Resident halls reflect orange pride, compete

Campus residence halls will be glowing with pride tonight for Orange Reflections.

Many of the students living in OSU's residence halls have been working to set up fun and creative ways to reflect orange from the windows of their halls with colored paper and lights.

This year's Homecoming Royalty judged the contest between the residence halls on Thursday night.

Although the judging criteria cannot be released, Kimberly Stewart, a member of the Homecoming executive team, said OSU spirit, meeting the theme and orange pride will be taken into account.

The residence halls participating this year are Bennett Hall, Kerr-Drummond, North Monroe, Zink, Allen, Booker, Stinchcomb, Kamm Peterson-Friend apartments, Stout, Wentz, Patchin-Jones and the Villages.

Kirstin Keany, Stout Hall Homecoming director, said she saw Homecoming as a freshman two years ago and since then it has driven her to be involved.

Keany said it's not all decorating. There were weekly meetings to set up who would do what and assign which residents would need to do certain things in their windows.

"The end result (is my favorite part)" she said. "I like to see all the alumni come back and how awesome everything turns out."

Keany said she likes to participate in Orange Reflections to see all the orange and to see everyone show their spirit.

The residents of Patchin-Jones and Wentz are decorating more than just their windows. They are putting lights in trees, decorating lamp posts and hoping to incorporate OSU's newly adopted tartan pattern,Wentz Homecoming Director Frances Knaust said.

Knaust said she enjoys seeing all the orange, people wearing the T-shirts, the orange fountain and the signs out on Library Lawn.

Whether students are in a residence hall or a fraternity or a sorority, they must work hard to make Homecoming great, she said.

"In the end we're all coming together for this big, awesome thing and it's cool to see it all around campus," Knaust said.

Residents of the participating halls will have to wait until halftime of the Homecoming football game for the results of Orange Reflections to be announced.