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88-609: Physical Education Building/La Crosse State Normal School was the original physical education building at the La Crosse Normal School, now the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse , in La Crosse, Wisconsin . The building was constructed in 1916 and was named Wittich Hall after one of the school's physical education professors, Walter J. Wittich. It was designed by architects Parkinson & Dockendorff . This article about

176-456: A pep rally , school assembly, or public ceremony one or more days before the football game. Other schools crown their royalty at the homecoming football game, a dance, or other school events. Often, the previous year's king and queen are invited back to crown their successors. If they are absent for whatever reason, someone else—usually, another previous king or queen, a popular teacher, or a royal representative—will perform those duties. Usually,

264-671: A property in Wisconsin on the National Register of Historic Places is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . University of Wisconsin%E2%80%93La Crosse The University of Wisconsin–La Crosse ( UWL or UW–La Crosse ) is a public university in La Crosse, Wisconsin , United States. Established in 1909, it is part of the University of Wisconsin System and offers bachelor's , master's , and doctoral degrees . With 9,600 undergraduate and 1,000 graduate students, UW-La Crosse

352-480: A 3,800-square-foot (350 m ) strength and conditioning center. The field house located in Mitchell Hall has a 4-lane 200-meter polyurethane track, long and triple jump pit, pole vault boxes, nets for tennis, badminton, volleyball, golf, softball/baseball hitting, and a climbing wall. The Recreational Eagle Center ("The Rec"), built in 1997, houses Intramural and Student Recreational Sports. The building includes

440-480: A 40-foot-tall (12 m) pile of logs that had been assembled for a bonfire collapsed. However, this incident was not associated with homecoming—A&M is one of the few schools that do not organize a homecoming, although it has many unique traditions . The bonfire was associated with the annual rivalry game between A&M and the University of Texas . The alumni band consists of former college and university band members who return for homecoming to perform with

528-569: A Homecoming Event on the third Saturday of September. Some universities in Canada are also known to host Homecomings, although these are rarely as high profile as in the United States. They generally take place in September. Universities such as The University of Guelph , Western University , Concordia University , Queen's University , and The University of British Columbia have hosted homecomings in

616-464: A Starbucks coffee outlet. A large, open entryway in the building opens up to the Hall of Nations. The room houses flags from 44 countries, representing the diversity of UWL's international students. Centennial Hall also houses a counseling and testing center and offices for communications, environmental studies, philosophy, and women's and gender studies. Considered LEED gold certified, Centennial Hall features

704-403: A barbecue supper, and decorated the town buildings. Members of the senior class waited tables. The backings court is a representative group of students that, in a coeducational institution, consists of a king and queen, and possibly prince(s) and princess(es). In a single-sex institution, the homecoming court will usually consist of only a king and a prince (for an all-male school) or a queen and

792-624: A cost of $ 82 million as an expansion of the nearby Cowley Center. Named after a $ 2 million gift from the Paul Fleckenstein Trust, the 187,000-square foot building expanded the university's science program facilities and research capacity. The project represents phase one of a larger expansion plan. In late 2023, the University of Wisconsin System's board of regents unanimously voted to fire Joe Gow as chancellor and replace him with interim Chancellor Betsy Morgan. The termination came as

880-460: A field house, a 200-meter elevated running track with warm-up areas, a strength and conditioning center, a climbing gym, a child care center, TV lounges, locker rooms/shower rooms, and various multi-purpose activity rooms. The Rec Eagle Center regularly hosts campus activities, such as Rectoberfest and the 5K Turkey Trot Run/Walk. Attached to the Rec Eagle Center is a child care center that serves

968-416: A football game played on a school's home football field, activities for students and alumni, a parade featuring the school's choir, marching band and sports teams, and the coronation of a homecoming queen (and at many schools, a homecoming king). A dance commonly follows the game or takes place the day after the game. When attached to a football game, homecoming traditionally occurs on the team's return from

