Streamers, posters and ISU memorabilia greeted the winners of the Homecoming Decorating Contest who entered the Multicultural Student Affairs office on Thursday night. 

 “We received an email from the Homecoming committee with the invitation for the contest a month ago,” said Kenyatta Shamburger, assistant dean of students and director of Multicultural Student Affairs. “After that we decided as a team that we wanted to take part.”

Putting all the decorations together was a full team effort. Shamburger said that 15 or 16 students and staff members helped over three days.

“One of our staff members had this vision of what the place should look like. A few members took the lead on it and gave us instructions on what to do. A few undergraduate students stepped in to help, that’s how we we were able to succeed.”

Ebony Williams, coordinator for multinational programming, talked about the inspiration for decorating the office. 

“Our goal was to make the whole office look like a tent, so we decorated the ceiling with cloth and streamers in the cyclone colors,” Williams said. “We also incorporated a lot of information on the history of Homecoming and of Iowa State, on our programs and different Iowa State memorabilia.” 

The Homecoming committee received 21 submissions, twice as many as last year.

“We looked at some really creative and impressive works,” said Colin Odland, sophomore in kinesiology and health and Homecoming official. “General Services, for example, built a football field outside their office. That was a really cool idea. The Office of Greek Affairs based their office on what Homecoming will probably look like 101 years in the future, including a jet CyRide and all the houses of different planets.”

On Wednesday, the Homecoming committee picked the winner of the contest.

“We chose, whoever we could tell put the most effort into it, whoever went above and beyond,” Odland said. “It was a highly subjective decision and a close call.”

In the end, Multicultural Student Affairs made the race.

“You could tell that they spend a lot of time researching and getting all the information they incorporated,” said Mary Burkert, senior in journalism and mass communication and Homecoming official.

 “They incorporated the themes and colors of ISU in a very unique and creative way,” Burkert said. “They paid close attention to our traditions and it was obvious that they really wanted to win.”

 Both Williams and Shamburger stated that they were proud of their work.

“The office feels really warm and festive. You can just feel the energy that is present here,” Shamburger said. “The fact that we won and our effort paid off gives me a really good feeling.”

Williams stated that he felt that students would enjoy the work that was completed. 

“I think students really appreciate, what we’ve done with the place,” Williams said. “To see students lighten up, once they enter and smell the popcorn, makes me very proud.”

 Shamburger said that the decoration will probably come down by Monday.

“But we’ll receive a certificate for winning, so we gladly take the bragging rights,” Williams said. 

 Odland said that the goal of the contest was community and campus involvement.

“We tried to get everyone involved in Homecoming,” Odland said. “A contest like this is the best way to get all the faculties to show their Cyclone spirit.”