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• IU Homecoming kicks off this week

IU Homecoming kicks off this week

• Oct. 28, 2013

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- It's IU Homecoming week in Bloomington, and the community is abuzz with excitement and showing its crimson colors.

"We have an exciting week that will inspire the students, families and alumni visitors who have made Bloomington their home," said J T. Forbes, chief executive officer of the IU Alumni Association.

Homecoming week features the return of the Homecoming parade on a new route down Kirkwood, the student-led Nearly Naked Mile clothing drive, and at least 18 more IU-hosted activities. Many community organizations and businesses, as well as campus partners, have joined in helping to "paint the town crimson" for Homecoming.

"Homecoming is a great weekend for Bloomington and Monroe County," said Julie Warren, director of tourism for Visit Bloomington, an organization formed to promote the area as a tourist destination. "The thousands of alumni visiting for the weekend are pouring many more thousands of dollars into our local economy. The IU Alumni Association's effort to boost the Homecoming experience, to make it more exciting, to add activities, is going to attract more alumni back for a visit -- and also lengthen their stay."

This weekend's visitors will see buttons, posters, banners, stickers, napkins and cups in the Homecoming theme in local businesses and popular locations in Bloomington.

"We want to meet alumni and students where they are throughout the community this week. Homecoming is a celebration of the alumni, friends and fans who make B-town and Monroe County a great place to learn and live," said Mike Mann, alumni program officer for the IUAA.

The parade, which features the Marching Hundred, cheerleaders, IU celebrities and student groups, begins at 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 1. It kicks off at the intersection of Lincoln and Kirkwood and heads east toward the Sample Gates. At the Sample Gates, the route turns left onto Indiana Avenue to finish. Families are invited to enjoy the parade from Dunn Meadow in an area where the kids can run and play. A pep rally, led by IU Athletics and featuring the IU cheerleaders and the pep band, begins immediately after the parade, at about 7 p.m.

Several partner organizations support IU Homecoming 2013, including Visit Bloomington, Bloomington Independent Restaurants Association and area merchants. Herff-Jones is the event's title sponsor, and event sponsors include the IU Credit Union, Hoosier Ride and Liberty Mutual.

While a full schedule is available online, here are a few highlights:

• The sixth annual Nearly Naked Mile, 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 30. Thousands of students will shed almost all of their clothes and run through campus. The good news: it's all for a worthy cause. During this one-mile run around the Bloomington campus, beginning in Dunn Meadow and finishing at the Sample Gates, students donate their clothing to the United Way.
• Career advice from journalism pros at the "I'm a Hoosier" panel at 4 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31. The IU Alumni Association and School of Journalism teamed up to host Kara Kenney, BAJ'01, RTV6 investigative reporter; Carrie Ritchie, BAJ'08, Indianapolis Star social media editor; and Cory Schouten, BAJ'04, Indianapolis Business Journal managing editor. Head to the Indiana Memorial Union's Whittenberger Auditorium to check it out.
• "Classes without Quizzes," a no-homework-included opportunity for alumni to sit in on select IU classes. Classes will be offered from 1 to 4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 1, in Ballantine Hall and the School of Public and Environmental Affairs.
• An open house at alumni headquarters will feature food, drinks and fun at the DeVault Alumni Center, on 17th Street directly across from Assembly Hall, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, Nov. 1. Sign up ahead of time to receive a special gift at the door.
• Tailgate before football vs. Minnesota at Hoosier Village. The fun begins at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, three hours before the 3:30 kickoff. The Village features entertainment, local food from the Bloomington Independent Restaurant Association, beverages, activities and games for kids, and plenty of Hoosier spirit. 

Details and registration information on all homecoming events is available online. On Twitter, search #IUHomecoming or follow @IUAA for reminders and live updates.

The IU Alumni Association is a global alumni organization that brings more than 580,000 IU graduates together to support one another and Indiana University throughout their lives. The IUAA activates IU’s powerful network through live events, webinars, scholarship programs, and seriously fun traditions.