There has been confusion and misinformation about the reasons behind the reorganization of Homecoming weekend. University Program Council and Black Student Cultural Programming Board would like to eliminate the controversy surrounding this issue.
UPC and BSCPB have been working together on Homecoming events for several years: UPC has planned the parade and BSCPB has planned the coronation. This was the third year, not the first, that UPC has sponsored a candidate in the coronation and attended the event, and BSCPB has consistently participated in the parade. Along with the Yell Like Hell pep rally planned by Student Alumni Board, these events are considered Homecoming traditions here at Ohio University.
The coronation and the parade were successful this year as a result of both organizations' hard work and commitment. Administrators wanted to see a cohesive and collaborative Homecoming weekend without providing us with clear guidelines, and we did our best to provide that as separate organizations planning two very large and complicated events. UPC and BSCPB are big student organizations with more than 50 active members each, and maintaining communication between that many students is a difficult task.
UPC, BSCPB and SAB were all directly involved in planning these events for Homecoming, which will no longer be the case next year. We all feel as though something has been taken away from us - we looked forward to planning these events each year, and we will miss them. In past years, all three of these organizations have worked with the Alumni Association to plan Homecoming weekend. This weekend's events did not occur sporadically; there always has been communication and collaboration between those involved. The goal of this new Homecoming Steering Committee is to improve upon that foundation.
Both UPC and BSCPB were involved in several meetings and discussions about this new committee. During Homecoming this year, before the events even took place, both groups knew the way the weekend was organized would be changing, and although we were involved in the discussion, we were not involved in the final decision. The creation of the committee was never a reflection of these organizations' work. That being said, UPC and BSCPB are represented on the selection committee, and will pick the most experienced and dedicated students to carry on the Homecoming traditions we helped to build.
There never has been a war between UPC and BSCPB. We share the same goal: to program events for Ohio University. While our approaches to achieving that goal are different, we consistently have provided quality events that satisfy the diverse and numerous interests of the student body. As long as these organizations exist, that will never change.
Robin Gillespie, a senior studying English, is president of UPC and Mark Wright, a senior studying media management, is president of BSCPB.
4 Opinion
Letter to the Editor
