Official 2017 Homecoming Rulebook

University of South Carolina Homecoming 2017

October 22 – 28

2017 Homecoming Commission Leadership and Service Center

Department of Student Life Office: (803) 777-7130 | Fax: (803) 777-7132

Table of Contents Welcome Letter Page 3 Homecoming Vision and Carolinan Creed Page 4 Schedule of Events Page 5 2017 Executive Board Contact List Page 6 Homecoming Cup Competition Page 7-8 Point Breakdown by Event Page 9 Individual Student Participation Page 10 Event Guidelines

Color Your Carolina Page 11

Carolina Crowning Page 12-14

Cultural Street Fair Page 15 Spurs and Struts Page 16-17 Cockchella Page 18 Cocky’s Canned Creations Page 19

Parade/Float Build Page 20-21

Social Media Information Page 22

Happy Homecoming! We are pleased to announce USC’s 2017 Homecoming Week Oct. 22-28, ending with the Homecoming football game Saturday against the Vanderbilt Commodores! We hope you’ll engage with our theme this year, “Life in Garnet and Black,” and participate in the many events planned throughout the week. The theme, “Life in Garnet and Black,” encourages individuals to reflect on how we all live our lives in garnet and black. USC students past, present, and future come from all different places, religions, and cultures, but the one thing we all have in common is that we are Gamecocks. This year, the Executive Commission has taken every effort to make sure all members of the Carolina community feel welcome and encouraged to participate in these events. The commission’s vision is to “promote an environment that caters to the diversity of the Carolina family with the engagement of students, alumni and the surrounding community in an inclusive, positive and fun week of events.” The events chosen this year were selected based on this vision. We’ve included the Carolinian Creed on the following page to remind students about the importance of upholding the spirit and integrity of Carolina during Homecoming Week. We are introducing events that showcase Gamecock spirit and celebrate Carolina! Please use our schedule of events, beginning on page six, as a guide to all of the festivities. All enrolled USC Columbia students, faculty and staff are welcome and encouraged to participate in all Homecoming activities! Interested in participating in an event as an individual student or with a group of friends? Check out each event’s information in the latter half of the participation guide. Remember, that all events, whether competitive or not, are open to ALL individual students! Interested in competing for the annual Homecoming Cup? All fraternities/sororities, registered student organizations and/or residence halls have the opportunity to compete in the events during the week as an individual group or with another organization as a team of two. Guidelines for competition divisions and participation points can be found on page eight. Please feel free to contact us at sahc@mailbox.sc.edu with any questions. After registration, if you have questions about Homecoming week or are interested in getting involved, we suggest attending one of our informational meetings in the fall on the following dates (all held in the Leadership and Service Center):

o Tuesday, Oct. 3 at 7 p.m. o Wednesday, Oct. 4 at 4 p.m. o Thursday, Oct. 5 at 5 p.m.

To apply to participate, visit bit.ly/USCHomecoming2017. The Homecoming application - for student organizations, and residence halls - is due electronically Wednesday, Sept. 27 at 4:30 p.m. *A separate application is due for anyone wanting to participate in Carolina Crowning or Cockchella. Happy Homecoming,

Ellie Marley

2017 Executive Commissioner

mailto:sahc@mailbox.sc.edu

University of South Carolina Homecoming 2017 Vision

The vision of the Homecoming Commission is to promote a unique environment that caters to the diversity of the Carolina family with

the engagement of students, alumni, and the surrounding community in an inclusive, positive and fun week of events.

University of South Carolina Homecoming 2017 Schedule of Events

The schedule of events is subject to change.

