Homecoming Season

All cities have one thing in common; fall is the harbinger of Homecoming Season. In LA for high school, you celebrate homecoming by wearing the tightest outfit possible and refusing to watch the game. I mean, let’s be honest. The social game is just much more fun from a spectator standpoint. In the South Homecoming means only one thing: Barbeque! Lots and lots of heavenly meat drowned down with as many bud lights as you can stomach. No matter where you are though, Homecoming is a unique day where even schools such as Harvard care enough to show up to a football game no matter how bad their team is.

On my way to Harvard-Yale (not our real homecoming game…but the only game where both fan bases show up in party busses and the only one they actually care about) I thought about what every good college homecoming game means. So here it is, “A Homecoming Checklist/Survival Tricks”:

1) School Themed Gear: Though not cool in high school, this is definitely a requirement once you have entered the college years. In my case, any form of Yale Sucks is the way to go. Also note to alumni: the Varsity H sweater really, really, really isn’t cool.

2) Early morning drink: This should become more sophisticated right along with you. Sophomore year, my first trip to Yale the drink of choice on the bus was Rum (with my friend fifer constantly asking, “Where has all the rum gone?” Think pirates of the Caribbean.) This year, as a wise and responsible alumnus, I decided to sip mimosas while riding the MTA North to New Haven. So choose your drink responsibly! It says a lot about you.

3) Be prepared: I always pack some food. No matter if you tell your self, “This Year I will not do a Keg Stand,” you know you will inevitably end up doing one. So do yourself a favor and have something with you to help soak up all that lovely alcohol.

4)Don't let other people stress you out: This is important if you are an alumnus. You are no longer in college...so those girls who pissed you off? You really don't have to pretend to be friends anymore. Sounds slightly biatchy I know, but the reason I fly across country is to hang out with my roommates. Spend the time with the people you actually want to spend it with...not with those you feel you "have to."

5)Go to the game: Ok, so this year I didn’t make it through the gates. In my defense though, I didn’t realize it had even started! And, I’ve managed to make it into the stadium 4 out of 5 times. How many people can say that?

6) Plan an exit strategy: Getting to the game is easy. Leaving is hard. Make sure you’re not the one the next day your friends realize hasn’t quite made it back home yet...