University of Idaho Homecoming teams underwent a week-long competition to have their names engraved on a brand new $1,000 trophy.
Teams are comprised of self-registered fraternity, sorority and “general” members, which include residence halls, off-campus students and UI clubs. Each team has been participating for at least a week to accumulate participation points and win daily competitions in order to be one of the three winning teams that will be photographed with the 6-foot tall trophy.
“It’s a monster trophy,” said Katie Dahlinger, the assistant director for student and young alumni programs and co-adviser of the Homecoming committee.
Competitions included a photo scavenger hunt, living group decoration, a skit and other games. Each competition rewards teams with participation points, but the three teams that win each competition get additional points awarded. The fraternity, sorority and general teams with the most points at the end of Homecoming week win the competition.
Hannah Davis is a member of Delta Gamma and helped her team participate in the canned food distribution competition. Davis said they covered a couple different blocks, and hung plastic bags with instructions on neighborhood doorknobs for later pick-up. The food was weighed Thursday, and points will be awarded for the largest amount.
Davis said she was most excited for jingles — the skit competition.
“I’m excited for the serpentine too,” Davis said. “It’s less about the competition and more about Homecoming.”
In previous years, the homecoming committee rewarded each three winning teams with a $250 Zeppoz bowling gift certificate. With the assistance of Trey Mallory, Homecoming committee (2011) prize chair , the committee decided to change the tradition.
“It was not sustainable or prestigious,” Mallory said. “(The certificates) were just something that existed.”
The committee approved to raise the budget $250 to accommodate for the trophy.
The trophy is mainly gold with silver and black accents. A donated Vandal football helmet sits on the lower tier, with a Joe Vandal statue as the centerpiece. On top of the trophy sits another trophy valued at $435, Mallory said. For next year, and years following, the only costs for competition prizes will be the engraving of the name plates.
“We hoped that in the long run it will save the committee money,” Mallory said.
The trophy has room to house 30 years of nameplates. Mallory said he plans for the trophy to be returned to Precision Engraving, where it was constructed, to add on another tier that should last an additional 40 years thereafter.
Mallory said it was the biggest trophy Precision Engraving had ever made.
“Parts of the trophy aren’t produced anymore, like the interior tubing,” Mallory said. “They had it in stock from the ’70s … Even though it looks brand new, it has age to it.”
Dahlinger said including the trophy engraving, teams will also receive their own placard to keep.
“Trophies are pretty cool,” Davis said. “It’s good for the university to be more fiscally responsible. It’s understandable.”