Homecoming week is fast approaching and the plethora of events that come with it can be daunting. Luckily, we are breaking down each event for those who have yet to experience all Clemson Homecoming has to offer, so you know what is what.
Miss Homecoming
This year’s pageant will take place on Oct. 18, 2022, at 7:30 pm in the Brooks Center for Performing Arts. Clemson’s Homecoming Pageant highlights student organizations from all across campus, and any student organization is eligible to nominate a candidate to represent them! 
Tickets can be purchased the day of the show at the box office or from an Activities Committee table placed around campus this week. The show features an opening dance number, a casual wear round and a formal wear round with an onstage question.
This year, thirty contestants are competing for the Miss Homecoming title, hoping to be crowned as Homecoming Queen during Tigerama. The pageant serves as one of Clemson Undergraduate Student Government’s largest fundraisers throughout the year, bringing in over $15,000 each year for the past few years.
Zeke Gaskins, activities director and junior industrial engineer major, says “The money goes directly back into student organizations and helps fund some of CUSG’s campus wide events and initiatives.”
Tiger Rag Shag
Tiger Rag Shag is the campus homecoming dance open to any and all students. In previous years, the dance has been in Tiger Park with a shag dance theme, but this year it has a new location on Watt Lawn.
The @tigeragshag Instagram boasts that it will be “the best night of your life,” happening Tuesday, Oct. 20 at 7:30 p.m. Grace Caroline Bell, Tiger Rag Shag director and senior parks, recreation and tourism management major, says there will be “a cash bar, food trucks, and a DJ like no other.”
Float Building
Giant telephone poles drilled into Bowman, chicken wire and pomping — the process of sticking colored tissue paper in the chicken wire to create images of the float — may seem outlandish to someone who hasn’t seen Clemson’s traditional float building before. Each year teams of around 400 to 600 people from various organizations tackle each float.
This year’s competition includes ten teams made up of different groups on campus. Poles will be set up on Thursday, Oct. 13 and building begins Sunday, Oct. 16. Building takes place every day from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. until Friday at 2 p.m.
A panel of three judges chosen by the Alumni Association assess the floats on Friday afternoon at 3:30 p.m., looking at criteria such as fidelity to the theme, workmanship and difficulty of design.
Meghan Kropp, homecoming director and junior environmental engineering major, says “winners will be revealed at Tigerama as well as be presented at halftime during the homecoming game on Oct. 22 against Syracuse.”
Come out to Bowman to watch the spectacle that is a late night float build, including hardhats, couches on Bowman and endless tissue paper.
Tigerama
The 66th hosting of Tigerama, the student-run pep rally, is being held this year in Death Valley on Oct. 21 at 7 p.m.
This years theme is Timeless Tigertown. It is described by Tigerama director and senior nursing major, Maggie Crowe as “a recognizable spirit that binds people to Clemson University permanently.”
Carly Miller Band will open a pre-show beginning at 6 p.m.
Tigerama includes skits from the Clemson football team, the crowning of Homecoming Queen and performances from rapper B.o.B. Crowe says that this is the first time Tigerama has invited a big pop/rap artist like B.o.B, and “[hopes] that it brings a new energy that brings people back to the stadium with enthusiasm that we used to see 66 years ago when the tradition first started.”
Tigerama promises performances and appearances from organizations all around campus and a fireworks show to close. You can purchase tickets on clemsontigerama.com or from a representative tabling around campus.