New event Amazing Race Relay replaces ‘Yell like Hell’
Last year’s Homecoming saw the end of “Yell like Hell” and this year a new event rises to take its place.
Interest in “Yell like Hell” was considerably small, said Kalamazoo senior Samantha Baker. To raise interest it was replaced with the “Amazing Race Relay,” which goes along with this year’s Around the World Homecoming theme.
The relay will take place at 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Student Activity Center. Each team will face both physical and mental challenges.
Because this is a new event, the Homecoming committee is trying to keep the particulars of the event under wraps, Baker said. The event would be in the same vein as the TV show the Amazing Race with contestants traveling from station to station and completing tasks. The event will also be timed so the first ones done will be the winners, said Baker.
“Since its a new event, we’re trying to make it a bit of a surprise,” Baker said. “We hope that will get people more excited about it.”
Last year’s winner of “Yell like Hell” — Barnes Hall — was a bit more reserved. For the Amazing Race Relay, a team needs 10 participants, but so far only half that had signed up by Friday, said Sarah McNeill, Barnes Hall’s coordinator for the event.
“I don’t know how to get people interested if I don’t know what it’s about,” the Massachusetts sophomore said.
She is also in charge of another event that has been run for the last couple of years, The Quest for Central Spirit, and was able to work up a lot more interest in the residents of Barnes Hall because she was able to explain the event.
“It’s also hard to prepare for an event that we know nothing about,” McNeil said, “We’ll probably just end up winging it, as terrible as that sounds.”
The event is open to Residence Halls, registered student organizations, and other organizations that compete for the Maroon Cup. The winning group will receive 40 points towards winning the Cup.