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1056-409: A formal or informal event, either at the school or an off-campus location. The venue is decorated, and either a disc jockey or band is hired to play music. In many ways, it is a fall prom . Homecoming dances could be informal as well just like standard school dances. At high schools, the homecoming dances are sometimes held in the high school gymnasium or outside in a large field. Homecoming dance attire

1144-780: A packed Graff Main Hall auditorium. In 1964, the college was designated a university as part of the Wisconsin State University System and was renamed Wisconsin State University-La Crosse . This designation led to the creation of the Colleges of Education, Health-Recreation-Physical Education, and Letters and Sciences. Later, the School of Business Administration was also formed within the College of Letters and Sciences. A few years after receiving university designation,

1232-471: A princess (for an all-female school), although some schools may choose to join with single-sex schools of the other sex to elect the homecoming court jointly. Generally, the king and queen are students completing their final years of study at their school (also called "seniors"), while the prince and princess are underclassmen often with a prince/princess for each grade. Recently, some high schools have chosen to add categories, such as Duke and Duchess, to extend

1320-547: A response to Gow being exposed for posting pornographic videos of him and his wife on public pornography hosting sites. Gow stated that his termination was a violation of his free speech rights and that he regretted not revealing his secret life sooner. Gow, who had announced in August 2023 that he would step down at the end of the academic year , had been previously reprimanded in 2018 for inviting porn actress Nina Hartley to speak on campus about free speech, which he said

1408-433: A solar roof providing heated water for the entire building. The building's U-shape design also provides 90% of the building's natural light. Completed in 1974 and originally called "North Hall", in 2000 this building was named for former professor and Dean of the College of Arts, Letters and Sciences, W. Carl Wimberly. The building has classrooms, three auditoriums, and the offices of the College of Business Administration,

1496-726: A weeklong homecoming celebration which concluded with an intercollegiate football game. With the exception of the 1918 influenza pandemic year, it has been annual event since then. Although it did not initially include an intercollegiate football game, Northern Illinois University has one of the longest-celebrated homecoming traditions in the country. The alumni football game played on October 10, 1903, began NIU's homecoming tradition. Although it did not include an intercollegiate football game, Southwestern held its first Homecoming on Wednesday, April 21, 1909, in San Gabriel Park. Former students raised funds, provided homes, prepared and served

1584-452: Is an annual tradition in the United States. People, towns, high schools and colleges come together, usually in late September or early October, to welcome back former members of the community. It is built around a central event, such as a banquet or dance and, most often, a game of American football , or on occasions, basketball , ice hockey or soccer . When celebrated by schools, the activities vary widely. However, they usually consist of

1672-492: Is composed of four schools and colleges offering 102 undergraduate programs, 31 graduate programs, and 2 doctoral programs . UW-La Crosse has over 95,000 alumni across all 50 U.S. states and 57 countries as of 2021. The university is classified among "Master's Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs" with research expenditures of $ 3 million in 2020. Nationally recognized programs include occupational therapy , physical therapy , and physician assistant offerings at

1760-510: Is less formal than prom. Females generally wear knee-length dresses with their hair down, and males generally wear a tucked-in dress shirt with pants. At prom, females generally wear a more formal gown that goes to the ground with hair up, and males wear suits and tuxedos. Since most colleges are too large to facilitate a campus-wide dance, these events are usually handled instead by student organizations such as fraternities, sororities, and residential colleges. Because football and alumni events are

1848-460: Is often part of a series of activities scheduled for that specific day, which can also include a pep rally, bonfire , snake dance , and other activities for students and alumni. At most major colleges and universities, the football game and preceding tailgate party are the most widely recognized and heavily attended events of the week. Alumni gather from all around the world to return to their alma mater, reconnect with one another, and take part in

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1936-411: Is omitted. At schools without athletic programs, the centerpiece event is usually a banquet, where alumni are recognized. This format is also used for alumni events of high schools that have either closed or consolidated with other high schools; the high school classes continue to meet and celebrate their years at their now-defunct alma mater . In other cases, alumni of closed schools will participate in

