NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State University’s Office of Alumni Engagement will kick off its 2024 homecoming festivities on Sept. 20 and run through Sept. 29.
Rachel Kobus serves as a director overseeing marketing and communications for the Office of Alumni Engagement and the ISU Alumni Association. The office manages the marketing of what they refer to as “main events” which include the kickoff, Town and Gown 5K, the alumni tailgate and other events throughout the week.
In previous years, a student kickoff was held on the ISU Quad, focusing on students and the university, the tree lighting followed that evening in Uptown Normal, which focused on the community.
“We started noticing that a lot of students from campus would just come to the tree lighting,” Kobus said, “This year we’ve combined those events into what we’re calling The Kickoff and Tree Lighting Ceremony.”
The motivation to combine events is centered around the relationship between the town and the university. The main goal is for ISU students to see the partnership and to get them more into Uptown. Additionally, Kobus shared that another event focused on the relationship is the Town and Gown 5K where participants run through ISU and the Town of Normal.
“Overall, just a bigger event that’s going to be centered in Uptown this year versus in the quad,” Kobus said.
Kobus also addressed a common misconception about the brains behind the homecoming operation.
“A lot of people assume homecoming comes out of either a student affairs group or an athletics department, homecoming is actually made to have alumni come home and connect with students,” Kobus said.
The Kickoff ceremony will be held on Sept. 23 at 6 p.m. in Uptown Normal.