Audience members will have the chance to throw in their two cents during this year’s Frog Follies by casting votes for their favorite acts in the new People’s Choice Awards. Frog Follies, a homecoming event where students perform skits to reflect this year’s theme “Building Toward the Future,” now features People’s Choice Awards. Students, faculty and audience members will vote for four winners in four categories: theme development, costumes, musical selection and crowd-pleaser.

“The crowd-pleaser is the act that the audience just falls in love with,” said Kim Appel, Homecoming Committee adviser and activities coordinator.

The first-, second- and third-place prizes are $300, $150 and $100, respectively, for the People’s Choice Awards, Appel said.

As usual, she said, a panel of judges composed of students, faculty and staff will decide the overall first-, second- and third-place winners for the Frog Follies competition.

Audience members can also sign up to win American Airlines tickets between acts at Frog Follies, Appel said, and winners will be announced at the tailgate Oct. 28.

She said Frog Follies is open to all student organizations or groups of individuals who want to participate. Although Greeks usually make up the majority of participants each year, Showgirls usually perform, and HyperFrogs joined the competition last year.

Homecoming Director Kit Lipscomb said planning Homecoming is no easy task.

Lipscomb, a junior international communications major, said the Homecoming theme was selected by the Homecoming Committee, Programming Council, students, faculty and staff. It focuses on the outer changes of TCU, as well as inner changes, she said.

“The theme is the hardest part of the planning process because it entails not only the makeup of the student body but the alumni as well,” she said.

Lipscomb said the Programming Council, Homecoming Committee and advisers began brainstorming and budgeting for Homecoming last summer.

“With everybody’s help, we’ve spent about 1,000 hours (planning Homecoming),” she said. “And that’s probably not an exaggeration.”

The committee also organized the float contest, Lipscomb said.

The float contest gives Greeks a chance to win $150 in three categories: best in parade, best in walking parade and best in parade spirit, Lipscomb said. All floats will be judged on criteria such as quality, creativity and theme, she said.

Pi Kappa Phi President Matt Kiesel said the fraternity is grouped with Alpha Chi Omega and Brothers Under Christ. He said the group began working on its float design and practicing its skit for Frog Follies the beginning of October.

“It’s really been crunch time the last week,” said Kiesel, a senior finance and accounting major. “This week, we will be working at least 40 hours.”

Kayla Daniel, chair of Alpha Chi Omega’s Frog Follies, said the group has worked about 30 hours on its skit, costumes and choreography.

“It’s always challenging with time schedules, but to see the progression of success has been fun at the same time,” said Daniel, a junior early childhood education major.