MONDAY, OCT. 23 Color Your Carolina 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Greene Street Carolina Crowning 7 p.m.-9 p.m. Koger Center

TUESDAY, OCT. 24 Cultural Street Fair 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Greene Street

Spurs and Struts 7 p.m.-9 p.m. Greene Street

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 25 OMSA presents the Homecoming version of Hip-Hop Wednesday 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Greene Street Cockchella 5 p.m.-8 p.m. Davis Fields

THURSDAY, OCT. 26 Cocky’s Creations 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Greene Street Step Show 7 p.m.-10 p.m. Co-Sponsored with NPHC Colonial Life Arena

FRIDAY, OCT. 27 Parade TBA USC Campus Cockstock 8 p.m.-11 p.m. Co-sponsored with Carolina Productions and Student Government Colonial Life Arena

SATURDAY, OCT. 28 Homecoming Tailgate TBD* Co-Sponsored with SAPE Greene Street USC vs. Vanderbuilt TBD* Williams-Brice Stadium *pending announcement of kick-off time

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2017 Homecoming Leadership Team Contact List

Ellie Marley – Executive Commissioner emarley@email.sc.edu

Deja Vaughn – Marketing Chair

dtvaughn@email.sc.edu

Andrea Johnson – Social Media Chair andreamj@email.sc.edu

Bryce Wilson – Rules & Community Outreach Chair

bryceaw@email.sc.edu

Cat Carter – Sponsorship Chair pccarter@email.sc.edu

Lisa Sanchez – Director of Carolina Crowning & Spurs and Struts

lsanchez@email.sc.edu

Becca Howard – Director of Parade rdhoward@email.sc.edu

Alsalt Al Nabhani – Director of Cultural Street Fair & Step Show Liaison

alsalt@email.sc.edu

André Mace – Director of Color Your Carolina, Cocky’s Creations & Homecoming Tailgate sdmace@email.sc.edu

Markos Hurtt – Director of Cockchella & Spurs and Struts

mhurtt@email.sc.edu

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Homecoming Cup Competition Fraternities, sororities, registered student organizations, and residence halls have the opportunity to compete for the Homecoming Cup by participating in each of the Homecoming events. For those competing for the Homecoming Cup, points will be awarded based upon participation throughout the entire week, and an overall winner will be announced in each division. Organizations in each division may form teams to participate in the week of events; however, organizations cannot team with any organization they’ve teamed with in the previous year’s Homecoming.

Example: If Organization Z paired with Organization X in 2016, they must then pair with a DIFFERENT organization in 2017. The two original organizations would then be able to pair again for the Homecoming 2018 week of events.

Finally, fraternities and sororities may choose to partner with a student organization outside of NPC, IFC, NPHC, and MGC for an additional point incentive of 20 points overall.

Example: If Sorority X partners with the Student Org Z then they will receive the bonus points. If Sorority X

partners with Fraternity Y, then they will not.

Please contact the Homecoming Commission at sahc@mailbox.sc.edu with questions/concerns about the 2017 competition categories.

Fraternities/Sororities & Registered Student Organizations Division Eligible organizations will apply for this category if:

If registered as a NPC, IFC, NPHC or MGC organization with the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life and The Leadership and Service Center

If registered as a student organization with the Leadership and Service Center. Fraternities, sororities, and registered student organizations can partner together, however, a team cannot consist

of more than two organizations.

*Student organizations registered with the Leadership and Service Center can request funding through the Student Activity Fee to help with expenses during Homecoming week, such as materials for building a float and much more! If you want to request funding, please visit the student organization funding page at www.sa.sc.edu/sg/so for specific details. Residence Halls Division Eligible residence halls will apply for this category:

recognized as a residence hall on the USC Columbia campus. competing as an individual residence hall or as a pair with another residence hall. interested in competing against other residence halls.

Homecoming 2017 Overall Point System Breakdown (For participation)

Prior to the start of Homecoming Week, each fraternity/sorority, registered student organization, and residence hall will be required to register via an online application (bit.ly/USCHomecoming2017) to participate in Homecoming.

mailto:sahc@mailbox.sc.eduhttp://www.sa.sc.edu/sg/so

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While registering, they will be required to report how many members they have that will be participating in the events during Homecoming Week. This total number will be a combined total of all participants. To further explain: For each event that offers the opportunity to receive participation points, there will be up to 100 points for the specified event. If an organization of 200 members has 150 of their members attend, they will receive 75% of the participation points for that event. If participation falls somewhere in-between a full point, it will round down if it is less than 0.5, or round up if it is equal to 0.5 or above.

