Pep rally kicks off successful homecoming weekend

Shouts of "Go Jumbos!" echoed throughout Dewick Thursday night as Tufts Spirit Coalition's Homecoming pep rally gave students, faculty and alumni the opportunity to show off their Jumbo spirit. In an unprecedented move, the Alumni Association sponsored the rally for the first time ever.

The pep rally and other festivities set the tone for what would be a lively and triumphant Homecoming weekend.

Upon entering Dewick, spectators were offered mini-gumball machines, slap bracelets and other free goodies offered by the Spirit Coalition.

President of the Alumni Association and Grand Marshall of this year's Homecoming Alan McDougall was the first speaker to ascend the stage and take the mic from emcees Alexis Smith and Liz Sutton. Sporting a brown shirt, baby blue tie and a Tufts hat, McDougall expressed his excitement over sponsoring the event, and offered words of encouragement for the Tufts athletic teams.

"The weather is going to be super and the teams are going to play in a way that represents the Jumbo spirit," McDougall said.

The rally alternated performances by the Tufts Cheerleaders with presentations of the athletic teams. The new members of every team introduced themselves and announced when and where each of their competitions would take place.

The freshmen of some of the teams offered a short skit or, as was the case with the new members of the football team, sang. The freshmen football players belted out a rendition of "Build Me Up Buttercup," to the amusement of audience members, who didn't hesitate to join in and sing along.

The men and women's cross-country teams displayed an affinity for taking their clothes off. The freshmen of the men's team stripped down to their shorts and jerseys, and the five new members of the women's team took off their tops, showing off their "Jumbo" sports bras as well as letters written on their stomachs and backs that spelled out, "Bates sucks."

"I have to say that the most spirit and effort was shown by the soccer players," sophomore Dara Granoff said, referring to the choreographed dance and acrobatics performed by the new members of the women's soccer team. Granoff is a member of the Spirit Coalition.

The men's football team appeared confident and undaunted at the pep rally, and for good reason, members of the football team said. Bates has not had a victory over the Tufts football team since 1986.

"We've been working hard and we should do well," sophomore offensive lineman Ben Bloom predicted at the rally. "We played well against them last year."

The football team did in fact do just fine, triumphing over Bates 27-0 on a beautiful, sunny day. The win was the first Homecoming victory since 1991.

Although not every team came out a winner , one thing most Jumbos seemed to agree upon was the large turnout at the pep rally. "This has been a wonderful representation of Jumbo spirit," McDougall said. "The students love it, and the alumni love it just as much."