For this year’s travel-themed homecoming, Creighton’s annual Jaywalk will be the stylish way to travel.

The theme for this year’s Homecoming week is “Greetings from… Homecoming 2008.” Megan Manning, Arts & Sciences senior and traditions coordinator for the Creighton Students Union programming board, said the theme is based on the fun of traveling to exotic locations.

“We just thought it was interesting and would catch people’s attention,” Manning said.

Highlighting the week, Manning said, will be a variety of traditional events. One of the most popular is the appearance of the hypnotist, Dr. Jim Wand. This will be Wand’s 23rd straight appearance at Creighton’s Homecoming.

Other popular events include the Mr. and Ms. Bluejay pageant and the annual golf cart parade on the Skinner mall. Manning said the week is a good chance for students to have fun showing school pride.

“It’s an event we always have to just celebrate being Creighton,” Manning said. “It’s a fun outlet that we have.”

Another annual tradition will take place just before Homecoming week.

CSU, in cooperation with Creighton University and Creighton Preparatory High School Student Council, will be sponsoring the sixth annual Jaywalk, a five K race that raises funds on behalf of the Jesuit Middle School.

Campbell Faulkner, CSU vice president of student affairs and the Jaywalk coordinator, said the Jaywalk is usually timed to coincide with Creighton’s family weekend.

It was originally held to commemorate Creighton’s 125th anniversary and has since become a tradition.

“It’s a good weekend to bring the entire Omaha community and the Creighton community together,” he said.

Creighton’s role is to act as the main organizer for the event, Faulkner said, but Creighton Prep also plays an important part. Its student council, in addition to helping organize the race, is responsible for actively recruiting for the Jaywalk.

Creighton Prep’s involvement is “what makes this such a special race,” Faulkner said. “They’re a very important part of the Jaywalk every year.”

Donations from the Jaywalk, Faulkner said, go into a general fund for the Jesuit Middle School. However, the event also raises money for one student in particular.

Every year, a student who could not otherwise afford tuition at the Jesuit Middle School receives a tuition reimbursement with the Jaywalk proceeds.

Last year, the Jaywalk raised $12,000. However, Faulkner said, the event is not on pace to raise as much money this year, partly because the economy is down and people are more reluctant than usual to donate.

Also, changes in technology on campus have made it so that people who want to donate have to do so through mail, whereas in the past they could pay online. Donations can be mailed to the Creighton Students Union room 110 of the Skutt Student Center.

“It ebbs and flows every year,” he said. “We usually raise between $6,000 and $12,000,” Faulkner said. He also said he is confident the event will still be successful this year.

This year’s Jaywalk will take place Sept. 20 and will begin in Deglman Circle. Registration is at 7 a.m. Those wishing to run the race will start at 8:30 a.m. and walkers will start 15 minutes later. A pancake feed will follow.

Faulkner said the event is a good chance to strengthen the connection between Omaha’s Jesuit communities. “We have a very strong Jesuit community [in Omaha],” Faulkner said. “They do a lot of good and [the Jaywalk] makes people aware of that.”