The homecoming T-shirt exchange continues through Oct. 17 with the Homecoming bonfire pep rally Friday night. To receive a free Homecoming T-shirt, students need to bring a T-shirt from another university to Clark student center room 194. T-shirts from the other universities will be burned in the bonfire.

“The bonfire has been around for a number of years, you can even go back and look at old annuals and see a bonfire in the 60s,” said Leslee Ponder, director of alumni relations.

Starting in the 1960’s, the Homecoming bonfire tradition became a student favorite. The bonfire has become a huge event starting off with a torchlight parade, the bonfire of burning T-shirts and performances of the Lip Sync competition finalists.

Whitney McCullough, junior in education, said, “It is very important for university’s to have traditions as they help with school spirit and give students more opportunities to get involved.”

The bonfire, which is known to draw the largest crowd of any other university event, serves as the official pep rally for the Homecoming game Saturday night.

“It is always really fun to walk in the torchlight parade and see all the other schools shirts burn down,” McCullough said.