Georgia College & State University (GCSU) hosted a variety of events Feb. 17-22 for students, from a petting zoo to tent city for homecoming week.
Director of Public Affairs for GCSU Amanda Respess planned the event. She’s worked hard over the past few years to ensure that homecoming week is successful, fun, and inclusive for all.
According to Respess, this year’s theme was Thunder’s Safari Adventure, so festivities kicked off with a petting zoo.
Students gathered in between their classes on the Library Green Space to interact with pigs, ferrets, ducks, bunnies, snakes, turtles, and a donkey.
Georgia College junior Jared Holley said, “Everyone seemed so happy. It was cool to see so many people gather and be able to pet and hold such cute animals. I think the donkey really liked me.” On Tuesday, Feb. 18, due to the weather forecast for Wednesday, Student Affairs Program Coordinator Sarah Goodelman scheduled camels to come onto campus for an early hump day. Camels are a common safari animal, hailing from Africa. Students were invited to feed, pet, and get close to these exotic animals.
The days following centered around Homecoming nominations and elections. Voting was held on the best parade float and for Student Government Association officers.
Greek Life organizations and a few clubs also nominated queens, kings, dukes, and duchesses to represent their organizations. The king and queen are usually seniors, while duke and duchess are underclassmen, and together they make up the homecoming court. To show off the nominees and different organizations, each participants made a float that paraded through downtown Milledgeville.
“The parade and Tent City were my favorite parts of homecoming because they capture the heart of our community,” said Riley Godwin, nominated queen for Alpha Gamma Delta. “The parade is full of excitement and pride, and Tent City gives everyone a chance to reconnect and celebrate. It’s the perfect blend of tradition and fun that makes homecoming so special.”
On the day of Tent City, all Greek organizations paired up and hosted socials before the event. These socials are hosted to help build bonds between organization members. Many of the socials are non-formal, hosting music and games such as corn hole and frisbee.
The following day, tents are set up in the parking lot of the Centennial Center hosting a variety of vendors alongside food trucks, performances, and a big crowd.
With such a variety of events, all walks of life at Georgia College came together to celebrate the school's spirit and legacy.