Well everyone, Homecoming week is officially here. This means we all get to take part in some great Simpson homecoming traditions. We have Float, Sink, or Swim, late-night dodgeball, flag football and Yell Like Hell.

I’m sure you have a favorite tradition, something that you will make sure to check out or even participate in (personally, I’m pretty stoked for flag football and Float, Sink, or Swim).

But this year we have all been given a chance to participate in an activity unlike any of these others.

What is this activity you ask?

Stop by Great Hall on Fri. Oct. 7 over the lunch hour (11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.) and find out for yourselves.

I’ll tell you that this is a brand new event this year and that if you decide to show, you will be provided with the chance to use your meal plan to eat some burgers, little smokies, veggies, chips and dip and cake. You’ll also get the chance to meet some pretty cool people.

One person you might run into at the event is Clarence Key, a radio show host, probation officer and Des Moines National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) executive board member.

Another person you might see is Michelle Kopp, a member of Pi Beta Phi, who competed with the drill team and served as the undergraduate assistant in the management department before going on to a successful accounting career with Ernst & Young and Aviva. She’s also on the board of directors for the Iowa Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. These are just a couple of the personalities that you may see on campus on Friday.

So that’s the food and the people involved. What about money?

There are two ways that you could profit from this event if you attend. One is to be entered into a raffle for a $50 Walmart gift certificate that will be drawn at the end of the event. The other is to talk to some of these interesting people. Many of those attending the gathering are very high-ranking in their respective organizations and have the power to provide students who attend with internships or job opportunities.

The event is sponsored by Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) and Career Services and is free to any and all students who want to attend. Meals will be charged to your meal plans and those without a meal plan will be covered by Career Services. This will be a very cool opportunity for all students to network with alumni in a casual setting and to enjoy some good food and a potential monetary gain.

So be sure to stop by Great Hall on Friday and be a part of Simpson’s newest Homecoming tradition!

Want to learn more about who SIFE is and what we do? Check out the Simpson College SIFE Facebook page or stop by McNeil 107 any Wednesday at 3:00 p.m.