Example: Organization ABC has 400 students representing their organization. Organization DEF has 300 students representing their organization. ABC has more members than DEF, and therefore may seem to be at an advantage. To eliminate this advantage, points will be awarded based on an organization’s percentage of participation. By having a percentage system this year, we hope to encourage more organizational involvement overall, especially from organizations who may not typically pair with other organizations, or who have fewer members.

• At one event, ABC has 100 members attend and DEF has 75 attend, they will both receive 25% participation for that event. **These percentages will be dependent upon the rules for each event.

• If at another event, ABC has 300 members show up and DEF has 300 members show up as well, ABC will receive 75% participation and DEF will receive 100% participation for that event.

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Points Breakdown by Event for Homecoming Cup

Color Your Carolina Banner Competition

(Each division is judged separately.)

Member Participation 1st Place 2nd Place 3rd Place

50 pts.

200 pts. 150 pts. 100 pts.

Carolina Crowning Member Participation 100 pts.

Cultural Street Fair Member Participation

Hosting Booth 50 pts.

100 pts.

Spurs and Struts

Member Participation 1st Place 2nd Place 3rd Place

75 pts. 200 pts. 150 pts. 100 pts.

Cockchella Member Participation 100 pts.

Cocky’s Canned Creations

Member Participation Most Cans Donated

1st Place 2nd Place 3rd Place

50 pts 100 pts. 200 pts. 150 pts. 50 pts.

Parade (All divisions are judged together.)

Walking in Parade Building a Float

1st Place 2nd Place 3rd Place

75 pts. 100 pts. 200 pts. 150 pts. 125 pts.

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Individual Student Participation Individual students have the opportunity to participate in the Homecoming experience throughout the Homecoming Week of Events. Students will apply for these categories if:

If currently enrolled as a USC Columbia student If currently enrolled as a student in the Gamecock Gateway program. If participating as an individual or with a group of friends.

All of our events are designed to allow for the participation of individual students through attendance. However, it is important to note that our performance based events require the submission of an application and audition/interview to perform. The applications for these events are due by Wednesday, Sept. 27. These events are:

Carolina Crowning: bit.ly/CarolinaCrowning Cockchella: bit.ly/Cockchella17

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Color Your Carolina October 23, 2017 |11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Greene Street About: “Color Your Carolina” is our kick off event for the Homecoming Week. This event gives organizations and groups

the opportunity to decorate a flag showing their own views on what living a “life in garnet and black” means to

them. This view can be within the context of the organization’s purpose/ideals or just another broad statement on

community. They will then take these flags to be displayed at local Columbia businesses for the entirety of

Homecoming Week. Students participating individually will be able to decorate their own smaller flags to be

displayed on Greene Street during Homecoming Week. During the event, there will also be music, food, and

novelties provided for students interested in participating but not wishing to decorate a flag.

Any questions concerning Color Your Carolina should be sent to sahc@mailbox.sc.edu.

Important Dates: Wednesday, Sept. 27: Application deadline Monday, Oct. 2: Organizations/groups receive the business that they will be painting the flag for and size of

flag, allowing ample time to incorporate into ideas for decoration. Monday, Oct. 23: Color Your Carolina event Tuesday, Oct. 24: Organizations have until 6 p.m. on this day to deliver the completed flag (point deduction

if late) Monday, Oct. 30: Flags must be retrieved by organizations by 6 p.m. (point deduction if not retrieved)

Rules:

Participating student organizations, residence halls, and student groups must fill out a formal agreement with their businesses. The form will be given when the organizations/groups get their paired business on Monday, Oct. 2 and will be provided by Homecoming Commission.

