The visual array of themed sandwich boards and the bombardment of blue decorations strewn across campus means the Homecoming spirit is in the air.

The kickoff event for Homecoming Week is the “Royal Blue” Coronation today at 7 p.m. in the McAfee Gym.

Jacob Swanson, a junior philosophy major and the Homecoming coordinator for the University Board, said he thinks the coronation is important because students can see who will be representing them as

Homecoming King, Queen, Prince and Princess.

“Coronation is the moment when Homecoming really begins and it sets the tone for the entire week,”

Swanson said.

At 5 p.m. on Tuesday, students can participate in the “Billy’s Clues” scavenger hunt.

Tiffany Leschke, a second-year graduate student in the College of Student Affairs and an advisor for the UB Homecoming Committee, said “Billy’s Clues” will be a photo scavenger hunt.

She said students can pick up the scavenger list of about 50 items in the Student Activities Center at 5 p.m. and students can participate in teams of two or three people.

“Teams will have two hours to go and take pictures, and they must return to the SAC by 7 p.m.,” Leschke said.

At least two members of the teams must be present in each scavenger hunt photo, and the top three teams will receive prizes, she said. The first place prize is a $75 gift card for each team member, then $50 gift cards for the second-place team, and $25 gift cards for the third-place team.

From noon until 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Eastern is celebrating Faculty/Staff Appreciation Day with the Homecoming “Blue-B-Que” picnic in the Library Quad.

“We are trying to get more faculty and staff members involved in Homecoming and we thought this would be a great way to work toward that goal,” Swanson said.

From 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Wednesday, students can trade in T-shirts from other colleges for Eastern T-shirts at the “Bleed Blue” spirit T-shirt swap in the Library Quad.

Swanson said the T-shirt swap is different this year because they are trading different types of Eastern T-shirts.

“Last year we traded for Eastern Homecoming spirit shirts, but now there will be more of a variety,” Swanson said.

The “Big Blue Playground” Homecoming Family Fun Night is from 7 to 9 p.m. on Thursday in the South Quad.

Alison Adams, a second year graduate student in the College of Student Affairs and an advisor for the UB Homecoming Committee, said the family fun night is geared more toward children and parents this year.

“This event is more for the community and it provides a really good environment to bond and have fun,” Adams said. “They can also have the chance to mingle with students since the RSOs and Greek organizations will have different booths set up.”

Swanson said many of the activities at last year’s family fun night had more of a focus on students such as the poker tables, and this year Registered Student Organizations and Greek organizations have put more effort in making the event more family oriented.

Food, face painting, bottle-toss games, inflatable playhouses and family bingo are some of the scheduled activities for “Big Blue Playground,” Adams said.

From 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. on Friday, students, faculty and staff can attend the “Crank-up the Blue” pep rally in the McAfee Gym.

“Crank-up the Blue” includes the annual “Yell Like Hell & Who Wants to be a Mascot” event where different student organizations present their cheers and choreographed routines.

“Student organizations and residence halls put a lot of effort into ‘Yell Like Hell and Who Wants to be a Mascot,’ and I think it is great to see the outcome of all of their hard work,” Leschke said.

The Homecoming Parade is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday at the corner of Sixth Street and Grant Avenue.

From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, members of the Eastern community can participate in “Billy’s Backyard Football Tailgate” at the O’Brien Stadium Parking Lot and the Homecoming game against University of Tennessee Martin is scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m.

Rachel Rodgers can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].