Members of Delta Kappa Pi perform a skit at the pep rally.
The Doane Dance Team performs with alumni at halftime of the football game.
Doane hosted a pep rally in Haddix on Oct. 18 as part of homecoming festivities. The rally featured fraternities and sorority members competing in rehearsed skits, the cheer and dance team performing, a rallying speech by Football Coach Jonathon Johnson, and the football team and the announcement of who won Homecoming Duke and Dutchess and who won the Sprint Cup.
The skit winners were Gamma Phi Iota sorority, who won with a skit centered around a time machine that brought current Gamma Phi Iota members to a reunion 50 years in the future. Omega Psi Theta sorority won the Spirit Award due to their homecoming involvement and seniors Blake Skoumal and Jaiden Papik won the Duke and Dutchess.
“I was awestruck. I stood amongst so many individuals who I have such profound respect for and I know the student body shares my sentiment, so it was hard seeing myself emerging as the winner. At that moment, I was really proud of myself that the image I projected on campus was one that deserved a homecoming vote,” Skoumal said.
To Skoumal, being a part of the pep rally and winning Duke made him appreciate the connections he made with his peers on campus. Seeing people cheer for him, knowing people voted for him and seeing his lasting impact on Doane left him awestruck and grateful for his time at Doane.
“I looked towards leadership roles and meaningful individual relationships to prove to the campus I am deserving of Homecoming Duke and I am glad it worked out. It is the cherry on top to my college experience. It is proof that I made the right choices along the way to get to where I am today,” Skoumal said.
Skoumal was not the only winner on Friday night. Gamma Phi Iota sorority winning the skit competition was a highlight of the pep rally. All of the skits require time, preparation and a serious amount of coordination.
“The biggest challenge about all this was getting all the girls together at the same time since there are so many of us with different schedules,” Junior and Gamma Phi Iota sorority Morgan Smith said. “I think all the aspects of the skit especially the craft parts like the time machine helped bring us together too and seeing the sillier sides of each other with our costumes.”
Ultimately, that is what homecoming is about. Celebrating people, groups and communities at Doane all while participating in fun activities that bring out the best in each other.
Pictures from the pep rally can be found on Doaneline.com, featuring different skits, performances from the cheer and dance team, as well as pictures of the Dutch and Dutchess.
Photos by Elenna Koenig | The Doane Owl
(Left) Junior McKenna Wiley is raised into the air of the Phi Sigma Tau skit. (Middle) Senior Angel Lehn faces off with athletic staff member Ben Berreckman at Hoopfest. (Right) Seniors Jaiden Papik and Blake Skoumal are named Doane’s Dutchess and Duke for this year’s homecoming.
