Julie Frank

It has been an SDSU tradition since 1912 that only comes around once a year. It has students and alumni anticipating the arrival of Weary Wil and Dirty Lil. This year Wil and Lil will make their annual Hobo Day trip a month early.

The Hobo Day committee has worked hard to prepare for their arrival and to make the 2007 Hobo Week, which concludes on Sept. 29, a memorable one for its participants.

The committee had one less month to plan the celebration, unlike previous years. Possible dates for Hobo Day depend on the football home schedule and are decided by the athletic department and the Hobo Day committee, according to Nick Wendell, Program Advisor for the University Programs Council.

Students have mixed feelings about this year’s early Hobo Day.

Brianna Groupe, a nursing student said the early Hobo Day doesn’t give freshmen a fair chance to be involved in the event or for students to participate in the one month club.

Other students, like junior Camden Helder, an economics major, and nutrition food science senior Lindsay Harrison agree Hobo Day in September will have more enjoyable weather, and they look forward to the excitement of the crowd.

Still, Groupe, Helder and Harrison anticipate taking part in pre-game activities and the football game itself.

Whether the event unfolds in the beginning, middle or the end of the academic year, it takes a lot of planning. Anyone who takes charge of such a task needs to be grand.

It is only fitting the person who heads the Hobo Day committee is titled the Grand Pooba.

This year’s Grand Pooba is 22-year-old Kelsey Wuttke, a hotel and food service management senior from Gettysburg, S.D. As Grand Pooba, Wuttke’s duties consist of coordinating and executing the week’s events.

Grand Pooba candidates apply for the position every spring. Wendell said they look for candidates with good experience on the Hobo Day committee.

“I thought it would be a good way to end my years at SDSU,” Wuttke said, and added that it would be a challenge.

Wuttke has been on the Hobo Day committee since she arrived at SDSU. She said participating on the committee has taught her school traditions and created lasting friendships.

The Hobo Day committee consists of nine members, who were also selected through an interview process, said Wuttke. These members head individual committees and advise members below them to produce the week’s events.

The Hobo Day committee brought back an old tradition this year: the bonfire. The bonfire will take place on Sept. 28, which Wuttke hopes will enhance the Jackrabbit Rally and set the mood for the rest of the celebration. The bonfire will take place northwest of Coughlin-Alumni Stadium at 8 p.m.

For all her dedication, Wuttke will ride in the Bummobile in the Hobo Day parade. The parade is at 9:30 a.m. on Sept. 29 and begins at the South Dakota Art Museum and heads south on Medary.

Wuttke says planning the event was a lot of hard work and encourages everyone to participate. She also encourages students to join the Hobo Day committee. She said it gives students a chance to learn school traditions and how to work with others.

To volunteer for the remaining days of the celebration, contact Wuttke at 688-5524.