Students bleed purple

Record number of ‘Purple Out!’ T-shirts distributed

Ashley Banks contributing photographer Students wait on the hill beside the commons Friday, waiting for one of 2,000 "Purple Out!" T-shirts.

JMU students went for the gold last week in a spirited display as they celebrated Homecoming with "Purple Out!" T-shirts, Mr. and Ms. Madison, a banner competition, pep rally and parade.

The festivities began Monday with a banner contest on the commons, sponsored by the Homecoming Student Spirit Committee. The Student Duke Club won first place, business fraternity Pi Sigma Epsilon placed second and Junior Class Council placed third, according to junior Ashley Bullard.

The banner contest was judged by the student body and a panel of faculty members, according to Bullard.

Tuesday evening, musicians Gavin DeGraw and Michael Tolcher came to Wilson Hall Auditorium and played to a sold-out audience.

Sunset on the Quad, an annual event, was held Wednesday evening. It featured JMU dance and a cappella singing groups.

JMU football players took pies in the face and Duke Dog strutted through the crowd and food, games, prizes and activities filled the commons during the Homecoming Carnival on Thursday, according to senior Jess Begley, head of the student spirit committee.

Members from clubs and organizations made floats and marched on Duke Drive and Bluestone Drive in the "Go 4 the Gold!" Homecoming parade on Friday. After the parade, the Student Ambassadors and Student Government Association sponsored a pep rally on the commons.

Students were able to get one of the 2,000 "Purple Out!" shirts that the SGA handed out. "This is about 1,000 more shirts than were given away last year," said senior Alka Franceschi, SGA Vice President of Student Affairs. "The SGA is very excited about being able to give away that many shirts this year, and we [loved] seeing students bleeding purple at the Homecoming game."

Franceschi also was in charge of the Mr. and Ms. Madison contest.

"The Mr. and Ms. Madison honor … a person who always exemplifies the spirit of the school," Franceschi said.

The Mr. and Ms. Madison titles were awarded to Lawson Ricketts (Student Ambassadors) and Morgan Somerville (Alpha Sigma Tau) at halftime during Saturday’s football game.

Additional photos of Sunset on the Quad