Stress is high and there is a faint smell of glue coming from every sorority house, but students could not be more excited about the week to come. It is here ladies and gentlemen: Homecoming. Homecoming is a wonderful time where student organizations compete against each other in all sorts of challenges. For organizations to win, they must reign supreme and conquer many characteristics as a whole. These include athletic events like flag football, bowling and basketball; artistic challenges like window painting and can formation; and of course they must have the most spirit and love for their school.
The biggest, and most time consuming BY FAR, is pomping.
Lol what is pomping?
Pomping, while different at every school and in every organization, always consists of some tissue paper squares and whatever the final product will be displayed on. Techniques range from poking the tissue paper through chicken wire to rolling it up in tiny balls and rewrapping them with more tissue paper before gluing them to cardboard.
BOYS! BOYS! BOYS!
Greek organizations get paired and finally there is some motivation for the new sorority and fraternity pledge classes to join together and fulfill their seemingly endless pomping hour requirements. Free time is out the window, but it is okay because you get to meet and talk to boys in the pleasance of your sorority house.
Okay this sucks.
After about three days, the newness of pomping is gone and your fingers start to cramp more and more with every ball that you have to roll. The mid-week craziness is also settling in and trying to do homework while pomping is not the ideal situation.
Wait we actually do things with these pomps?
GLUING!! Later on in the week, you realize that there is more to this whole pomping process than just tissue paper balls. You start getting to glue said balls onto cardboard or poking tissues through the chicken wire and the picture starts to come to life. Also, it is something different so that is a plus.
Wow we are so creative this is so amazing!
The pomp is almost done and there are actually people and scenes and words and wow this is awesome!
Scratch that, I’m just sleep deprived.
About a week and half in, you realize that you have not slept for more than four house since this craziness started. You really do not know how you survive the days anymore and really, do you even know what you are doing at this point?
IT’S FINALLY DONE!
The gigantic artwork that you never thought would be done is finally up and on display for everyone to see! You might have stayed up until around 3 o’clock in the morning trying to hang it up and adding last minute details, but it is all worth it when you get first place…right?.....
Seriously, you’re just going to throw it away?
Homecoming is over and what else are you going to do with countless square feet of tissue paper? It feels like a piece of yourself is going with it, but I promise it will all be okay. And remember, there is always next year to look forward to :)
