An array of student performers will work to stir up campus pride at tonight's Homecoming pep rally, which has been moved to the campus center due to a dreary weather forecast.
The 5 p.m. event will not feature the typical parade, but will instead spotlight Navigator, a Tufts band, along with student groups such as BlackOut, B.E.A.T.S. and the Tufts Cheerleaders.
The Spirit Coalition made the decision Tuesday night to change the locale from the Res Quad. "We didn't want to take a chance with the stage [because of the] rain," said sophomore Sarah Habib, co-chair of the Spirit Coalition. She stressed that the decision to keep the rally inside is final.
But Habib finds it a positive change. The campus center's Hotung Café will create a "more packed atmosphere," she said.
Senior Paul Lewis, the drummer for Navigator, was optimistic about playing in the campus center. "We almost like it more to play where people are packed together," he said. "It generates more interest in the band itself," he said.
The Spirit Coalition, a student organization, is co-sponsoring the rally with the Alumni Association.
Navigator will headline and BlackOut will close, according to Habib. The live music and dance performances are a first for the pep rally and are part of the Spirit Coalition's effort to revamp the event. Students will also find snow cones, cupcakes and games like "Pin the Tail on Jumbo."
"We're putting a different emphasis on it this year and focusing on live performances and other things that kids find interesting, like free food, free T-shirts, free music and other giveaways," Habib said.
This new emphasis meant getting rid of a long-standing tradition — the parade. "Historically, it never really had a strong showing. It's mostly the kids who are in the parade who are walking around the Res Quad and just look awkward," Habib said.
Jumbo, Tufts' mascot, will be putting on his annual appearance at the rally. The event will also serve as a venue for students to vote for the Homecoming king and queen.
Habib hopes that the old combined with the new will create more excitement and school spirit. "[Spirit] is sometimes something Tufts lacks, but if we get a lot of kids together then we can drum that up and it's really important," she said.
Habib and Lewis have had about five meetings and have been working together to step up the programming. "We're really excited about the band [and] about BlackOut," Lewis said.
Habib chose to have Navigator at the rally after seeing the group play at the end of the fall semester last year.
Navigator, typically a fraternity band, has spent a lot of time crafting its set list. "[This] is unlike anything we've ever done before because we're so used to playing crowded frat shows," Lewis said. "We're really excited about playing for two to three times the audience that we're used to playing for."
Lewis would not disclose the list, but he said Navigator will perform a new version of a Michael Jackson song. The band may also take requests, especially if someone wants to hear "Free Bird," he said.
