Members of the ISU and Ames community will have plenty of opportunities to explore their “Cyclone Family Pride” with a variety of events offered during this year’s ISU Homecoming Week.

Dave Critchlow, adviser for the Homecoming Central Committee, said some Homecoming events have actually been going on since last week but aren’t over yet.

“There are still many more events to check out,” he said. “We still have the Blitz Build, second cuts of Yell-Like-Hell, a Dazy Head Mazy concert, mass campaniling and the Fall Gala coming up.”

Critchlow, alumni officer for the Alumni Service Department, said the theme for this year’s Homecoming celebration is “Exploring Our Cyclone Family Pride.”

“The Homecoming Committee selects the theme, which they try to coordinate with the university theme for the year,” he said. “We think this is a good way to bring ISU students and the community together.”

Critchlow said the planning committee tries to incorporate some new events in with the old favorites each year.

“As far as tournaments go, we try to have different types each year and also have different special events and activities. Many are traditional, such as mass campaniling and the painting of Victory Lane, but we try to think of new ideas too,” he said.

Mike Morman, co-chair of the Homecoming Central Committee, said many events are chosen based on how well they will involve the entire campus.

“We just try to plan events that will get everyone involved as much as possible, such as the pre-Homecoming tailgate on central campus this Thursday,” he said.

Morman said there is not a specific Homecoming event he is most excited to attend because he is involved with almost all of them.

“I’m really just anxious to see them all, and I hope they all go well,” he said. “Wednesday is a big day, though. There will be free pizza, subs and pop in central campus if you have a Homecoming button. That’s also the day of the concert, fireworks and mass campaniling. It should all be a lot of fun.”

Critchlow said he is most looking forward to the Fall Gala, a semi-formal dance with live music, which is new this year. The gala will begin at 8 p.m. Saturday in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union. It will feature live music from the Confidentials and free Latin-dance lessons. Tickets are $18 per couple or $10 individually.

“I think all of the events will be great, but I’m especially excited to see how the Fall Gala comes to pass. I’d like to see a tradition started with that to get alumni and students to come together,” he said.

Morman said the 19-member planning committee has been working on and planning this week’s events for quite some time.

“The committee members were all chosen last November, and planning began soon after that,” he said. “We’ve all put a lot of work in and are very excited to see everyone enjoy Homecoming.”