Organizations/groups are allowed to bring their own extra paint. Painting on Greene Street with Homecoming-provided paint will end at 2pm on Monday, October 23. Organizations/groups are responsible for taking the flag to the businesses by the deadline. There will be a

point deduction for late deliveries. If the flag is not retrieved by the due date, there will be a point deduction.

mailto:sahc@mailbox.sc.edu

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Carolina Crowning October 23, 2017 | 7-9 p.m.

Koger Center About: Carolina Crowning is an event that celebrates the accomplishments and talents of students at the University of South Carolina and determines our Homecoming Royalty. After a careful review of applications by a panel of judges, candidates will be invited for an interview round. A panel of judges will interview these individuals and the 12 most qualified candidates will move on to the final competition on Oct. 23. These 12 candidates will compete in a showcase of presentation, talent and interview skills to be crowned the Homecoming Royalty 2017. The first place gold winner will work with the director of Carolina Crowning to plan a day-long event to help the service organization, cause, or platform they run on in coordination with the Leadership and Service Center Important Dates for Applicants:

Wednesday, Sept. 27: Application deadline (submitted online at bit.ly/CarolinaCrowning) Wednesday, Oct. 11: Semifinalist interviews (Russell House 309) Thursday, Oct. 12: Semifinalist interviews (Russell House 309) Friday, Oct. 13: Semifinalist interviews (Russell House 309) Monday, Oct.16: Finalists posted on the Homecoming website Monday, Oct. 23: Carolina Crowning (Rehearsals will begin at 4 p.m.)

Event Rules: Qualifications required for nominees

Candidates must be full-time students at the University of South Carolina Columbia. Candidates must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 and 60 credit hours completed, 30 of which must have been

completed on the University of South Carolina- Columbia campus. Participants must attend all rehearsals and meetings set up by the Homecoming Commission.

o Any participant who does not attend all meetings will be disqualified. Participants do not have to represent a student organization or campus group. In addition to representing themselves, candidates must run on a “platform” representing a service

organization or cause about which they are passionate in initiating change. Anyone who has won Homecoming Royalty in the past three years is not eligible to complete.

Application Process All nominated candidates must complete the online application by Wednesday Sept. 27, at 4:30 p.m. The application will be available on the Homecoming website (bit.ly/CarolinaCrowning). Selection Process

First Round – Application Review o Only fully-complete applications submitted on time will be considered. o An objective panel of faculty and staff will score the applications. o Judges are not privy to any applicant’s name or demographic data. o The judges will select the 20 most qualified semifinalists to move on to the interview stage based

solely on the information provided in the applications.

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o First round scores will determine which candidates move to the second round and will only be used again in the event of a tie in the second round.

Second Round – Interview o A second objective panel of faculty and staff will interview each semifinalist. o Interviews will last 10 to 15 minutes per semi-finalist. o The ratings of the judges will make up each semifinalist’s interview score, which will be used to

select the 12 most qualified individualsto participate in the event; in the event of a tie in interview scores, the scores from the first round will be used to determine the finalist.

o The second round scores will determine which candidates move to the final round and will only be used again in the event of a tie in the final round.

Third Round – Carolina Crowning Event o A third objective panel of faculty, staff and/or community members will judge the Carolina

Crowning event on Oct. 23. o Finalists will perform publicly, displaying their speaking skills, poise, Gamecock wear and public

presentation of talent. ▪ The talent portion of the competition should be no longer than five minutes and cannot rely

heavily on other people. ▪ The talent must consist of a live presentation to the audience and cannot rely heavily on

recorded video. All media being used for the talent portion must be submitted to the director of showcase by Tuesday October 17. Any videos must be submitted in DVD or flash drive form, and music must be supplied in CD form.

▪ Appropriate talents include, but are not limited to: live music performance, stepping, drama interpretation, rhetoric, spoken word, stand-up comedy, dance, etc.