2024-487: Is still published today. The Physical Education Club was formed in 1912, making it the longest-continuous organization in the school's history. The Physical Education Building (now Wittich Hall), the original physical education building, was completed in 1916 after delays due to the start of World War I . This was not the only setback for the school during this period. The school struggled through serious declines in enrollment and funding following World War I and throughout

2112-610: Is the largest academic building on campus. In 2018, Badger Street was converted into the Badger Street Mall, a pedestrian corridor between the Student Union and Prairie Springs Science Center. The mall features new pedestrian walkways, including landscaping, lighting, stormwater management features, bicycle racks, and seating. The mall was extended further west past Murphy Library to the Whitney Center in 2020. Graff Main Hall

2200-583: Is the oldest building on campus built in 1909 and contains the chancellor's office, a 787-seat auditorium , classrooms, the departments of Philosophy, Psychology, and Modern Languages, and other administrative and student services offices. It was designated a historic site by the city of La Crosse, Wisconsin in 1984 and is on the National Register of Historic Places as the Main Hall/La Crosse State Normal School . Built in 1916,

2288-557: The Great Depression . In 1926, George M. Snodgrass became the school's third president, replacing Ernest A. Smith, who served for only one year. That same year the school's programs were expanded and authorization was given to award baccalaureate teaching degrees. This led to an institutional name change the following year to La Crosse State Teachers College . In 1931, the college was divided into separate elementary education, secondary education, and physical education divisions. It

2376-547: The Indians (1937–1989), Red Raiders, Hurricanes, Racqueteers, and Peds and Maroons. The women's athletic teams were known as the Roonies, derived from the university's school colors of maroon and gray, since the inception of female intercollegiate competition in the early 1970s. They adopted the Eagle mascot a year after it became the university mascot. Since the adoption of the Eagle mascot,

2464-473: The Mississippi River are about a half mile west of campus. Hoeschler Tower (1996), located in the heart of UWL, is the focal point of the campus and a popular destination and meeting place for students. It is also the site for many university and student events, such as concerts, fundraisers, the clocktower dance, memorial services, and the traditional hanging of the lantern. Students can live in one of

2552-500: The University of Illinois in Urbana, Illinois. Baylor's homecoming history dates back to November 1909 and included a parade, reunion parties, and an afternoon football game (the final game of the 1909 season), a tradition that continued and celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2009. There was a gap between 1910 and 1915 when there was no homecoming event; however there has been continuity since 1915. In 1910, University of Illinois held

2640-587: The $ 27 million Health Science Center was a project of the La Crosse Medical Health Science Consortium. The building includes laboratory facilities for the medical laboratory science, nuclear medicine technology, occupational and physical therapy, physician assistant, and radiation therapy programs. Biology and microbiology research laboratories are also available for medical research. Laboratories and classrooms, including distance education classrooms, are shared by all educational programs at

2728-408: The 19th century. Many schools including Baylor , Illinois , Missouri and Southwestern have claimed that they began homecoming. Trivial Pursuit and Jeopardy! give the title to the University of Missouri 's 1911 football game during which alumni were encouraged to attend. It appears to be the first homecoming event which included both a parade and an intercollegiate football game; such

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2816-593: The Annette Recital Hall. The Toland Theatre is the site of five of the Department of Theatre and Dance's seven annual full-scale theatrical productions. Additional facilities include 20 practice rooms, rehearsal halls, a second student gallery space, ceramics studio, digital art studio, metals studio, painting studio, drawing studio, sculpture studio, music listening lab, sound design and mixing lab, offices, scenic shop, and costume shop and storage. Built in 2000,

2904-561: The COVE, which encompasses all student organizations. It also houses an auditorium on the second floor, the University Bookstore, Textbook Rental Services, meeting rooms, a cafeteria, a theater, and a game room. Cartwright Hall (1959 with additions in 1965 and 1985), is the former student union. It was home to the University Bookstore, Textbook Rental Services, TV and reading lounges, a computer lab, student organization offices and resources,

