Bowling, food trucks on tap for Homecoming 2014 start

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Homecoming Week 2014 gets rolling with Ragin' Cajuns Bowling from 4-6 p.m. on Sunday at Lafayette Lanes.

Teams of up to six bowlers can register as a group, and people who show up without a team can be assigned to one. “It’s open to anyone, the only requirement is you have to be a UL fan,” joked Simone Degeytaire, chair for this year’s event.

Participants will enjoy 1970s music, refreshments and interactive activities, such as testing their knowledge with University-related trivia questions that are posed throughout the event.

“We also have some little giveaways. They make it a little more competitive, and a little more fun,” Degeytaire said. “And someone always gets up to sing the fight song, and the whole crowd joins in.”

On Monday, festivities continue with the Allons Manger Food Truck Roundup. It will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Alumni Center, 600 E. St. Mary Blvd., and is open to the public.

The Food Truck Roundup is a new event added to help kick off Homecoming 2014 Week from the Alumni Center, said Dan Hare, event chair.

“With the popularity of the food trucks in the last couple of years, it’s become a fun thing for people to do, and a great way to get the week started,” Hare said.

Nine vendors will serve a variety of treats, from Cajun dishes and Louisiana seafood to barbecue and pizza. They are: Blanchard’s Barbeque, the Bus Stop, Cajun Flavor Cooking, Cakin' it to the Streets Dessert, Chef Gregory, Kona Ice of Acadiana, Mad LuAnn's, Rice Kings, and the WOP Wagon.

At 6 p.m. on Monday, students will sing and dance at Ragin’ Cajuns Karaoke at the Cajundome Convention Center, Exhibit Hall A.

Although students participate in the karaoke contest, the public is invited to attend the free event.

The karaoke contest is sponsored by the University Program Council. “It’s very entertaining, one of the marquee events that we do,” said Michelle Bernard, UPC traditions advisor.

Groups of up to six people can perform, although only one person per group can sing. “A lot of the groups have back up dancers, and the entire production can get quite creative,” Bernard said.

Students must choose a song from a list provided by the UPC, but “the lyrics are often changed to reflect a Ragin’ Cajuns or Homecoming-related theme,” she added.

Learn more about Homecoming 2014 events at louisiana.edu/homecoming.