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 		. . A word from our editors:
Ole Pride

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By Eric Vegoe and Elizabeth Holmes
Executive Editors
Friday, September 29, 2000

By now, everybody has seen the Homecoming schedule in the caf. Two long, colorful banners spell out the week's activities to help build the excitement. Helium balloons lead the way to the Student Activities office where "Let me see your Ole Roll!" t-shirts abound.

Homecoming weekend has traditionally been focused towards alumni, celebrating the return of former Oles to the Hill. It was a weekend full of people celebrating their class reunions on five year increments. With the combination of Family Weekend, parents got a chance to see what their sons and daughters have been doing for the past five weeks. Smiles and hugs, "oohs" and "ahhs" over dorm rooms and the new commons were the only real highlights. Meanwhile, for the majority of students on campus, the weekend meant crowded parking lots and longer caf lines.

However, students realized and respected that next to the Christmas Festival extravaganza, this was one of the most important fundraising events of the year. Not only do alumni come back for the weekend, they offer generous contributions to keep St. Olaf the school that it has become.

This year, Homecoming has taken a different turn. Homecoming is all that it used to be and more. All of a sudden, students are lining up to take pictures with Ole the Lion and share root beer floats in the Crossroads. Students, faculty and staff are sporting their new Ole Roll t-shirts and getting excited for the big football game on Saturday. The St. Olaf community is noticing the changes on campus and trying to decide whether or not they are going to take part. Strange looks and questions about the week's events are buzzing in the residence halls. The members of the Student Activities Committee (SAC) are working day and night to get as many students involved as possible. What's going on?

While school spirit is always a positive addition to the campus, this year it comes with a pretty hefty price tag. What budget allotted for these events? Well, like it or not, this is where your CAP fee dollars are going. Typically SAC has stuck to things like the parent-student banquets and the Senior Week festivities. Why this sudden interest in Homecoming? Is it wise to put so much into just one week? We think so. We applaud Tim Cashin and his committee for all of their efforts. For the first time in many years there seems to be a genuine excitement towards the Homecoming events. The weekend is full of opportunities to celebrate what we all have in common: Ole pride.

So as your residence hall float passes by in the Parade or as you watch the eight ball sink in the Pool Tournament, stop and think to yourself - is this what we have been missing? Have a little spirit in St. Olaf, support your peers and be proud to be an Ole.

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