2992-594: The Cartwright Center's "Cellar" restaurant for students after taking over as chancellor. The percentage of the university's budget that is state-funded has declined over the past few years. In 1996, students paid 35% of the cost of their education at UWL and the state the remaining 65%. By 2005, the student share had grown to 51% as the state's shrunk to 49%. The university has felt the strain caused by decreased public funding. The university's centennial campaign and "growth and access" agenda are both aimed at providing

3080-791: The Department of Recreation Management and Therapeutic Recreation are located in Wittich Hall. The building is also the primary practice site for the Women's Intercollegiate Athletics Gymnastics team. Wittich Hall, the Physical Education Building of the La Crosse State Normal School , was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1985 as the Physical Education Building/La Crosse State Normal School . In fall 2020, Wittich Hall

3168-482: The Involvement Center, Pride Center, and meeting rooms. Currently, it houses offices for instructors and space for gymnastics practice. Mitchell Hall (1965) is a recreational, teaching, research, and service facility located adjacent to outdoor practice fields, soccer fields, and Veterans Memorial Stadium . Facilities include a swimming pool, basketball courts, wrestling room, dance studio, racquetball courts, and

3256-675: The Learning Communities Programs, the Office of Student Teaching and Internships, the Office of Continuing Education and Extension, and the Frederick Theater. Morris Hall is on the National Register of Historic Places. Murphy Library (1969, remodeled 1995), is centrally located on campus. It was named for Eugene W. Murphy in recognition of his 22 years of service to UWL and the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents . At

3344-631: The Recreational Eagle Center and the Hoeschler clock tower were also finished. Hoeschler Tower becomes a focal point on campus and the new home for the traditional "Hanging of the Lantern." The turn of the century saw several changes at UWL. The Archaeology Building and Laboratories, which was a US $ 380,000 renovation of the campus's original power plant, had its grand opening that year. A US $ 9.9 million renovation to Wing Technology Center also

3432-408: The School of Education. The College of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation underwent a few names changes before eventually merging with the College of Science and Allied Health to form the College of Science and Health in 2006. The Cleary Alumni & Friends Center along with Murphy Library remodeling projects were completed in 1995. Construction continued on campus, and two years later,

3520-463: The UW System's only nuclear medicine technology program, and offers one of two Midwest undergraduate archaeology majors. The university is organized into three colleges and two schools: the College of Arts, Social Sciences, & Humanities; College of Business Administration; School of Education; College of Science and Health; and School of Visual and Performing Arts. Homecoming Homecoming

3608-408: The United States, but do take place in some areas. In Newfoundland and Labrador , communities have a " Come Home Year " where people who have moved away from their town come back from across Canada. In 2000, there was a provincial "Come Home Year", where many people came back to visit their various communities. Homecomings are rare in Canada, and typically only take place in high schools situated in

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3696-591: The accounting, archeology, sociology, economics, English, ethnic and racial studies, finance, history, management, marketing, political science and public administration departments, and the Small Business Development Center. The newest academic building on campus, the Prairie Springs Science Center was completed in 2018 for $ 84 million. The 189,000 square foot building contains 36 instructional labs and 23 research labs that support

3784-645: The band's mascot has been the Screaming Eagle, having been known as the Marching Chiefs before that. The "Eagle in the L" and caricature , which were both created in 1989, were unveiled just before the fall sports teams took to the field as the Eagles for the first time. They were penned by Dave Christianson, a 1973 arts graduate who created the images after the adoption of the Eagle mascot. In 1991, Judith Kuipers became UWL's third chancellor, serving until 2000. She

3872-568: The building was included in the project and provides electricity for a significant portion of the building's energy usage. UW–La Crosse offers 102 undergraduate programs in 44 disciplines, 30 graduate programs in eight disciplines, and 2 doctoral programs. Microbiology and exercise and sport science are designated as UW System Centers of Excellence, and the College of Business Administration holds international accreditation. UW–La Crosse also offers Wisconsin's only nationally accredited degrees in recreation management and therapeutic recreation,

