Students can participate in games and celebrations at the Homecoming coronation and pep rally on Thursday in McAfee Gym from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

This year’s Homecoming Week included events like life-sized Connect 4 and Jenga to match the theme, “Game On!”

The Homecoming royalty candidates will be featured throughout the pep rally during a variety of games including musical chairs, life-sized Hungry Hungry Hippos and others. 

In addition, the Homecoming court winners will be announced. 

A new event will be included this year: a lip sync battle will give various Greek organizations, registered student organizations and residence halls the opportunity to compete through lip synced routines. 

Two groups are signed up to compete: Alpha Sigma Tau as a stand-alone group and Alpha Gamma Delta and Sigma Nu as a paired group.

Students will be able to vote live during the event for their favorite performance through a poll on the Eastern Homecoming Instagram account, @eiu_homecoming. 

Throughout the night, performances will be given by EIU Cheerleaders, Pink Panthers and EIU Dancers, alongside T-shirt throwing, fight song singing and pep talks from Adam Cushing, Eastern’s head football coach.  

Paige Philpott, senior communication disorders and sciences major and Homecoming co-chair, said she has many reasons to be excited about the pep rally, but the sense of community between students is what she loves the most. 

“Knowing that students take full pride in their school and show it through participation and enjoyment is what excites me the most,” Philpott said. 

Philpott’s co-chair, Sienna Mark, senior business management and health administration major, said she is excited to see everyone’s hard work pay off as events come together this week. 

“I am most excited to see all of the organizations on campus come out to support their friends on the coronation court as well as show their EIU Panther pride,” Mark said. “Our candidates put so much hard work into their applications, interviews and campaigns.”

Events will continue through Saturday, culminating in the football game against Eastern Kentucky University. 

One new addition to the week will be Friday’s comedy showcase, with performances by T. Murph and Vincent Bryant, two comedians who have been featured on Comedy Central and have large online followings. 

This will be the first time a professional comedy show is included in Homecoming week. 

Events on Saturday include a Homecoming Rotary Pancake Breakfast, the 20th Annual Homecoming 2.5k Race/Walk, the Homecoming Parade and a football tailgate preceding the game. 

Luke Taylor can be reached at 581-2812 or at [email protected]