▪ Equipment available to finalists for talent performances will include microphones, direct input boxes and a projection screen. The contestant must provide any musical instruments needed for the talent portion.

o The judges will select three (3) Homecoming Royalty representatives. Homecoming Royalty ranking is as follows: 1st - Gold Royalty, 2nd - Silver Royalty, and 3rd – Garnet Royalty.

o All finalists will vote for the winner of the Congeniality Award for the competition. o In the event of a tie, scores from the second round will be used to determine the winner.

The judging criteria will be as follows:

Criteria Points Possible

Talent Creativity & Uniqueness Crowd-Pleasing Performance Execution of Talent Totality of All Extra Elements

10 10 10 10

Gamecock Wear Attire (Appropriateness and Elegance) Stage Presence (Grace and Confidence)

10 10

Onstage Interview (Business Casual) Question Response Well-Spoken Presentation

10 10 10

Presentation Overall Personality Attire Poise

10 10 10

Texting Vote During the Show 10

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Campaigning Contestants will be allowed to campaign beginning Monday, Oct. 16, at 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. Monday, Oct. 23. There will be absolutely no campaigning after 1 p.m. on the day of the event. Contestants and their organizations will not be allowed to exceed $100 in campaigning materials. If called

into question, you will have to present receipts. Campaigning can include, but is not limited to: social media posts, flyers, buttons, etc.

o All campaign material must only promote the contestant (not their organization) and may not include anything negative about any other contestant. All campaign material must be relevant and appropriate, and it must not include nudity, cursing, vile language, alcohol, drugs or other obscenities.

Obligations after being crowned

o Members of Homecoming Royalty are expected to ride in the parade and attend the Cockstock pep rally Friday, Oct. 27

o Homecoming Royalty also will be required to attend one other event during Homecoming Week. They are encouraged to attend as many events as they would like, wearing their appropriate award wear.

o As crowned members of the Homecoming Royalty, all three must attend the gold winner’s service event on the date (TBD) in November unless director of Carolina Crowning is notified.

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Cultural Street Fair

October 24, 2017 | 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Greene Street

About: During the Cultural Street Fair students can showcase their culture and how they use it to their life in garnet and black. Students can showcase their culture through food, outfits, music, dances, or crafts. Every organization will have a table or two depending on their needs. There will also be a table for henna tattoos and face painting. For participation and questions contact sahc@mailbox.sc.edu. Important Dates:

Wednesday, Sept. 27: Application Deadline Monday, Oct. 2: Required meeting for all students participating with the Event Director. Wednesday, Oct. 11: Organizations must submit music to sahc@mailbox.sc.edu. Tuesday, Oct. 24: Cultural Street Fair (set up begins at 10:20 a.m.)

Rules:

To participate, a representative must meet with the event director to approve food, music, crafts, etc. for the event to ensure university regulations are followed.

Participating student organizations must complete a form with the supplies that they need. o Form will be sent to representatives after Homecoming Application due date.

Supplies cannot exceed $50, and funding will go to the first 10 organizations that submit their applications. Each organization will have a designated area for tabling. Students are able to bring their own supplies; any supplies must be approved by the Homecoming

Commission.

mailto:sahc@mailbox.sc.edumailto:sahc@mailbox.sc.edu

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Spurs and Struts

October 24, 2017 | 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Greene Street

About: Spurs & Struts is a continuation of the annual fall dance competition at the University of South Carolina. Participants are judged based on spirit, synchronization, and how well their dance incorporates the spirit of Carolina. A variety of dance styles and music are encouraged! All groups are welcome to participate. Important Dates:

Wednesday, Sept. 27: Application deadline Monday, Oct. 9: Music due to event directors for approval (5 p.m.) Monday, Oct. 16: Auditions in Russell House Ballrooms (5-11 p.m.) Tuesday, Oct. 24: Spurs and Struts (team check-in at 6:30 p.m.)