3960-671: The campus a distinct park-like feel. The university has limited vehicle traffic on campus. In 2006, UW-La Crosse received a "Grand Award" at the 2006 Green Star Awards competition for its campus landscaping from the Professional Grounds Management Society . To the east of campus is the La Crosse bluffs , of which the most prominent is Grandad Bluff (mentioned in Life on the Mississippi by Mark Twain . Downtown La Crosse and

4048-547: The celebration and watch the Tigers and Jayhawks play to a 3–3 tie. The Missouri annual homecoming, with its parade and spirit rally centered on a large football game is the model that has gone on to take hold at colleges and high schools across the United States. At least two colleges claim homecoming intercollegiate football games before the University of Missouri 1911 football game homecoming event: Baylor University , in Waco , Texas and

4136-405: The center. A student health center, including a physical therapy clinic, is located on the main floor and serves UWL and neighboring Western Technical College students. The Cleary Alumni and Friends Center was built in 1995 by the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse Foundation and donated to the university. Members of both the university and the greater La Crosse community meet and take advantage of

4224-456: The children of students and faculty. On July 2, 2015, then President Barack Obama spoke to a crowd of 2,400 at The Rec. President Obama was joined by Wisconsin U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin , U.S. Representative Ron Kind , and other local leaders. Opened on October 1, 2018, a two-level 35,000 square-foot expansion included an enlarged strength training space, multipurpose recreation room, and other related support spaces. A solar roof on top of

4312-573: The college changed its name to Wisconsin State College-La Crosse in 1951. It was also this same year that Wilder Hall became the first campus residence hall . In 1956, the college was authorized to establish graduate programs, which led to the Master of Science and Master of Arts in Teaching degrees. A graduate program in physical education was also established at that time. Florence Wing Library,

4400-514: The college's first library, was constructed that same year and began a period of substantial expansion for the college. Over the next 18 years (1956–1974), the college ballooned from 5 buildings to a total of 23 buildings. The college added 11 residence halls, 4 academic buildings, 2 libraries, and 2 student centers during that time. In 1959, the college celebrated its 50th anniversary, with an enrollment of 1,821 students. That same year presidential candidate John F. Kennedy visited campus and spoke to

4488-519: The conference center, smaller conference rooms, and large banquet hall. The Cleary Center houses the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse Foundation offices and the Alumni and University Relations advancement offices. Built in 2011, Centennial Hall was the first academic building to be open on campus since 1974. It is located in the center of campus and holds 46 classrooms, including two 250-seat auditoriums, various academic and student advising departments, and

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4576-633: The consolidated school's homecoming, where special recognition is often given for alumni of the once-separate schools. In some parts of the United States, high school basketball has gained a homecoming celebration of its own. Often referred to as "winter homecoming", "hoopcoming", "coronation", "snowcoming", "Colors Day", or "court warming" (the latter is especially prominent in parts of Missouri), it usually includes rallies, dress-up days, special dinners, king and queen coronations, and other winter-friendly activities typically associated with football homecoming. Canadian homecoming weekends are less common than in

4664-455: The creation of the US $ 27 million Health Science Center in 2000. Under the university's strategic plan, "Forward Together," the university reorganized into four colleges: the College of Business Administration; the College of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation; the College of Science and Allied Health; and the College of Liberal Studies, which housed the School of Arts and Communication and

4752-399: The current marching band (usually made up of recent graduates to members who graduated years or decades before) either during halftime as a full band or a featured section, e.g. the trumpet section or the tubas and drumline squads, as well as performing with the current band during the post-game concert. The homecoming dance—usually the culminating event of the week (for high schools)—is

4840-545: The east of the country. Newmarket High School , London South Collegiate Institute , Banting Memorial High School , Earl Haig Secondary School and St. Michael's College School are examples of schools in Ontario known to arrange homecomings. Upper Canada College also has a longstanding homecoming tradition, although the event is referred to as "A-Day" (Association Day). St. Thomas More Collegiate in Burnaby, British Columbia hosts

