The homecoming staff (from left to right) Jalen Walker-Wright, homecoming graduate advisor; Yuli Perez, homecoming chair; and Elijah McCoy, coordinator of student activities in the Office of Student Involvement, led the development of the festivities for the second year in a row. (Photo by Derik Holtmann)

Senior Yuli Perez plans to make the most of her remaining time at the University of Missouri–St. Louis.

In doing so, Perez also hopes to make things a little more fun for her fellow Tritons. That’s what compelled her to help lead the planning efforts for UMSL’s homecoming celebration for a second consecutive year.

“This is going to be my last experience with Homecoming and with planning everything,” she said. “So, I was really excited to do everything again. I really enjoyed the experience last year, and since it’ll be my last time doing it, I really wanted to end it on a good note.”

She’s not the only homecoming veteran returning for duty, either. Graduate student Jalen Walker-Wright is also back to help the effort. Last year, Perez and Walker-Wright served as homecoming co-chairs, and they helped the Office of Student Involvement develop a two-week extravaganza in honor of UMSL’s 60th anniversary. This year, the celebration has returned to its typical single-week format, with most festivities running from Feb. 22 to March 1. The canned food drive kicked off a little earlier on Feb. 17, and it runs until Feb. 26.

Perez and Walker-Wright, who are serving as homecoming chair and homecoming graduate advisor, respectively, worked closely with the students on the Homecoming Planning Committee to organize an engaging slate of events, including classic homecoming activities such as the Chili Feed and newer additions like Tritons Got Talent.

The week’s theme is “Tritons in the Sky,” which is a play on lyrics from the Rihanna song “Diamonds.” Perez was listening to music in her car when inspiration struck, and she brought the idea to her colleagues. Walker-Wright was sold immediately, noting that the diamond motif was perfect for members of the UMSL community who each shine in their own way.

“Yuli’s creative vision for this year’s theme really captivated me,” he said.

The pair learned much from their previous experience with the planning process and were able to apply those lessons this year. Walker-Wright said they had a baseline for what worked and were able fine tune things accordingly.

“Last year, we had two weeks of homecoming programming,” Perez said. “We had a lot of moving parts. We had new events that we were introducing. So, I think this year we’re definitely calmer because we did it last year, and we were able to iron out more of the details this year.”

The schedule of events includes traditional crowd-pleasers such as the Homecoming Pancake Breakfast and the Chili Feed. Tiny Tritons hosted the breakfast on Feb. 22, where children of faculty, staff and students enjoyed stacks of traditional pancakes and pancake art created by Dancakes. At the Chili Feed on Feb. 26, faculty members from departments across campus will battle to see whose recipe wins the most votes from attendees, and the victor will receive the Golden Ladle Award.

The homecoming staff still worked to keep things fresh with a brand-new Student Wellness Fair and twists on Pack the Stands and the Homecoming Dance. The fair will be held in the Millennium Student Center on Feb. 25 and provide mental health resources and activities. Perez noted that there’s often increased foot traffic on campus during homecoming, so the fair was an efficient way to make these resources more accessible.

“A lot of students don’t know what resources are available to them,” Walker-Wright said. “It’s not because they’re not there or people aren’t publicizing them, but sometimes they need to be mixed in with the fun and all of the engagement we have with something like homecoming.”

Before Pack the Stands on Feb. 27, there will be a Pep Rally at 3 p.m. on the third floor of the Millennium Student Center. Homecoming staff will be handing out free T-shirts, decals and cupcakes, and the Triton Sound Pep Band will perform. There will also be a special surprise for attendees. While the Tritons basketball teams battle the Drury Panthers, fans will be treated to activities, food and a raffle on the balcony of the Mark Twain Athletic Center.

Additionally, the homecoming royalty court candidates will be introduced to the crowd during halftime of the men’s basketball game, but the winners won’t be crowned at that time like previous years. Instead, they’ll be announced at the Homecoming Dance on March 1.

There will also be a change in venue for the dance. The lobby of the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center has traditionally hosted the event, but this year it will move to Century Rooms A through C in the MSC. Perez said the Touhill is a great space, but it can be tricky to decorate. She anticipates that dance-goers will be impressed with the homecoming staff’s ability to transform the Century Rooms.

“I just wanted to switch the layout, but I think it’s going to shock some people,” she said.

Tritons Got Talent will return on Feb. 25 after its debut last year. The show puts a spotlight on the talents and creativity of performers from across campus. Homecoming Advisor Elijah McCoy developed the contest, drawing inspiration from a lip-synching competition the university hosted several years ago.

Last year being the first time he led Homecoming, McCoy strived to create a program that would engage students across campus. After seeing its success, the homecoming staff knew it had to continue. During the inaugural outing, 10 acts competed, but Walker-Wright is tight-lipped about the lineup this year. He said people will just have to come out to the Touhill to see who’s performing. There’s one detail he could share, though.

“We’re bringing back the winner and audience choice winner, and they’re going to be opening and closing the show,” he said. “It’s creating that tradition, if you won last year, you make an appearance and crown the next person. That’s a new element that we’re bringing to the show and trying to see how we can make it more creative.”

Perez and Walker-Wright encourage the UMSL community to check Triton Connect and the UMSL Office of Student Involvement social media accounts for information and updates on the events. They’re confident there’s something for everyone.

“I think the dance is going to be bigger and better this year,” Perez said. “I hope everyone comes out to see all of our hard work and the committee’s hard work because, like I said, I’m trying to go out with a bang.”