Campus Activities Board (CAB) set up shop in the MLK Commons Monday afternoon to let everyone know that homecoming week is here.

From noon to 3 p.m., members of CAB, accompanied by members of the homecoming court, handed out T-shirts, mini-footballs and wristbands to anyone passing through the area.

Homecoming queen candidate Cassandra Lombard, junior accounting major, was out at the rally Monday. She said the event worked not just as a way to campaign, but to promote CAB as well.

Lombard also said she’s excited about events this week, especially the recycled boat race.

“I’m really excited about events like the boat race,” Lombard said. “It’s the perfect weather for all this.”

Senior accounting major Jasmine Harvell, another queen candidate, said the boat race is an event she’s looking forward to as well.

“I’m excited to see the boat race [today],” Harvell said. “It takes a daredevil to get into the lagoon.”

The race, from 4 to 7 p.m. today at the East Lagoon, is an event in which participants create their own boats out of recycled materials and race them on the lagoon.

Guadalupe Barraza-Ramirez, vice president of Huskie Tradition for CAB, said she is looking forward to the parade on Saturday morning.

“It’s one of the times we get to intersect with the DeKalb community,” Barraza-Ramirez said.

Barraza-Ramirez said she thinks this year’s theme, “All of the Lights,” speaks to the unity of the university’s diversity.

“It’s about how we as a Huskie community shine together and come together,” Barraza-Ramirez said.

Homecoming week might be the biggest thing CAB does all year, Barraza-Ramirez said – certainly the biggest thing it does in the fall semester. The weeklong event is something for which the organization is known.

“If there was a year CAB didn’t have [homecoming], it would be missed,” Barraza-Ramirez said.

Free stuff doesn’t hurt either, Barraza-Ramirez said.

“Who doesn’t want a free shirt?” she said.

Sophomore nursing major Sam Sadecki said she’s looking forward to Saturday’s football game and tailgating.

“Everyone is all together, getting pumped up [for the game],” Sadecki said.