4928-587: The eighth of nine state normal schools established in Wisconsin between 1866 and 1916 for teacher preparation. Thomas Morris sponsored the bill in the Wisconsin State Senate that led to the university's creation. Initially, the La Crosse State Normal School was authorized to offer two-year programs to prepare students for the teaching profession. Main Hall (now Maurice O. Graff Main Hall),

5016-472: The festivities. Students, alumni, businesses, and members of the community set up tents in parking lots, fields, and streets near the stadium to cook food, play games, socialize, binge drink, and even enjoy live music in many instances. These celebrations often last straight through the game for those who do not have tickets but still come to take part in the socializing and excitement of the homecoming atmosphere. Most tents even include television or radio feeds of

5104-467: The fifth chancellor and 10th leader of UW-La Crosse on February 1, 2007. He replaced Douglas Hastad, who left to become president at Carroll College , in Waukesha, Wisconsin . His official inauguration took place on October 19, 2007. Gow often personally e-mailed the entire student body to inform them about student accomplishments and upcoming university events. An accomplished guitarist , he performed at

5192-681: The focal points of collegiate homecoming, dances often take place during a different week when schedules are more permitting, or not at all. At the high school level, students generally compete by grade level in events such as the spirit days, parade floats, and powder puff football . The competition at the collegiate level is mainly between Greek-letter organizations and, to a lesser degree, residence halls. At most larger schools, fraternities and sororities compete on parade floats, house decorations, skits, talent competitions, and service events such as blood drives or food drives. On coronation night, some schools play games between classes. Such events include

5280-501: The football players or coach about the upcoming game. At some schools, the homecoming rally ends with a bonfire (in which old wood structures, the rival school's memorabilia and other items are burned in a controlled fire). Many colleges and high schools no longer hold bonfires because of accidents that have occurred surrounding these events in the past. The most well known accident took place in 1999, when 12 students were killed and 27 others were injured at Texas A&M University when

5368-574: The game for those without tickets. Sometimes during the school week, a picnic can occur. The picnic is very similar to the tailgate party, but it occurs after school or during the school's lunch period. Throughout the week, many schools (particularly high schools) engage in special dress-up days, sometimes called "Spirit Week", where students are allowed to wear clothing suitable to the theme (e.g., 1980s day, toga day, roll out of bed day, cowboy day, nerd day, pirate day, meme day, Rat Pack Day, flannel Friday, What-not-to-wear Wednesday) leading to

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5456-613: The graduate level. UWL also offers a top ranked archaeology and anthropology undergraduate degree program, the only one in the Midwest and one of few nationally. The UW-La Crosse Eagle's 21 athletic teams compete in the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference , in NCAA's Division III . The university mascot is Stryker the Eagle. The university was founded as the La Crosse State Normal School in 1909,

5544-407: The homecoming. Students traditionally wear clothing with their school's name, or clothing and makeup of their school's colors on Friday. Many schools hold a rally during homecoming week, often one or more nights before the game. The events vary, but may include skits, games, introduction of the homecoming court (and coronation of the king and queen if that is the school's tradition), and comments from

5632-415: The king and queen; sometimes, middle school and junior high students may partake in the high school activities. Many homecoming celebrations include a parade. Students often select the grand marshal based on a history of service and support to the school and community. The parade includes the school's marching band and different school organizations’ floats created by the classes and organizations and most of

5720-455: The longest road trip of the season or the first home game of a season that falls after an away game. The game itself, whether it be football or another sport, will typically feature the home team playing a considerably weaker opponent. The game is supposed to be an "easy win" and thus weaker schools will sometimes play lower division schools. The tradition of homecoming has its origin in alumni football games held at colleges and universities since

5808-521: The necessary financial resources to deal with the decreased state funding. Construction for a new academic building, Centennial Hall, began in spring 2009 and the building opened for the fall 2011 academic year. Built for $ 44 million, it houses 44 classrooms, two auditoriums, the Academic Advising Center, Counseling and Testing Center, Multicultural Student Services, Office of International Education, and Student Support Services. Students in

