The one week out of the semester where classes are low on the priority list, concentrating seems impossible, and all you can talk about is your plans that night to celebrate the week. No, I am not talking about Greek Week, that is in the spring. I am talking about Hobo Week. Being Greek during this extended homecoming week definitely has its benefits.

With a full week of hobo festivities planned, it is a great time to bond with my sisters, socialize with other Greek chapters on campus, and just be a hobo. Part of being Greek this week includes having a float in the parade on Saturday. I will admit that if you have not yet checked the weather forecast for this state-wide tradition, I would suggest bringing a coat. My sisters and I will be walking in the parade, singing and chanting around downtown, just begging to lose our voices before the football game even starts. 

The other events of Hobo Week like Miss Homelycoming, Cavorts, Bum-a-Meal, Bum-Over, Rally at the Rails and The Great Hobo Race are all events that if you attend, seeing someone Greek is almost guaranteed. It is said that joining the Greek community is a great way to meet new people, and from someone “on the inside,” it is true. Last year, I had just joined Greek life when Hobo Day came around, and the sheer number of people I met was a little intimidating. I walked in the parade with my new sisters, and as a freshman, I had no idea what the songs or chants were, but that did not stop me from having the time of my life. 

Another aspect of Hobo Week that is special in the Greek community is supporting of other Greeks on campus. The way that television portrays Greek life has every chapter against each other but that is not the case. Hobo Week is a great way to perhaps support a fraternity member in Miss Homelycoming, or a fellow Greek in Cavorts. Greek organizations are a home away from home and a community within campus. 

Hobo Week is a time when it does not matter what you wear and in all honesty, the grungier, the better. With SDSU filling out its Greek row more and more every year, it is not far fetched to see someone walking down 20th street dressed up … or dressed down? It is great to see the school coming together during homecoming and even better as a Greek girl, to see the Greek community coming together. 

Rivalry runs deep in Greek communities all over the nation and like Greek Week, homecoming usually brings out the worst in the Greek reputation. I am glad to say that I am a part of a campus in which, when in homecoming celebration, our community comes together. In the past ten years, I think every combination of Greek Chapters on this campus have done a float together, and this year will not be any different. Being Greek has its benefits all year long, but when things like Hobo Week come along, the benefits are overflowing and like it is said in The Lion King, “It sure is great to be Greek!”… at least that is how we sing it. 

Amanda Siefken is the Visual Editor at The Collegian. She can be reached at [email protected].