Diary of a DAAP Kid: What is this thing you call... Homecoming?

photo credit University of Cincinnati 

I have been in college for five years, and I have never once attended Homecoming festivities of any capacity, at any college. I vaguely remember something about a football game back in high school, but even then, as an aspiring little hipster, I couldn't be bothered with such mainstream trifles as football.

(I didn't bring my camera, so this crappy phone shot is the only one I got of tailgating festivities. )

However, it's my fifth year at DAAP and I realized that I would forever regret not living out my college experience to the fullest, even if it meant braving the cold, crowds and traffic patterns to truly live out all that is Homecoming. Slacker that I am, I didn't get out to the Homecoming parade in time - I was getting ready to tailgate! I knew it would be a perfect opportunity to use the Front Yard, and to my delight my small group of friends and I were not alone in utilizing the green space between McMillan and Calhoun. We fired up the grill down the way from different tents that had sprung up, as well as a fairly large pee-wee football game dominating the majority of the space. All the while people were cutting cross the grass to get closer to campus and the stadium from their parking spots.

Then of course there was the Game. And what a game it was! I've actually started to get involved with football, learning more about the game and cheering on my teams. UC has obviously been a fun team to watch this year, though I enjoy watching professional football more. I discovered I am MUCH too easily distracted to really appreciate a live game. I kept missing important plays because there were too many interesting people to watch, or the cheerleaders were leading us in cheers (ohhhhhh.... ohhhhhh.... ohhhhh! *clap clap clap clap* UC!), or I wanted to talk to my friends, or there was a balloon in the sky, or... yeah. You get the idea.

So now I feel a little more like a "regular" college kid now. And (don't tell the hipsters)... it was actually pretty fun.

the Bearcat band!

my crazy DAAP friends and I at the game! (note the architecture grad student wearing the pullover and button down shirt... totally appropriate for a football game. Hey... we're in DAAP.)