5896-417: The original building on campus, was constructed the year the school was founded. The La Crosse State Normal School opened its doors later that same year with Fassett A. Cotton as its first president . La Crosse State Normal School students began organizing several extra-curricular activities within two years of the school's founding. In 1910, students published the first campus newspaper, The Racquet , which

5984-648: The original physical education building housed faculty and staff offices, gymnasiums, a track, multipurpose and meeting rooms, a strength training center, a therapeutic/rehabilitation swimming pool, the Musculoskeletal Research Center, and the Special Populations Exercise Program. The building has been renovated for use in the preparation of special/adapted physical education teachers and therapeutic recreation specialists. Administrative, faculty, staff, and graduate assistant offices for

6072-445: The past. Unsanctioned street parties in celebration of Homecoming weekend, known colloquially as "hoco", occur every year at Queen's University, Wilfred Laurier University, McMaster University, Dalhousie University, and the University of Western Ontario. When the date of homecoming lands on reading week , an unsanctioned party known as "foco", or "fake homecoming" will occur instead. The term "homecoming" can also refer to

6160-407: The pyramid, three-legged race , pop chug, and tug of war . While most schools schedule their homecoming activities around football, smaller schools that do not have a football team may plan the annual event at another time of the year. In these instances, basketball, ice hockey or soccer serves as the "big boy game" for students and alumni. Often in smaller towns with smaller populations, the parade

6248-481: The queen is crowned first, followed by the king. The crowning method also varies by school, however, the crown is typically preserved and passed down to each successor. Homecoming court members who are not crowned king or queen are often called escorts or royalty. They are often expected to participate in the week's activities as well. At some schools, a homecoming prince/princess, duke/duchess, etc. (often underclassmen nominated by their classmates) are crowned along with

6336-415: The representation of students to include a category in which students with special needs are elected. In high school, 17- or 18-year-old students in their final year are represented by a king or queen; in college, students who are completing their final year of study, usually between 21–23 years old. Local rules determine when the homecoming king and queen are crowned. Sometimes, the big announcement comes at

6424-528: The rivalry, ensure adequate attendance at the new location, and celebrate the first meeting of the two teams on the Mizzou campus in Columbia , Missouri, Mizzou Athletic Director Chester Brewer invited all alumni to "come home" for the game in 1911. Along with the football game, the celebration included a parade and spirit rally with a bonfire. The event was a success, with nearly 10,000 alumni coming home to take part in

6512-449: The sports get a chance to be in the parade. Every class prepares a float which corresponds with the homecoming theme or related theme of school spirit as assigned by school administrators. In addition, the homecoming court takes part in the parade, often riding together in one or more convertibles as part of the parade. Community civic organizations and businesses, area fire departments, and alumni groups often participate as well. The parade

6600-540: The spring of 2012 overwhelmingly voted in favor of a new student center to replace the Cartwright Student Center. Construction for the new student center occurred during the 2014–2015 and 2015–2016 academic years, and the Student Union opened in January 2017. The new student center edifice was designed to emulate Grandad Bluff , a defining feature of La Crosse. In 2018, the Prairie Springs Science Center opened at

6688-499: The time of its construction, the library cost US $ 2.5 million to construct. As of 2007 , Murphy Library had a total of 691,282 books, bound periodicals , and government documents. The library also offers electronic resources, such as journals and databases. In 2006, the library opened Murphy's Mug Café, which is managed by the campus dining services. Built in 1973, the Center for the Arts

6776-552: The university's biology, biochemistry, chemistry, earth science, geography, microbiology, and physics programs. A $ 2 million endowment, the largest single gift in UW-L history, was donated by Carolyn and Jay Scott in support of the new science building. Completed in January 2017, UWL's new student union is three stories and just over 204,000 square feet. It includes offices for the Student Association, Student Senate, Pride Center, and

6864-465: The university's fifth president, Samuel G. Gates, began his term in 1966. The Wisconsin State University System merged with the University of Wisconsin System in 1971, at which time the university adopted its current name, the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, and also changed the title for the head of the university from President to Chancellor . Kenneth E. Lindner, who was at the time