The Greene Street stage dimensions are 28’ wide and 20’ long. 12 Teams will compete in Spurs & Struts, decided through an audition process to take place on Wednesday, Oct. 18 from 5 to 11 p.m. Prior to auditions teams will sign up for 15 minute audition slots through a form provided by the commission. Rules:

Each team will have at least six performers and no more than 18. All performers must be currently enrolled USC Students. Dancers may not perform for more than one team. Dance routines may not exceed the 3:30 minute time limit per performance. The use of any professional choreography, adapted from a music video or movie, or a professional

choreographer is prohibited. No routine may involve stunting. This involves any form of cheerleading stunts, lifts, and/or

tumbling, such as cartwheels and handstands. Groups must supply and bring any props necessary for their performance. Groups may have no more than two non-dancing members backstage during the competition. Only dancers are allowed on the stage. Small changes may be made between the audition and the final competition, but no major changes may be

made unless requested by the planning committee and approved a second time by the Event Directors. Groups are encouraged to wear spirited and Carolina theme appropriate outfits, but costumes are not

required. The use of handheld signs is allowed. Absolutely NO confetti or glitter is allowed on the stage or in the audience during the performance. Groups will NOT be allowed to re-perform their routine unless there is a technical fault. In this case, a

group will be allowed to restart their performance once. After a group’s final performance, the group should clear the backstage area and make room for the next

performing group. One member from each group must return to the backstage area after the final performance for the

competition results.

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Judging criteria for the final competition will be as follows:

Criteria Points Possible

Spirit Overall enthusiasm and excitement

5

Creativity Uniqueness of Routine

5

Synchronization 5

Technique and Difficulty 5

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Cockchella

October 25, 2017 | 5-8 p.m. Davis Fields

About: Cockchella is a student-take on the annual music festival hosted in California: Coachella. Auditions will be held Wednesday, Oct. 11 to prepare and filter acts for the event. If you would like to participate, you may submit an application online to audition, or if you simply want to enjoy the fellowship of friends, food, and live music, come out to Davis Fields for this fantastic Homecoming event! Important Dates:

Wednesday, Sept. 27: Application deadline, apply at bit.ly/Cockchella17 Wednesday, Oct. 11: Audition Date (Russell House Theater) Wednesday, Oct. 25: Cockchella

Important Information:

AV is not provided at auditions with the exception of a Microphone Background music can be played during auditions but must be provided by the artist

Event Rules:

Students must be able to confirm at the time of their audition that: o They are a USC Columbia student with an active banner ID verified by the Event Director.

Audition Guidelines: o Performing acts must audition by submitting an application and choosing an audition time from

slots provided. o The performance should be no longer than five minutes. o Musicians are required to bring their own instruments. o Vocalists are required to bring a CD and/or flash drive. Both are recommended in case of any flaws

as we are not responsible for errors in either CD or flash drive playback and will not reschedule audition if such errors occur.

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Cocky’s Canned Creations

October 26, 2017 | 11a.m.-2 p.m. Greene Street

About: “Cocky’s Canned Creations”, first and foremost, is a way to collect food for hungry USC students and residents of Columbia. Second, it is a design competition to help facilitate the collection. Organizations and groups will have two and a half hours to build a Cocky-related structure out of canned goods that will subsequently be donated to help the hungry. The structures will be judged on creativity, stability, usage of cans/food (as little left as possible) and visual appeal prior to the donations. Important Dates:

Wednesday, Sept. 27: Application deadline Thursday, Oct. 26: Cocky’s Canned Creations

Event Rules:

Canned goods/food used must NOT be expired (structure void if so) Organizations/groups must use only the materials given by Homecoming Commission which will include:

o Construction paper o Scissors o Tape

Point Breakdown:

Criteria Points Possible

Creativity 5

Stability of Structure 5

Total Usage of Cans/Food 5

Visual Appeal 5

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Parade/Float Build October 27, 2017 | TBA

Greene Street and USC Campus About: The parade is one of the only Homecoming events that unites and features the entire Columbia community of students, alumni and local residents. Anyone has the opportunity to be recognized by walking in the parade or building their own float. Any questions about participating in the parade can be directed to Becca Howard, director of parade, at sahc@mailbox.sc.edu. Important Dates:

Wednesday, Sept. 27: Application deadline Friday, Oct. 13: Float Design due to commission for approval Thursday, Oct. 26: Float Build (3 p.m.-1 a.m.) Friday, Oct. 27: Parade

Rules:

All teams wishing to compete must send their proposed float design to the Homecoming Commission at sahc@mailbox.sc.edu by Friday, October 13.

