The Homecoming Steering Committee dealt a full house this year - literally.
Between selling out John R. Emens Auditorium for Air Jam and attracting Muncie residents and smaller campus organizations - which have historically been less visible at Homecoming festivities - this year's week of events were brimming with Cardinal pride
However, as anyone who has ever had a house party knows, the more people there are in attendance, the more trash they leave behind.
Students and other attendees left the post-parade scene looking dismal, with debris littered throughout the parade route. Likewise, the fun tailgaters had before - and during - the game really showed through in the piles of garbage they left behind.
Landscape Services put 11 people on the job of post-game cleanup, and they spent three hours Saturday and five hours Sunday taking care of irresponsible students' trash.
The sad part is, "This year's Homecoming wasn't any different than previous years' Homecoming," Michael Planton, associate director of Landscape Services, said.
Year after year, we clutter our Cardinal nest and wait for others to clean up after us - as if our partying has no consequences.
Sure, it's great that record numbers of enthusiastic supporters were in attendance at several Homecoming events this year, but maybe that Ball State pride should extend past our banners, T-shirts and chanting voices - and into our actions.
While Landscape Services puts out extra trash cans for Homecoming - as it does for all home games - perhaps the Homecoming Steering Committee or another campus organization should team up with Landscape Services.
They could distribute more trash bags and receptacles along the parade route, in the tailgating area and on the intramural soccer field, where broken bottles posed a safety threat.
When we can learn to take some responsibility and figure out how to work together in displaying our Cardinal pride with maturity, Homecoming week is sure to become a straight flush.
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