6952-419: The university's residence halls. The newest residence hall, Eagle Hall, opened Fall 2011 and houses 500 students and the Office of Residence Life. Reuter Hall, an apartment-style residence hall, was completed in 2006. Two 1950s-era residence halls, Trowbridge Hall and Baird Hall, were demolished in the spring 2009 to make way for a new academic building, Centennial Hall, which was completed in the fall of 2011 and

7040-499: The university's sixth president, became the university's first chancellor . Lindner, after serving as chancellor from 1971 to 1979, was succeeded by Noel Richards, who served as the university's chancellor until 1991. Lindner Forest, a heavily wooded section in the southern part of campus, was named in honor of former Chancellor Lindner. In 1989, the university's mascot became the Eagle . UWL men's athletics teams had previously been known as

7128-540: Was a way of promoting academic freedom . In March 2024, the university announced James Beeby as the next university chancellor and 11th leader in school history. Beeby served as provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at Keene State College in New Hampshire and assumes the new role July 1, 2024. The 128-acre (52 ha) campus is located in a residential section of La Crosse. The extensive landscape of grassy fields, trees, flowers, and other vegetation gives

7216-642: Was also this year that the homecoming tradition of the "Hanging of the Lantern" began at the south entrance of Maurice O. Graff Main Hall. It was created by English teacher Orris O. White who remarked, "We'll hang the lantern in the old college tower... You won't need to look for the key – the door will be open." The Training School, which had also been referred to as the Campus School and the Model School, moved into its newly constructed building in 1939. The La Crosse State Teachers College Training School Building

7304-637: Was later renamed Morris Hall in honor of Wisconsin politician, Thomas Morris . The Training School provided practice and supervised observation for teacher training candidates. 1973 was the last year of operation for the Training School. Rexford S. Mitchell became the college's fourth president that same year, serving until 1966. After the Regents authorized the nine Wisconsin State Teachers Colleges to establish baccalaureate degrees in liberal arts,

7392-606: Was named for UWL alumnus and Ho-Chunk artist Truman T. Lowe in 2022. The Lowe Center for the Arts serves as UWL's hub for creative activity, housing the Departments of Art, Music, and Theatre and Dance. As such, the building is home to the University Gallery, Annette Recital Hall, and Toland Theatre. The University Gallery hosts exhibits by students, faculty, and professional guests. Many of UWL's music ensembles, faculty, students, and professional musicians regularly perform in

7480-524: Was re-opened as the home of the College of Business Administration. Morris Hall (1939, 1966, remodeled 1996) first opened in January 1940 as the La Crosse State Teachers College Training School Building. Today, Morris Hall houses the instructional and administrative facilities for the School of Education, including the Department of Educational Studies, the Master of Education-Professional Development Program (ME-PD),

7568-615: Was started at that time and was completed in 2001. Another major change was the resignation of Chancellor Kuipers. She was replaced on an interim basis by Douglas Hastad, who was named the university's fourth chancellor and ninth leader by the UW System Board of Regents in 2001. In the 2001–2002 academic year, the university's athletic teams won four national championships, three NCAA Division III championships (indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, and cross country), and one NCGA title (women's gymnastics). Joe Gow became

7656-458: Was the institution's first and only woman leader, until interim chancellor Betsy Morgan in 2023. In 1992, Kuipers was instrumental in the creation of the La Crosse Medical Health Science Consortium. The consortium, a collaboration of UWL, Viterbo University , Western Technical College , Franciscan Skemp Medical Center , and Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center , was created to provide cutting-edge medical education, research, and training. This led to

7744-723: Was the response and success that it became an annual event. In 1891, the Missouri Tigers first faced off against the Kansas Jayhawks in the first installment of the Border War , the oldest college football rivalry west of the Mississippi River . The intense rivalry originally took place at neutral sites, usually in Kansas City , Missouri, until a new conference regulation was announced that required intercollegiate football games to be played on collegiate campuses. To renew excitement in

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