Though those photographed have long since left the university, the image remains of students gathering along both sides of Route 1, crowding the sidewalk while elaborate floats made their way down the road, part of the pageantry surrounding the annual homecoming football game.

In the years since the photographer snapped the shot, the hoopla surrounding homecoming has changed, from days when students packed the Armory for a semi-formal dance after the game to this year, when members of the student homecoming committee said they’ve struggled to get students involved.

“In past years, we haven’t had a lot of participation,” said senior Kristen Gustavson, secretary of this year’s homecoming committee. “It’s hard to figure out what people will show up to.”

A quick look at game program covers from the past highlights the changes that have affected the event over the years, marking the shift from a campus-wide festival to just another game on the schedule for the Terrapin football team.

In 1947, for the game against West Virginia, the program cover pictured a young female student dressed formally with the word “Homecoming” written across the top of the booklet. For the 1965 homecoming match against N.C. State, the cover of the program consisted of a terrapin with a simple message painted across its chest – “Welcome ‘ol grads.”

Last season, for the game against N.C. State, the program cover did not have any reference to the fact that it was homecoming weekend. The only mention of the event was buried among countless stats and figures in the game notes. Alumnus Emory Harman said the week used to be a major event on the campus.

“It was very exciting,” said Harman, chair of the 1945 homecoming committee. “All of these homecomings were big deals; it brought everybody all together.”

Through much of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, homecoming events included a freshman-versus-sophomore tug-of-war competition, a sophisticated parade that included floats made by fraternities, the announcement of the homecoming queen at halftime of the game and, finally, the semi-formal dance in the Armory.

Students even showed up to the game in special attire.

“They dressed differently back then; they wore ties and coats,” Harman said. “Today, they just wear gym clothes to the game.”

This weekend, while some homecoming staples such as the pep rally and a shortened version of the parade remain among newer events like the a cappella performances and comedy show, homecoming is clearly not as prominent as it once was.

“We were going to do a dance and couldn’t because we can’t get the funding,” said junior Megan Farrell, spirit co-chair of the committee. “I had to beg people for the pep band to come to the pep rally. I think that’s really sad.”

University Archivist Anne Turkos said as the university has evolved, homecoming has diminished in importance.

“[Back then] I think you had more of a receptive audience,” Turkos said. “Part of it was that there were less diverse interests; so many things for people to do take away from a unifying event.

“A lot of it did fade away in the ’70s. It was a very different time, because you had all the turmoil of the Vietnam War and people becoming much more individualized.”

Alumnus Stan Kensky, class of 1974, saw the transformation of homecoming during his time in College Park.

“The floats disappeared in the ’70s,” Kensky said. “It was a lack of interest and less of an emphasis on Greek life. Back in those days, the marching band got bigger cheers than the football team.”

An additional difference between past and present homecomings is the amount of interaction between alumni and undergrads. Harman said he remembers touring the campus with alumni who graduated five, 10 and even 50 years prior to 1945 during homecoming weekend.

“We took a bus trip around the campus to show the alums all the new buildings,” Harman said. “At the end of the trip [we] went to the Dairy and we all had free ice cream.”

While Farrell said the alumni association and the student homecoming committee did not interact in planning for homecoming, alumni association Director of Student Programs and Advocacy Remy Shaffer Gomes said that was hardly the case and said she has been in contact with officials from the Student Activities office.

“During my tenure, the student committee has always had a presence and always been welcome,” Gomes said. “Last year they had a very successful tailgate contest in Lot 1, and we are following the same protocol as last year.”

Both Harman and Kensky said they remember the tradition of alumni congregating in front of their old dormitories or fraternity houses after the football game for an informal meet-and-greet with their old classmates.

Harman said that for a recent homecoming he went back to his old fraternity, Phi Delta Pheta, to teach the current brothers some old tunes.

“I went back to Phi Delta and showed the new guys some old frat songs,” Harman said. “They had no idea what these songs were, but we had a lot of fun and enjoyed ourselves.”

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