Designs for floats should reflect University of South Carolina spirit and the 2017 Homecoming theme “Life in Garnet and Black.”

The Homecoming Commission will choose at random seven teams to receive trailers from the University of South Carolina to build their floats. If a team does not receive a USC trailer, they must provide their own to build their float.

Float Building: **If a team does not receive a USC trailer, they may still bring their own trailer to build their float and compete in the float competition.

Float building will take place Wednesday, Oct. 25 9 p.m. – 12 a.m. and Thursday, October 26 from 7 p.m. – 12 a.m. on Greene Street and Davis Fields. The Homecoming Commission and security officials will oversee these periods of float building.

All organizations submitting floats in the float competition must build their floats during the designated float building time, regardless of whether they received a USC trailer.

Float construction can only occur during these designated float building times. This includes, but is not limited to: pre-pomping, pre-built materials or painting.

Each team is allowed one piece of USC paraphernalia to include in the float design as a theme-related accent; however, this is not required for the float.

The Homecoming Commission must approve any significant changes to the submitted float designs before being built into the float.

Floats may not exceed 14 feet in height from the ground and 22 feet in length. All floats must meet safety regulations, and a fire extinguisher must be on or near the float during the

parade (in the vehicle pulling the float is acceptable), this will be verified by a member of the Homecoming Commission Leadership team prior to beginning the parade.

mailto:sahc@mailbox.sc.edumailto:sahc@mailbox.sc.edu

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If a float is deemed inappropriate or unsafe, the Homecoming Commission reserves the right to remove the participating organization and float, even if it is on the day of the parade.

All organizations will be allowed a maximum of 40 people at the float building location at a time. Individuals will sign in with their organization upon arrival at the fields to ensure that no more than 40 individuals per team are present.

Organizations are responsible for cleaning up their float space after every float building time and before the start of the parade. The organization’s Homecoming representative must inform the Homecoming Commission when their site is clean, and either the director of parade or the commissioner will inspect the site and sign each organization out. Organizations who fail to clean their space and sign out will be disqualified from the parade and penalized 100 points in the overall competition.

Parade Day and Competition:

Parade line-up time will begin 1 hour prior to parade start time. At least five of your members must be there at this time. The vehicle pulling your trailer must be in the area by this time as well.

All members participating in the parade must report to their floats by 30 minutes before parade start time for the final line-up. Any organization that does not arrive on time will be disqualified.

A panel of faculty, staff and/or community members will judge the floats during the parade route. The speed limit of the parade is five miles per hour, and this speed should be maintained throughout

the parade. Floats may not stop at any point, unless directed to do so by the Homecoming Commission or law enforcement.

Floats must complete the entire parade route. Any floats that exit the parade before completing the entire route will be disqualified from the competition.

Floats may only be pulled by motor vehicles. No one is allowed to stand on the float while it’s in motion. Candy throwing and animals are NOT permitted during the parade.

Criteria Points Possible

Adherence to Theme 10

Creativity of Float 10

Visual Aesthetics 10

School Spirit 10

Judging:

Floats will be judged by an objective panel of faculty, staff and/or community members at the end of the parade route.

For specific judging criteria, see the table above. Organizations must clean up their floats immediately after the parade and drop the trailers off at the appropriate place, as specified by the Homecoming Commission closer to the event. 100 points will be deducted from any organization that fails to do so.

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