the year" and will be held in Superblock during the Pep Rally. Krautter said Fall Fest will be "a Halloween-type party." "[Fall Fest] is kind of a little Spring Fling," said Co-Director of SPEC Homecoming Jennifer Raymond, a College junior. "We wanted to focus on the entire University and we wanted to invite everybody." In case of rain, the Pep Rally and Fall Fest will be held in the Hall of Flags in Houston Hall at the same times. The University has also planned a host of activities for the thousands of alumni who return to their alma mater each year for Homecoming. Penn Fund alumni volunteers, regional alumni club officers and other active alumni will participate in a leadership conference today, according to Director of Alumni Relations Dorris Cochran-Fikes. The conference will feature lectures by University professors and workshops. Penn Volunteers in Public Service, an alumni community service organization, has will be holding a canned food drive throughout the Homecoming weekend, Cochran-Fikes said. The culmination of Homecoming will occur at 1 p.m. at Franklin Field, where the Quakers will battle the Eli's from Yale University. Both teams are 4-2 this season. No events are planned for after the game Saturday night because, according to Raymond, there was "too much competition" with Halloween and the regular Saturday night events.

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